Has viewing a property ever given you a bad feeling that's lasted all day?

[flashbac]

Inspired by the thread about the house with a presence .
I've been in a few houses up for sale that looked good on paper but felt really 'off'. The negative feeling would then last all day. I have also felt the opposite; houses that are completely unsuitable that leave me with positive feelings.
The feeling does not depend on the state of the house. It doesn't matter if it's a wreck or immaculate.

I'm mad aren't I?

Not mad although I've never really experienced any 'woo' feelings myself. I do however still many decades later remember going to look round some student digs that smelt unbelievably disgusting, I don't think I'll ever lose the memory of that stench until my dying day! We were students ourselves and didn't exactly have high standards but I honestly don't understand what the previous tenants had done in there

I also looked at some really horrible flats when I was looking to buy my first place, they were all small and poky but it's amazing how some places can manage to feel cosy and compact and others are just - the worst was one sandwiched between a busy A road, a mainline train line and a motorway! It was triple glazed to be fair to manage the noise/fumes but I think as a result felt incredibly close and confined and you could hardly open a window to get some air in!

I felt the opposite in the house we bought.
It was owned by an elderly lady who had lived there for 50 years. In spite of needing modernisation, it had a warm and friendly vibe and we've been happy here for 20 years.

I have had a good and bad feeling.

I live in the one in the good category. Though I want to move on in the next few years, it was really what I needed.

One, years ago, should have been the perfect home. But it felt so oppressive. I couldn't wait to get out. Felt like I couldn't breathe.

Yes I absolutely get this. Feel the need to do some sort of cleansing ceremony or quickly pop into a church to get rid of the heeby jeebies.

A few years back we had a string of house viewings booked, must have seen about a dozen. There was one in particular I had been keen on beforehand. It looked good online, was in an area we knew well and was by some margin the largest house we viewed.

When we got inside the vibe just felt off. It's difficult to describe... it wasn't run-down or dirty, in fact it was quite nicely 'done'. But misery just seeped from the walls. It felt to me like a really unhappy house.

I couldn't wait to get out of it.

No, I don’t believe in woo crap or bad juju. The bad feelings you get are manifestations of your own internal anxiety, not the fault of the house.

Yes! I once almost brought a maisonette which I’m pretty sure the previous owner had just died in. It was very dated, had no central heating and her washing was still clearly in the washing machine. I got the creeps as soon as I walked in but I was pregnant at the time, had very little deposit and we were desperate to find somewhere to live. Dh convinced me it would be a good fixer upper and we’d make money on it. We nearly went all the way through with the sale but had to pull out last minute which I was extremely glad about as I’d been having re occurring nightmares about living there.

Years ago we were buying a fixer upper to get us on the property ladder. We were viewing houses in the countryside outside the city we were living in and we went to see one that was in a gorgeous, but very isolated location.

It had THE worst feeling ever, it felt watchful and unfriendly. We both felt it and just turned on our heels and left. Later someone we vaguely knew bought it and fixed it up. We always wondered what it was like to live there.

The house we did buy was in a far worse condition but it felt light and airy and warm and friendly and we spent many happy years there once we fixed it up.

Went to see one flat at an open viewing and the vibe in the building was so bad we turned round half way up the stairs. Lovely area, well kept communal areas, photos had looked great etc but it was just so “off”. STBXH and I both felt it.

Not a bad feeling, but we did see a very seedy house which gave me the creeps. Not in a supernatural way though.

It had mirrors and black carpeting on the floor of the main bedroom which continued up the sides of a bed platform. I've never watched porn, but I can imagine it featuring in a very low rent porn flick. Feel grubby just thinking about it. I think the fact that it was owned by a rather unkept single man made it worse somehow. There was more, but it was over 30 years ago and I can't remember the details now.

We viewed an old house next to a churchyard once. I would have happily bought it, as it was so peaceful, but it was a bit outside our price range. No funny feelings there at all.

@Meraas

No, I don’t believe in woo crap or bad juju. The bad feelings you get are manifestations of your own internal anxiety, not the fault of the house.

Absolutely this.

I viewed a beautiful manor house project years ago. It was upsetting to find mum and small daughter living and sleeping completely out of the sitting room. It was a distressed sale and it was going to be repossessed if a buyer wasn't found. The guy had upped and left them.
It was such a huge expensive project (and listed) that we couldn't afford to offer based on the renovation cost.
Obviously there was so much unhappiness but I will also say that upstairs and particularly the attic, was creepy as hell. Dark and creaky.
By contrast, our current house had such a welcoming feel to it, despite also being old.

My mil wasnt happy with the house we picked. She came to see it before we fully committed and she told us not to get it because it has a bad spirit
We loved it too much to let it go and bought it anyways. Ice never had a bad feeling here

There's one from 10 years ago that still gives me the chills. We couldn't actually get into the house, but the mix of children's things and dereliction was really sad and there was an undercroft without a doorthat was furnished with moldy sofas. .

We visited one a while ago that had cage doors on every room upstairs. Like prison doors with multiple locks. All the windows had bars too and one of them was padded out. The estate agent said the owners had children with special needs. It really shocked us as we’d never seen anything like it.

My old house was soooooo old it was an 1835 built miners cottage. Im sure people had some hard times there before I moved in but we loved it and have happy memories. My new house is massive but falling to bits and yet still a happy home. One of my student houses was just miserable.

yes but it was disgusting inside, so dirty, stank and had a really creepy almost secret room a sweaty worn out chair, and a computer screen . the whole room just seemed like awful things had gone on in there. ugh still makes me feel grim

Yes, just a couple of months ago.

Run down two bedroom flat in the perfect location - we could have afforded it and done it up nicely.

The tenant was heavily pregnant and had a toddler the same age as my DS2 and all her stuff in suitcases and we just felt too guilty to make an offer.

Twice.

The first viewing was when we were renting. It was a beautiful large 1bed flatt a converted country house. But, the the kitchen had a spider infestation and the current tenant was a bit of a hoarder and had build a wardrobe over one of the bedroom windows. From the outside you could see the window had thick mould on it. It wa such a shame as it was a lovely flat but those two things just gave me the ick.

The second one was earlier in the year. A house had been on the market for yonks. The particulars made it sound like a luxury second home type affair. I followed the agent in and as I closed the door put my hand on a huge spider web. Turns out the vendor hadn't visited since pre covid and whole place was filled with spiders and cobwebs and all types of creepys.

As you may have guessed I really don't like spiders

We once viewed a house that was perfect on paper, and looked lovely - I was very excited to see it.,
The atmosphere inside was awful - cold and creepy and unwelcoming - I couldn’t wait to get outside again.
That was the only one where I’ve ever felt like that, though.

OTOH I was with both dds when they first viewed their current houses. Both were doer-uppers, extremely dated, one even more than the other, which was a probate sale.
But they both had such lovely warm atmospheres the moment you were inside - you could tell that they’d been happy and much loved family homes.

Viewed a lovely townhouse that was being sold as a repossession. The owners had obviously been booted out and the bank wanted a quick sale. Lots of children's toys and clothes all about.

Toys can be replaced but it made me feel quite sad to think of children having to leave things behind as there wasn't time or money to organise storage

Looked at a detached rental house, nicely done up, nice location, right money but the current middle aged female tenant was at the table in tears whilst agent was showing us around— and half packed boxes everywhere, her son then arrived and there were hectic loud conversations going on between them — we just got really bad vibes about it.

Cuckoo, the lorrofya.

I viewed a stunning beach front property. Amazing original features, though some slightly weird thinking back, a fire place with brick Janus heads. So much love for it until I tried to go up the third story staircase. I had to make myself walk up it, I just wanted to run. Put in an offer as I thought I was being stupid. Had nightmares for ages afterwards. Was so happy when it fell through! Phew!