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Original poster

Would rumours of a haunted property be a deterrent?

53 replies

fruitqueen · 06/03/2014 17:31

I just came back from a viewing of a lovely property and decided to take a walk in the vicinity to have a feel of the neighbourhood. Along the way, I started bantering with a couple of people and when I queried on the property I was viewing, they gave me a quizzical look and asked whether I felt strange in there. I replied "no, why?" and they said there was a reputation of the property being haunted . I was rather taken aback but thanked them for letting me know. On hindsight, I did feel a little chilly in there but other than that, I didn't feel there was anything strange at all.

Now, I am not one who is superstitious or would believe that things would go bump in the night, but I couldn't help but feel rather awkward when the agent called and asked what I thought. I am having second thoughts to it now but am I being silly?

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 07/03/2014 13:52

I like my dad's take on ghosts. 'Well, if there is one and it starts bugging, it had better pay me a part of my mortgage as its rent or it'll have to jog on.'

Martorana · 07/03/2014 14:04

Why on earth would they have to disclose that?

OnePlanOnHouzz · 07/03/2014 14:53

sounds like a job for scooby do ! turns out it was the neighbours because of the oil well at the bottom of the garden !! and they could have gotten away with it too - if it wasn't for those meddling kids !!! time for a Scooby snack !!!

Original poster

fruitqueen · 07/03/2014 14:59

Right on Pinkje............

OP posts:

DreamingAlice · 07/03/2014 15:04

expatinscotland It's not a law, it's a guideline, as far as I understand it. www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2315200/Learn-new-house-rules-Estate-agents-reveal-property-problems-says-OFT.html

Martorana Because a lot of people are put off by the information and it can seriously devalue your house, for one thing. Of course other people who don't care about such things might look on it as an opportunity to get a bargain. But like all things with buying a house, it helps to be able to make an informed decision. So you can make up your own mind as to whether or not you are bothered about making dinner in the kitchen where an elderly lady bled to death after having her head bashed in by an attempted robber (as is the case with another property I know of).

NoArmaniNoPunani · 07/03/2014 15:06

They are probably just trying to put you off buying it.

Original poster

fruitqueen · 07/03/2014 15:07

OK I asked......... and the estate agent laughed and said , as some have said here:- " There's no such thing as ghosts!" I then asked if he knew the history of the house and he said he only knew about as much as what the previous owner had told him and it was not much. ie the previous owner wanted to move to the north due to work commitments so nothing " exciting" there.
I don't think I 'm going to get any further than that . i'm afraid. Might be easier talking to the neighbours again..........

OP posts:

IBelieveInPink · 07/03/2014 15:09

Definitely go back for another viewing. Ghosts or not, it depends how you feel in the place. If you are not comfortable enough to stay there on your own at night in a storm personal terror revealed it's not for you.

Original poster

fruitqueen · 07/03/2014 15:12

NoArmaniNoPunani- I can't see any motive in trying to put me off buying though..... it wasn't just one person , it was several .........and they seemed pretty ordinary and decent men and women to me....not some zombies who wanted to take over the house themselves.......

OP posts:

DreamingAlice · 07/03/2014 15:14

OP- I can't see your other thread but I admit to being really curious now-are you able to share a link to that (or to the house, if it's not on that thread?)

NoArmaniNoPunani · 07/03/2014 15:14

It all sounds a bit league of gentlemen to me.

Original poster

fruitqueen · 07/03/2014 15:20

Sigh......... wish I wasn't told in the first place. Now, even if I do get the price knocked down, I will be hesitant about moving in and if I do, I will be anticipating something or other every time I hear a noise or suddenly imagining an apparition when I pass the bathroom mirror or imagine someone sitting on the sofa in the reception area when there is clearly nobody there or someone standing watching me while I sleep or take a shower ........Eeeeeeks-

OP posts:

Owllady · 07/03/2014 15:21

I think you should take a mixture of advice off this thread and revisit with your drug dealer

dippydaisy1 · 07/03/2014 17:53

Spend a night there alone and tell us in the morning.

RuddyDuck · 07/03/2014 17:55

My son regularly tells a joke. "How can you tell if a house is haunted? It isn't".
There are no such things as ghosts. There are such things as over-active imaginations. If you are the sort of person who believes in ghosts then you are likely to imagine there is one now you've been told.

expatinscotland · 07/03/2014 17:56

I doubt the vendor will discount based on silly rumours.

JumpingJackSprat · 07/03/2014 18:00

Right after my family moved into a new house when I was about 12 some stupid twat of a girl at school told me she and her friends broke into the house and did a ouija board in there and woke some ghosts and properly freaked me out. However Haven't heard hide nor hair of anything in 15 years. I think you will be okay.

Rattitude · 07/03/2014 18:01

You could check the sale history of the house and see if previous owners have moved on pretty quickly, as it might be an indication that they felt uncomfortable in the house for some reason.

Original poster

fruitqueen · 09/03/2014 08:31

Rattitude- how does one check the sale history of the house? Is there some kind of register?

OP posts:

NoArmaniNoPunani · 09/03/2014 09:07

Zoopla has sale histories. Don't trust their valuations though, they aren't terribly accurate

Original poster

fruitqueen · 09/03/2014 17:40

NoArmaniNoPunani- when you say they arent terribly accurate , do you mean their valuations are overpriced or under?

OP posts:

NoArmaniNoPunani · 09/03/2014 17:52

A mixture of both really!

burnishedsilver · 09/03/2014 23:25

I haven't read the replys but that's the silliest thing I've heard in a while.
No it wouldn't put me off but it might have me negotiating a good price.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2014 00:18

Oh, seriously! Do you think you can get a 'bargain' because of rumours the place is haunted? FGS, unless there has been a recent event there it is entirely laughable. 'I want a discount because some random said it was haunted.'

I always laugh at all these threads, 'Try to get a discount.'

If the place is sitting in a desirable area someone will buy it for market rate because 'haunted' is a load of complete bollocks.

My dear friend's client had a sister who shot herself in the bathroom of his Bay view house in San Francisco. He chose to sell to move to Sidney with his Australian wife. Anyone who tried on a 'discount' would have been laughed out of the place. Buyers were queued up. Most don't give a fig for this 'It's haunted.' It is a 3-bed Art Deco packed with features with a garage under it. It went for millions and that was with disclosure.

poocatcherchampion · 10/03/2014 08:30

hasn't someone died in loads of properties? like elderly people for example.

what criteria makes them "haunted"? or it that it??

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