Would you live in a house where there had been a murder?

[1988TBT]

Just that really… DP and I looking at buying a second property to rent out. It’s underpriced and chain free… because 18 months ago the husband murdered his wife in one of the bedrooms. It’s put me off a good amount but DP is still keen to go ahead with the sale and says there will be lots of people that won’t want t rent it but it won’t put EVERYONE off. Would it put you off?

It would put me off.
However, if you are renting it out there are sure to be plenty of people moving into the area or from another part of town who don't know there was a murder there and rental properties are in short supply so I don't think you'd have a problem finding someone to live there.

It wouldn't be for me, I might possibly rent it if I was stuck and you are in a high demand area. TBH if the UK is like ROI right now you'd rent it out no problem there is an awful shortage of rentals all over the country.

People saying lots of houses have had people die in them, well yes. The house I grew up in 3 of my grandparents died there, but no it didn't creep me out, it was of natural causes. In fact, in the early days after my DGD died in the sitting room I'd often look to the chair that he died in to speak to him and found it strangely comforting. We also still mostly wake our dead at home in Ireland.

It wouldn’t put me off at all tbh. People die everywhere every day.

Hotel rooms, homes, it’s just life isn’t it.

Oh gosh. That poor woman.
It would freak me out but if its 60k cheaper and in a good area etc then I'd probably buy it

Yes, it would totally put me off. I don't consider myself to be 'woo' but houses have atmospheres, a house where a man murdered his wife will have a horrible energy.

The house behind us used to be the home of a man who murdered a woman and kidnapped and tortured another. The family who live there now are lovely, but if you Google the name of the house it comes up in spades. It wouldn't put me off tbh

It could be on the market for £2.50 and I still wouldn't buy it. I'm very superstitious though.

Any of us might, I mean how would you know unless it was a recent murder or a new build?

If I knew it might creep me out. But ignorance is bliss!

100% I wouldn't rent it. Not a recent murder like that.

I find it distasteful to read that it's underpriced therefore a good investment. No, the reason why it's underpriced is that a woman had the misfortune to be killed by a violent man in those four tainted walls. Awful to even think of making money out of it.

If you were to give 10% of your income from it to a woman's refuge charity then perhaps I could swallow the idea.

I grew up in an old "haunted" house with a well established reputation. It has a welcoming atmosphere although there is one room that family and pets always hated sleeping in. The records going back 250+ years are very stable with less than average changes of ownership. People will have been born and died there and that's not necessarily a problem.

Knowing of a murder would probably put me off, but places can have vibes for all kinds of reasons. Some places feel peaceful and others forboding for no obvious reason. Some people pick these kinds of feelings up, some don't.

For an investment rental that's being renovated, I'd be more open to the idea than committing to live in it myself. The fact that the price is significantly reduced indicates that people who are superstitious about a negative history aren't an insignificant minority. The market, who'd live there, how long and supply/ demand are even more important considerations than usual. The publicity of the case is also an important consideration. If it's a few articles of the local paper at the time and around a trial, that will pass on in memory sooner than a higher profile case. The more notorious cases do often result in demolition.

My sister was killed in her flat and not found for 2 weeks along with her killer who also died. It was rented out again 6 months later. I’m not sure if they had to inform the new tenants but I would be very upset if that information was withheld from me.

@Staryflight445

It wouldn’t put me off at all tbh. People die everywhere every day.

Hotel rooms, homes, it’s just life isn’t it.

Yes but there is dying and being murdered. The two are very different.

I wouldn’t do it, it’s not about ghosts and that, I’m very sensitive to negative energy and I know I wouldn’t being able to relax and sleep

I'd buy it, it wouldn't bother me.

I wouldn't want it.

It would put me off a bit, particularly if there was a negative feel to the place, I'm not sure if I'd want to live there. The main obstacle for me would be that the resale value would definitely be diminished and the pool of renters would be less. It might be a bargain but if people have concerns about living in a murder house it will never regain market value so it might not be a good investment.

I guess the question is will it affect potential tenants/ future buyers? Does the murder result come up first if you google the road? I would have thought that give it six months/ a year and having undergone redecoration you will be able to let it out and several years down the line if you come to sell there will be little trace- as far as I'm aware lawyers searches dont look for murders, being concerned more with planning issues/ services

@MsAgnesDiPesto

I don’t believe in ghosts or anything so none of that would put me off. But a number of other things would:

1. Is the perpetrator still alive? Is there any chance he will be released from prison in future, and be back in the area? This could be difficult to handle. He might hang around. Even one instance of him standing outside would be unnerving.

1. If he is still alive, will he benefit financially from your buying the house? If so, it would be a massive ‘no’ from me.

1. The murder happened very recently. People locally will still be talking about it. Some of them will happily talk to your tenants about all the gory details, and put the willies right up them. You might be faced with void periods or trying to find new tenants every six months.

I think if it had happened longer ago, and we were two or three sales down the line, it would be straightforward to say yes. But given the recent and horrible nature of what happened, and the potential complications I’ve set out, I would resist it. It looks like a bargain for a reason.

This.

I couldn’t do it, not even if it was major cheap, especially if it was a gory murder her blood will be seeped into the floor boards, horrific 😫

Previous death in the house wouldn’t bother me. Recent murder of a woman by her husband? Yes it would. No logic.

Weirdly, thinking about it, another sort of murder - eg a fight in which one man was killed by another - wouldn’t bother me.

Like I said, no logic.

It is really a matter of passing time - until no one knows or remembers what happen, so really it shouldn't matter now - it's only the ''knowing'' that affects it but anyone could be living where something like that happened if the building has any age.

It wouldn't put me off. I think that with a lot of older houses people will have died in them, most obviously not violently. If you do but it light a candle for the deceased lady or maybe plant a small plant in her memory

Assuming the murderer is no longer in the house, I wouldn't care less.

Houses don't have "energy" or "memories" and ghosts are not real. It's just bricks and paint.

It would put me off completely, sorry.

@swimminginmud I was upset that the info was withheld from us (we were out of area so hadn't seen the local papers) First I know was when the daughter of the couple came knocking on the door, upset that we were in 'her house'. It was awful. I felt sorry for her, my (ex) H wanted to call the Police (we didn't!)