Would you view/buy this house with a dark past?

[medicinewoman182]

Hello,

I'm after your opinions or personal experiences of buying a house with a dark past.

The house in question is a really well presented, 3 x bed semi in a suburb just outside of leeds in a sought after area. Decorated fantastically, a lovely street/neighbourhood, schools, transport, shops and nightlife nearby. Basically ticks all of our boxes.

EXCEPT.......

Back in 2012, there was a murder. The father has a psychotic episdoe, killed his wife in the kitchen, daughter in the living room and his second daughter and dog were found alive but shaken.

My first thought was NO, NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS.
But I've been researching and thinking about it a lot and may be coming round to the idea.

The house didn't kill those people, he did, and he's in HMP for life!
IF, and thats a big IF, there are any ghosts, ghouls or spirirts there, it's fairly reassuring knowing that they were good people, and wouldn't be out for revenge.
I would say most houses have had somebody die in them (granted not under the circumstances) at some point.

So basically, I want to know what you guys think.
I think we are going to view it, and get a feel for the place. I might run out screaming, or get a good feel and want to make it a happy, loving home once again.

P.S. It has been lived in since then, we would be the second owners since the incident.

We have decided to leave it.

It's a beautiful house but if there is so much uncertainty so early on, it's not the one I'm afraid.

The hunt continues!

I wouldn't. It's completely irrational, I get that. I still wouldn't.

Also the thought of him coming back one day is too terrifying!

I wouldn't be worried about him returning, and not remotely worried about ghosts,I just would not be able to live happily in the exact spot where a small child was brutally murdered with an axe.five years ago.

And I think it's a valid point, many people who knew the family, kids inc would maybe not want to go in. In addition it will have a reputation locally, people will know you live in that house , and although purchase price will be low,so will resale and with a limited number of people willing to live there in the foreseeable future, which totally limits the market.

Sorry op. Cross post and right decision...

If it was a historical murder I wouldn't mind, I don't believe in ghosts.

But something this recent and this awful, I wouldn't want to live there.

Partly on a practical level - the father and the poor surviving girl, would one of them visit one day? Would new friends who knew the family be reluctant to visit us? Would it play through my mind after dark? Would my kids hear the story from school friends and be scared?

Partly a completely illogical feeling that I wouldn't want to raise my kids somewhere that something so dreadful had happened recently.

X post

No. I don't think you'll be able to get past it.

Its not so much the horiffic things that he did. But the fact he is mentally ill and may come back in another episode

Our old cottage was a 400 year old farmhouse, and it was always a spooky thought when we had a stab st guessing how many people had lived and died in the place! I don't believe in ghosts so it was never a problem, really.

I would view it and see how it felt. Sometimes you walk in and just think 'nope!'

Then again I believe we've got a resident spirit, but I never felt any bad feelings when we viewed, still don't, just feel a presence I suppose.

If you feel uneasy or threatened don't buy it!

Sorry I've just rtft and I actually live near here and remember that happening.

I'd still consider it possibly but yes don't think he will be locked up for life unfortunately.

No, but not for supernatural reasons but practical ones as already mentioned including resale problems.

I live very near here. I would buy it assuming it is structurally sound. The market is fast round here and not unusual for people to move after a few years.

I remember this happening. We were actually at the place where he was arrested when the police and ambulance arrived to arrest him.

No way. Firstly, because of its sad history. Secondly, they are taking the piss with that asking price!

I wouldn't. Not least, I would be concerned about trying to re-sell it because I would know that lots of people would be put off by its tragic history

That's about right for this area wandering

Do you have or plan to have kids? That's the sort of thing that kids would find out and might freak them out.

Huckle, I meant with regards to what they actually paid for it themselves.

It's not the same but I once lived in a house that was built in 1860 and I used to think about the lives the women led in that house. Maybe there were deaths, I don't know, but there were probably tough times. It was ok living there. I might feel differently about a murder.

We bought our first house last May. It had been on the market for 2 years following a brutal torture/murder. It's beautiful, perfect and great for us with loads of potential plus it was really cheap! We have had people take photos outside and even a parcelforce guy ran back down the path as he thought it was creepy, but honestly truly it's absolutely fine and I don't even think about what happened. (Estate agents only have to disclose a murder/stigmatised house for 5yrs.)

I know it's a bit different but I rented a house where a man murdered his wife (in what became our bedroom). The murder happened in the March, we moved in end of may and it didn't bother me in the slightest...I didn't think it bothered dp either but he put me straight when we moved a couple of years later. Apparently there were all kinds of weird goings on and when we moved our ds, who was still is the most horrendous sleeper said "at least the lady won't keep waking me up". Dp was mortified and I probably would have thought more of it if he'd actually started sleeping properly in our new, non drama house!

It was locally known as 'the murder house' and ours was the only house that went unknocked on Halloween....saved me a fortune in sweets.

I'd buy it, you will probably get a good bargain due to lots of people being to freaked out to consider it.

What happened is nothing to do with the house itself. One of my neighbours found out in a local history part of the local paper that nearly 100 years ago a former resident brutally killed someone and attempted to kill a second person in her house.

It hasn't affected her feelings about the house or living there.

Don't do it. I always think it's best to raze the building to the ground and start over in these circumstances. Let someone else have that headache. Plenty of other houses on the market.

I wouldn't, murders are a lot different than an old lady dying in bed, and tbh if I did buy it and the shit was released I wouldn't be able to relax, he's obviously no stranger to being irrational and I'd imagine him knocking on the door!