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Original poster

Buying a murder house.

153 replies

Tiiiaa · 18/02/2022 19:16

My boyfriend and I are buying our first house together.

HOWEVER…. recently we came across information that we feel should have been disclosed by vendor/estate agents.

The house was the site of a tragic and violent murder, in which the husband killed the wife (in the living room). We have previously asked the estate agents why the house was for sale, if there was anything wrong, and why exactly the sellers wanted to sell. On each occasion this information was not disclosed to us. Typically they would just mention that they had been instructed by solicitors to sell the property, and even that it was meant to be redone as an investment but they decided not to.

My question to mumsnet is….would you continue with the purchase on the house? And why?

Please note we have already spent 1k and mortgage offer received.

OP posts:
mummydoris2006 · 18/02/2022 19:43

My mum is an estate agent and deals with rental properties. She was only talking about this subject last week. If a murder or suicide has taken place in the property it has to be disclosed and if not comes under the miselling of goods

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 18/02/2022 19:43

I'm so sorry, @ParkheadParadise. Flowers That must be very hard to contend with.

OP, are you buying at a particularly good price? I'd think long and hard before throwing away the opportunity to buy this place and the money you've already spent. Every house has its secrets.

Tiiiaa · 18/02/2022 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Somethingsnappy · 18/02/2022 20:05

@MadMadMadamMim

This was posted the other week - only they were huffy about a suicide I think.

Have you genuinely nothing better to do? The vendors have no responsibility to announce why they are selling a house.

We have previously asked the estate agents why the house was for sale, if there was anything wrong, and why exactly the sellers wanted to sell. On each occasion this information was not disclosed to us.

I imagine (if this is true) they thought you were odd.

Why on earth would they think it was odd? It's a perfectly valid question.
LidlMiddleLover · 18/02/2022 20:12

I would go ahead if its the right house for you.

FindingMeno · 18/02/2022 20:12

If I was aware of the history I'm afraid it'd be a deal breaker for me, even if there had been an owner since then.

totorostoes · 18/02/2022 20:12

@labyrinthlaziness

Not many houses have been the site of an actual recent murder, murder is rare.
Murder isn’t that rare, there is a street in my town where two murders have happened 21 months apart, the latest one in December
Georgeskitchen · 18/02/2022 20:17

I would think that if your bought the house and in 10 years times you wished to sell it, the passing of time will have put enough distance away from.the incident. I'm on the fence about it really, if the house felt rightbi would probably go for it

NannyGythaOgg · 18/02/2022 20:17

It really wouldn't worry me at all.

labyrinthlaziness · 18/02/2022 20:17

@totorostoes

It is rare, even if you have had that coincidence - only about 700/year?

Lobster2018 · 18/02/2022 20:21

I'd be pulling out if it was me.
I know it sounds silly but I'd be sat in the living room thinking about it constantly and picturing it. Not for me!

godmum56 · 18/02/2022 20:21

I wouldn't do it given the incident is so recent. I know that this might seem silly but that's me.

Cissyandflora · 18/02/2022 20:21

I desperately need to buy a big house for my family. I would not be put off. I’d even buy a house with this horrible history if it was cheaper. I know that might sound morbid but I would just try to make a happy family home.

BuddhaForMary · 18/02/2022 20:23

Wouldn't bother me at all.

labyrinthlaziness · 18/02/2022 20:24

@Lobster2018

I'd be pulling out if it was me. I know it sounds silly but I'd be sat in the living room thinking about it constantly and picturing it. Not for me!
Me too.

You have to know what kind of person you are to work out what to do - if you ar ethe type to visualise it would ruin your house!

Cam2020 · 18/02/2022 20:24

Are you getting a good deal because of its history and do you think you can get past what happened?

ISeeTheLight · 18/02/2022 20:25

They have to disclose this. I did some research a couple of weeks ago as a house we've offered on has had criminal activity (drugs manufacturing). That seemed to be a grey area re needing to be disclosed, but everywhere I read said that a violent death (ie murder) HAS to be disclosed.
I would renegotiate the purchase price if I were you, as I agree this could potentially impact future resale value.

Piper90 · 18/02/2022 20:26

For those of you saying you wouldn’t buy the house, why not? Do you have supernatural beliefs? I’m honestly boggled.

SomePosters · 18/02/2022 20:27

As some who has to live with being triggered by such mundane things as my pillows I wouldn’t be bothered by this

This is just one that made the news

The sad truth is 2 women a week in the U.K. are killed by their partners or ex partners so this is more common than we are prepared to accept

earsup · 18/02/2022 20:28

my aunt bought a house...wife had murdered husband....then hung him from bannisters.....nobody wanted it...paid 3k in the 60's...now worth over 2m !!

Ballstothewall · 18/02/2022 20:28

How quickly are you planning to sell?

Personally I have lived in many old houses so assume that people have died there. It doesn't change the house, it's just part of its story, most of which I don't know.

In terms of resale though, I would assume there will be a difference if you stay 15 years and it's 'very sadly a lady was killed there years ago before the current owners' and 1 year when the story is still new and raw locally. Also is it a reasonably sought after area? If potential buyers are likely to be thin on the ground anyway that might be something to consider if some could be put off by this.

LightfoldEngines · 18/02/2022 20:28

Considering that 1-2 women a week are murdered by their partners, then no, this sort of murder is not rare.

BuddhaForMary · 18/02/2022 20:28

A woman had died in afire in the last house I rented. I wasn't aware until one of the neighbours told me. Didn't make me want to move out though. People die in houses all the time. I know there's a difference between murder and a house fire or dying of something else, but the effect is the same surely? A person died. Unless you think there's bad energy there or something, I can't see why you wouldn't buy it.

earsup · 18/02/2022 20:29

wasnt aware had to be declared.....my sister accidentally told some neighbours that a wife was murdered in their house....they bought it last year but changed hands a few times since the murder.

LightfoldEngines · 18/02/2022 20:30

[quote labyrinthlaziness]@totorostoes

It is rare, even if you have had that coincidence - only about 700/year?[/quote]
700 women a year are murdered by their partners or ex’s. That’s just women in DV cases. So your guess is WAY off.

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