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Original poster

Buying a house where a tragedy happened

183 replies

Canistayinbed · 19/01/2024 06:10

Would you?

House near me is up for sale, in the 60’s a father murdered 5 members of his family then killed himself. I couldn’t even bring myself to view the house let alone buy it.

Houses that have had fatal fires, been renovated and ready for occupancy again. Nope.

Id be awake at night ruminating over things and never get any sleep, I know it seems stupid. Anyone else the same? Or do you live in such a place and aren’t bothered by it?

OP posts:
CrunchyCarrot · 19/01/2024 06:11

Absolutely not! Would play on my mind as well.

Hoglet70 · 19/01/2024 06:12

I'm scared of house fires so I couldn't do the house fire. I'm not sure about the murder. If I went inside and it felt happy then I think it would be ok.... Ooh I don't know now I really think about it.

Grilledsquid · 19/01/2024 06:13

I would. I am assuming prices would reflect that these may not have many parties interested.

JustWhatWeDontNeed · 19/01/2024 06:15

I'd buy it. Bad things happen all over the place.

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 19/01/2024 06:16

I'd be fine with either of those. But I'd probably only buy it if I planned to live there for a really long time. If it was a house I was hoping to be in for a shorter time before moving on, I probably wouldn't simply because I'd worry it would be harder to sell.

PickledPurplePickle · 19/01/2024 06:16

In the 60's is 80 years ago

We are buying a house where someone shot themselves around the same time. Haven't given it a second thought

TheRealProfessorYaffle · 19/01/2024 06:16

It's utterly silly superstition. Literally no evidence to suggest that a house would hold previous trauma. Utter lunacy of you to even entertain the thought. And hell no I wouldn't be stepping in that house.

hotginbottle · 19/01/2024 06:16

I was in a family where something tragic occurred, back in 70s now.
When parents sold house (not due to event) I later ended up at school with one of their sons.
I always wondered if the new family knew what happened in one of the rooms....

Christmas202 · 19/01/2024 06:17

Nana lived in the house of a serial killer. He hid his victims under floor boards and in the walls. She used to hear noises.

ANiceBigCupOfTea · 19/01/2024 06:18

Same as you OP, wouldn't do it!

JustWhatWeDontNeed · 19/01/2024 06:20

PickledPurplePickle · 19/01/2024 06:16

In the 60's is 80 years ago

We are buying a house where someone shot themselves around the same time. Haven't given it a second thought

60, not 80.

AcridAndStanLee · 19/01/2024 06:21

Do you have a link? Depends how nice the house is reallly.

Mezzamix · 19/01/2024 06:21

If the price was right, then yes.

anybloodyname · 19/01/2024 06:22

TW - mentions suicide

My parents bought a house where the family's teenager killed himself.

The family walked away and never came back to the house , it was massively underpriced so allowed them to have their dream home

They removed the tree in the garden and planted a rose bush in the child's memory

Never had any problems living there , a tragedy no matter where it happened

Flyingalone · 19/01/2024 06:23

People that wouldn't buy it because they're scared - do you know you very well might be living in a house someone got raped in, or beaten up (DV)?

On average we cross paths with 18 murderers I believe (can't remember the reference).

I'd totally buy and push for a lower price.

BobnLen · 19/01/2024 06:23

I would buy it if the price was lower

ShirleyPhallus · 19/01/2024 06:27

Many of us like in Victorian, Edwardian or 30s houses - these are all nearly or over 100 years old. I suspect there is a level of tragedy or death that has happened in almost every house. We just don’t know about it.

BlueThursday · 19/01/2024 06:29

It depends on how well the address itself was known.

I lived at a notorious address but in a completely different city yet people brought it up constantly when I gave my address so to be in the actual one would be difficult

DancefloorAcrobatics · 19/01/2024 06:30

In op scenarios, id buy them.

However, in my old neighbourhood is a house for sale with a burglary gone wrong. Not sure about that, as it was all over the local news... 5 years on the house is still for sale and the burglar still at large.

WormHoleInSpace · 19/01/2024 06:30

I think it depends on how long ago it happened.
If its fairly recent then perhaps not but more because I wouldn't want the risk of people ( in the case of murder) coming looking for revenge or neighbours telling me repeatedly telling me about what happened in there.
If i happened a few generations ago then yes I'd buy it

Redglitter · 19/01/2024 06:30

PickledPurplePickle · 19/01/2024 06:16

In the 60's is 80 years ago

We are buying a house where someone shot themselves around the same time. Haven't given it a second thought

80 years ago?? No its 55/60 years ago

Still ages though & probably few people would give it a second thought

Passingthethyme · 19/01/2024 06:31

Hell no, bad vibes. Not a chance

SD1978 · 19/01/2024 06:31

I would view it, in theory it wouldn't bother me. There are shitty things that go on for years you don't know about in multiple houses countrywide.

HelpMeGetThrough · 19/01/2024 06:41

or neighbours telling me repeatedly telling me about what happened in there.

They probably wouldn't. In the house behind us, the occupier killed herself in it, all neighbours know what happened, as all hell broke loose on Sunday night.

The person in there now, knows nothing about it and nobody has said a thing to him.

WhenWereYouUnderMe · 19/01/2024 06:47

60 years ago?! It's not yesterday is it. It's fine. Dozens of people have lived there since then presumably.