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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that there’s some dark secret about this house?

40 replies

Ohlookatyou · 14/02/2024 23:10

I’ve been recently trying to find a property to rent in my area and not many come up often so it’s been tricky. A lot of the rents are also around the 800-900 mark on average and as being a single person, it ends up costing a lot.

So, around a week ago I saw this gorgeous cottage on Rightmove for £550- 2 bed, new kitchen and beautiful large garden. It’s also in a lovely picturesque village nearby which has a school, takeaway, pub, shop.

I went to view it and it was nice, I’ve made an application and it’s been accepted but now I can’t help but feel something is off. The rent is so low for that sized cottage in the area. The exact same sized one next door was rented for 950 and in a worse condition from the picture (which sounds about right rent-wise). The estate agent also told me the last tenant only stayed 6 months and it had been on the market for 4 months.

I want to take it as a win, cheap housing in a good area but I cannot help feeling there’s a reason nobody else has taken it or gone for it. It’s near great transport links and has parking. It is from the late 1600’s so I’m thinking that perhaps it’s because the heating costs may be more? Though it’s well insulated?

So what could be the reason? Haunted? Ex murder house? I wasn’t worried until my mum kept hinting that there MUST be a reason it’s so cheap.

OP posts:
LimeViewer · 14/02/2024 23:11

It'll be fine. Prob a bit cold, low ceilings. People are funny about ghosts, which don't exist.

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:13

Look if other folk are susceptible to believing in woohoo and ghosts that’s their silliness. It’s a good price,you like it. Go for it

Leeds2 · 14/02/2024 23:13

I'm not sure about ghosts, but you could surely google if something awful had happened at the house?

unsurebut · 14/02/2024 23:14

I agree with you OP, something is off....

AllTheChaos · 14/02/2024 23:14

Ooh, you should google it to see if stories about local ghosts / terrible goings on
come up!

prosaicly, check for damp, noise issues, and watch your heating bills.

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:15

So what if something notable or bad has happened. Only of note if you’re buying it as it affect resale price

Original poster
Ohlookatyou · 14/02/2024 23:16

Haha, thanks all. I’m not a woo person really, but just pondering the reasons

OP posts:
Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:22

We viewed Cranley Gardens N10. Estate agent very eager and lower than expected price. Turns out it’s a notable address. I’d never heard of it

Fallenangelofthenorth · 14/02/2024 23:27

Doubt it's the heating bills if the same one next door went for 400 quid more. And 400 quid would pay for a hell of a lot of energy on a 2 bed.

It does sound strange though. Have you looked round it? Does it smell ok? No damp or anything? Does it seem in a good state of repair? It sounds ridiculously cheap though I agree...

LuluBlakey1 · 14/02/2024 23:29

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:22

We viewed Cranley Gardens N10. Estate agent very eager and lower than expected price. Turns out it’s a notable address. I’d never heard of it

Neilsson?

Fallenangelofthenorth · 14/02/2024 23:31

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:22

We viewed Cranley Gardens N10. Estate agent very eager and lower than expected price. Turns out it’s a notable address. I’d never heard of it

Just googled that address, and yeah, I'd be swerving that one too. Not. A. Chance.

MadeOfAllWork · 14/02/2024 23:32

Could it be that the landlord is odd?

NewYearNewCalendar · 14/02/2024 23:32

Google it, google the landlord if you have their name, and knock on the neighbours door and ask them!

Sletty · 14/02/2024 23:34

Even if something bad did happen in it before - it’s over and done with. I’d take it and give you and the house a new start. I don’t believe in ghosts or any woo so would be just delighted to be getting it at a good price!

SabrinaThwaite · 14/02/2024 23:36

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:22

We viewed Cranley Gardens N10. Estate agent very eager and lower than expected price. Turns out it’s a notable address. I’d never heard of it

Trouble with the drains?

Poppyseed14 · 14/02/2024 23:38

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:22

We viewed Cranley Gardens N10. Estate agent very eager and lower than expected price. Turns out it’s a notable address. I’d never heard of it

Few bottles of Mr Muscle down the drain and the job's a good 'un

Just joking of course! I'm amazed it's still there and not pulled down like other serial killer residences.

Zone2NorthLondon · 14/02/2024 23:41

you'd struggle get a plumber that for sure….

nadine90 · 15/02/2024 00:01

Could just be perfect timing op. Maybe there was work being done until recently that put off potential tenants, maybe they then lowered the price just as you started looking. I’m guessing google hasn’t shown anything worrying. And if you’re still unsure, please send me the details! X

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/02/2024 00:11

We got a great deal on our house , it was being sold as a estate sale and hasn’t been really changed since the 50’s but in great shape.

My DH and I still half joke about being afraid to renovate for finding a dead hooker in the wall. Neither of us are willing to admit if we are talking literally or figuratively.

We love the house and it’s solid, so anything one of us suggests renovating the other suggests a vacation instead. 😉

Aecor · 15/02/2024 00:20

Well, our house had a locally notorious murder in it just over 100 years ago, and it doesn’t appear to have had any negative impact on the sale price or it being difficult to sell. It’s also untroubled by restless spirits…

BobbyBiscuits · 15/02/2024 01:04

If you think about a house that's knocking on for 500 years old there's almost certainly going to have been at least one death there. If not several, lol.
I presume there's no blood splatter? lol
Just take it, if there is a reason I guess you'll find out. Does the boiler work, the roof intact? Electrics safe? Is so then go for it.

Kokeshi123 · 15/02/2024 02:49

Probably freezing cold in winter or has smelly drains.

ComtesseDeSpair · 15/02/2024 02:57

If next door is a very similar property and rented at market value I’d guess that if there’s a problem, next door is the problem. A 17th century house has seen death of many kinds over and over, anyone who moves into a property of that age accepts that as par for the course, rather than a novel possibility. The living are the ones to worry about here!

confusedbythesystem · 15/02/2024 03:06

Perhaps the LL doesn't have any outstanding mortgage on the property and has very reasonably set the rent at the level they need to.cover their costs.

Unlikely, yet more likely than the other things you're imagining.

I believe one thing you can check for online is radon gas.

Netaporter · 15/02/2024 03:07

@Ohlookatyou why don’t you try and visit the house at a different time of the day than the one suggested by the EA? Or park up nearby and just have a look? Did the EA say why the last tenant left? I’d be inclined to not look a gift horse in the mouth, but also when something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instinct. No LL puts in a new kitchen and then takes 50.% less than market rent. Is it a flooding issue?

I’d very much doubt this is a ‘woo’ issue but you are right to think something is off. I bought a house years ago which was below market value, no reason disclosed. it turned out the neighbour opposite was a complete psycho who had attacked the previous owner with a claw hammer…