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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

78 replies

flashbac · 25/08/2021 14:47

Inspired by the thread about the house with a presence Grin.
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?

OP posts:
Chimchimcharoo · 25/08/2021 21:53

We saw a lot of houses when we bought ours. One house I walked upstairs and felt off immediately. Lovely house, lovely interior, lovely couple down sizing. I can’t explain it - I just felt so relieved to get back out of the house after being upstairs.

user1471462428 · 25/08/2021 21:56

I bought my house as my ex loved it and the area and he was keeping me dangling on a string about how unhappy he was. I hate the place, it has a really unhappy vibe and it’s where he really ramped up his abuse. I thought it was just my experience of the house colouring my feelings for it but I’ve since found out that the previous owners had it exorcised. I wish I’d never left my house, it would be perfect for the kids.

FOJN · 25/08/2021 22:15

I viewed a house in Cornwall a few years ago. The owner did the viewing and I was on my own, he gave me the creeps as soon as he answered the door by commenting on me being alone.

The house was quite unloved but could have been beautiful with a bit of work, however it seemed to be radiating sadness from every wall and even when I visualised it cleaned up and decorated I knew I would never feel happy living there. I can still sense the sadness when I think about it now.

Mushtullo · 25/08/2021 22:26

I agree with @Meraas — our house had a notorious murder take place on the first floor landing, and isn’t full of gruesome ambiance.

Overdon · 25/08/2021 23:03

@FOJN I had a similar experience, but it was the EA showing me round rather than the house giving me the creeps. it was a visceral feeling like I couldn’t bear to be in the saw room as him, after the viewing I felt physically sick.

The house itself wasn’t so terrible But garden too small in any event. Asking price was reduced by 50k the following week.

Sweetpeasaremadeofcheese · 25/08/2021 23:14

When we were looking at properties one we went to had an awful vibe. The owners were there and rage and violence just seeped off the man. We felt it before we even saw him! Even DH ran out of there! It was very cheap as it had been on the market for ages.

jaundicedoutlook · 25/08/2021 23:21

Went to look at one house a couple of years ago when we’d just started looking for a new place. DH was quite taken by the really large fitted study/office.

Then we noticed a wall full of books on Hitler and a little commemorative plate with swastikas round the edge. Didn’t feel like we wanted to pay any money to those vendors and made our excuses.

noblegreenk · 25/08/2021 23:42

I completely understand what you mean and I'm not someone who believes in paranormal stuff. I do however think that places can have good or bad energy in the atmosphere depending on what's happened there. My mum said that when they viewed the house I grew up in it just had a really nice feeling and she knew it was meant to be her house. I felt the same when I viewed the house we live in. My maternal nan's house had a lovely atmosphere too. On the other hand, my friend lives in a house that has a horrible vibe going on. When they moved in I visited and a feeling of total dread came over me. I'd never want to be there on my own!

Original poster
flashbac · 26/08/2021 11:15

@Mushtullo

I agree with *@Meraas* — our house had a notorious murder take place on the first floor landing, and isn’t full of gruesome ambiance.
Shock
OP posts:
HurryUpAndWait23 · 26/08/2021 11:23

Yes!!

This has happened to me.
It was a very very old cottage in a very old village and it wasn't nice at all. It seriously gave me the heebie jeebies.

And I don't necessarily mean in a woo way.

It was just dark, prisonlike awful house.

The child's room was at the very top of the house I think used to be an attic and it was painted purple and really fucking creepy.

I remember feeling really sorry for the kid that had to sleep in there.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough, it didn't just bother me for a day, it was longer and occasionally still pops into my head many years later.

Deereamer · 26/08/2021 11:49

My parents went to view a house - they sent me the details and I literally hated it. It gave me a weird feeling even looking at the place on paper. They went to look at it and put an offer in which was accepted. It gave me sleepless nights. I was so convinced something bad would happen there. I hated it even more when I went to see it. It reminded me of a crematorium. Luckily it fell through because it was part of an inheritance which got contested last minute and they chose a beautiful house which they love. I definitely think they had a lucky escape.

Antinerak · 26/08/2021 12:50

Yep, looked around a little house to rent while we were renovating ours and found it was so cold and unwelcoming, despite it being filled with pictures and knick knacks. It was a normal house, not particularly old so I doubt there was any history with it. No creepy attic or basement that we knew of. It felt almost clinical it was so unhomely. We only needed something temporary and it was ridiculously cheap (£450 pcm for a 3 bed semi detached house in a naice area) so we took it. I crashed my car the day we got the keys and DH fell down the stairs on our first night there.

The day we moved out the elderly woman next door who we hadn't spoken to before said "It got to you too, didn't it? That feeling in that house." Confused

feesh · 26/08/2021 12:54

We looked at one many years ago which was full of flies. And when we got upstairs, one of the doors to one of the bedrooms was bolted shut and we couldn’t get into the room. I don’t think I’ve ever exited a house so rapidly in my life…..

Jokie · 26/08/2021 13:28

I did one viewing a few years ago when we were searching for a new place and the minute I stepped into the kitchen, it felt off. I couldn't out my finger on it and it lingered constantly from then on. The estate agent knew something was off and said: you're not the first people who immediately turn around when they come into the kitchen.

DynamoKev · 26/08/2021 13:42

@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.
^This
CourgettiSpaghetti · 27/08/2021 23:22

I once visited a friend with my young children and took them and some of our mutual friend's kids to use her toilet on the first floor (it was a three storey house) Whilst we were coming back the down stairs, I actually felt frightened as it felt very dark and oppressive and as though I was being watched. I had to really encourage them to go down the stairs very quickly and back outside into the garden. It's the only time I've ever felt like this. Some friend bought an old, dilapidated house and despite it's appearance, it has always felt warm and welcoming.

milkyaqua · 27/08/2021 23:55

@Mushtullo

I agree with *@Meraas* — our house had a notorious murder take place on the first floor landing, and isn’t full of gruesome ambiance.
Some people are less sensitive than others, or not sensitive in this way at all.

It wouldn't take a woo sensibility to be horrified to live somewhere a murder was known to take place - but it would take a distinct lack of sensitivity to be completely unfased by it. So I am not surprised to read that you seem to be incapable of discerning any atmosphere at all.

EnjoyingTheSilence · 28/08/2021 00:52

I stayed in a house in France years ago that had a horrible vibe. I had nightmares every single night and refused to be in the house by myself. The upstairs was particularly bad, luckily my room was downstairs and even though me and my friend could have had a room each we shared.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 28/08/2021 01:21

I viewed a house that I had a really bad feeling from. I thought the man was probably not a very nice person and that was where the feeling came from.

Rathmobhaile · 28/08/2021 02:17

I viewed a really nice house in theory - lovely dormer bungalow. It was the kitchen that felt off to me. Almost like i had to force myself to step into it. The staurs seemed the same. Bottom of the stairs fine and the top but the middle felt wrong. Like a heavy feeling - only way i can describe it is how it feels just before a thunderstorm. The middle bit of the stairs matched wuth beibg above the kitchen - because of the unusual layout of the house it wasnt until afterwards that i realised the staurs position.

I know the person who bought the house and have never said anything to them about my feelings - after all it is their home. Hiwever mutual friends have visited them and commented on the same feeling in the same location as i did. Maybe there is a totally rational and logical explanation for the feeling - I'd like to think so!

SeaShoreGalore · 28/08/2021 03:39

@milkyaqua But they didn’t say that they were ‘completely unfazed’ just that there was no gruesome atmosphere. If there were weird atmospheres everywhere where something bad had ever happened then we wouldn’t be able to move for them.

Personally I don’t think that some people are more sensitive to woo, but some are more sensitive to their own internal anxieties.

Mintjulia · 28/08/2021 03:56

I had a potential buyer come and view my house about 20 years ago and OMG I couldn't get rid of him fast enough.

There was just something, the hair up the back of my neck was standing on end and when he finally left the house, I locked all the doors and retreated upstairs. It was a couple of days before I would sit in the garden and I still remember the predatory feeling.

I was very relieved when he didn't ask to come back for a second viewing. No way could I have lumbered him on my lovely neighbours. He just felt icily unhinged. Still gives me the chills.

PwySyddYma · 28/08/2021 04:31

Oh this takes me back to house hunting for my first house with the ex.

We walked in to this terraced 3 bedroom house. And my skin started to crawl. The hairs on my neck were on end, I felt uneasy and just really spooked by the place.

But it was on the market for a really good price.....ah yes because some poor soul was murdered in there 😳 we did not buy it.

HerRoyalNotness · 28/08/2021 04:40

Strangely every house I’ve lived in has sapped my energy and made me feel depressed and snappy. I’m so much happier outside of them, much more relaxed. I’ve put it down to growing up in an unhappy, stressed home. Probably should get some therapy for that. But I’ve never walked into a viewing and thought, nope, not for me

milkyaqua · 28/08/2021 05:33

[quote SeaShoreGalore]@milkyaqua But they didn’t say that they were ‘completely unfazed’ just that there was no gruesome atmosphere. If there were weird atmospheres everywhere where something bad had ever happened then we wouldn’t be able to move for them.

Personally I don’t think that some people are more sensitive to woo, but some are more sensitive to their own internal anxieties.[/quote]
They are living in it. Most people would be put off from living in a place where a murder had taken place, were they aware of that fact.

They have also stated that they agree with this statement: 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. Which you also would seem to agree with!

So I am not surprised that, being a non-sensitive, you would assume it is all some sort of projection. By that logic, someone with a poor sense of smell could declare there is no difference in taste in a vintage bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild versus a wine cask.

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