Would you buy a house where someone had recently died?

[NotSureICan]

Bit of a trigger warning - suicide.

Title slightly misleading, of course lots of people have died in houses especially old ones. But how would you feel about a very recent death?

We've had our offer accepted on a house which ticks all the boxes. We like the house and it has a nice feel. We've also got a buyer for ours and now trying to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday if we can, so wanting to move quickly! However after some googling today, I've discovered that unfortunately the previous occupant committed suicide in the house a few months ago. I don't have any further details (other than cause of death but I won't mention here), so not sure where in the house it happened or if it was in one of the 2 outbuildings. I also believe the person lived alone, so without being too grisly, I'm not sure how long they were there for before discovery

I phoned the agent to check what has happened and they have outright lied to me. Said the house was owned by an elderly gentleman who has since died in care. When we first viewed the house, the agent said the sale was due to a death and I asked if this was in the house and they said they didn't know. Agent today says definitely not. I'm wondering if perhaps the vendor hasn't been honest with them. It looks as though the owners relative was living there after the owner went into care.

I'm not sure what to do now. Am I being a bit silly by feeling a bit weird about it? The house actually had a nice feel when we looked around and the second viewing we were in there on our own and it didn't feel spooky or unhappy! However I feel quite annoyed that they've lied to us, and especially as the vendor really pushed us up on the price (the house needs a lot of work doing to it so the price reflects that, but we've probably offered £5k more than we wanted to).

I continued to live in the house my parent had been dying in, died in, had just recently died in throughout. I was there when they died. I continued to live in the house. As do most people who are bereaved.

I can list lots of people I know who've continued living in the house their parent, spouse, loved one died in.

What do you think people do? Abandon the property? Burn it to the ground?

Have you never experienced a death?

It's really none of your business how the previous occupant died and distasteful to be speculating on their death and body. I imagine the agent was horrified with you.

My SILs aunt moved into a house knowing someone had committed suicide. It didn’t worry her, and she loved the house.
I know it’s a little different, but the house I live in currently is where DH grandad passed away, and I have a feeling the house we are about to move into had a death before owners moved out (estate agent said they moved after elderly relative passed, and then quickly said no no I mean moved into care home?)

Depending on how the person passed away, it wouldn’t change my mind, but I’d probably want to find out where in the house.

As others have said, older houses most likely have had deaths, and even suicides we wouldn’t know about.

A person dying in the house wouldn't bother me. My dad, uncle and grandmother all died at home. Most older houses would have had someone die in them.

I might think twice if it had been murder

No it wouldn’t bother me because I would imagine that other, happier events had also happened there.

@acornautumn more just that they can admit if they were lying to me really, or if its just the vendor has withheld it. I did ask the agent outright twice and they have said no both times. Like a PP said above, it does make me wonder what else they might have lied about tbh. I'm really sorry to hear about your Dad though, that sounds so tough.

Userwhatevernumber, yeah totally horrified with me yawn

My Aunty commit suicide in the garage of her house. My uncle and the kids moved out and away. I often go onto Rightmove to look at old photos of the house just to see her things. It’s very sad. But no one else will know. And you didn’t know the person who died.

Once offered on a flat where there had been a drug induced murder so no it wouldn't bother me.

@Snowball2020 I think I want to know where too, but I understand how that question would be upsetting to their relatives so I'm not sure if they'd tell us. I do think I'm likely to think about it every time I pass that point in the house as well. DH has said it wouldn't bother him so its really all down to me now!

I do think it must have been quite a happy house at some points, it does have a nice feel to it as I said upthread. I think its just because it was suicide and because it was so recent that its making me feel odd.

@formerbabe friends of mine ended up living in a house where there had been a recent brutal murder- they didn't find out until a year or so after they moved in! I do think it would have put them off, but once they lived there it was such a nice house they were very happy there. I just can't figure out if I'd feel the same way!

I'd be more bothered that someone is lying

It wound to bother me. Get it blessed if you have concerns.

@easttowest that's so sad, I'm sorry for your loss.

Thank you to everyone who has replied, I've got a lot of thinking to do. For everyone who has mentioned their own personal experiences, sorry for your respective losses - the thread moved more quickly than I anticipated so struggling to reply to you all individually.

so what do you think should happen to these house where people die in them ?

@Chasingsquirrels

Pretty sure it wouldn't bother me. I continue to live in the house my late-DH died in.

With all due respect- I don’t think that’s the same

When you went to view you didn't get a bad vibe.

All houses have history you are just unlucky to know that but.

I don't see what difference it makes. All manner of terrible things could've happened in any house and you'd be no wiser.

If you like the house, buy the house.

Obviously I think the same thing should happen to them as every other house? I feel like you're missing the point a bit there.

Sorry that was to @bluethistles

It would bother me to know, I have to say. Obviously, in an older house you’ve probably got no clue & I’m quite happy not doing. But I’ll happily admit I’m not very good with the thought of death. So I try not to think about it. Maybe it’s silly of me. I have a terrible habit of overthinking things that upset me & dwelling on it for months. I’d wonder which room & if I knew which room, I’d feel sad everytime I was in that room thinking about how awful they must have felt..

I couldn’t go into the room my Grandma died in for months. All I could see was how I found her & I couldn’t bear it. But I did get over that. Still thought about it everytime I was in there but I could deal with it eventually.

@NotSureICan how would you have felt about it if you had known from the start
Would you have even viewed it?
Are you more bothered about the death or the fact that they are trying to cover it up?
I think I'd be more bothered about the fact that either the ea or vendor are deliberately avoiding telling the truth . That wouldn't sit right with me at all

It would depend on the type of death (natural death fine, suicide maybe not), and the general feel of the house.

My aunt and uncle bought a house in which a murder had just taken place (wife's lover shot her wealthy husband). They got a very desirable house which they otherwise could not have afforded, and have lived there happily for 20 years.

My mother bought a house like that. The owners son had recently hanged himself in his bedroom; that's why his parents sold up.

there was absolutely nothing weird or creepy about that house. Many many people die naturally at home and there's nothing weird or creepy about those houses either.

@comps83 I wouldn't have viewed it if I'd known, and definitely wouldn't have put an offer in. I'll be honest, the death does make me feel sad and weird. I do think it will play on my mind. I know its ridiculous to feel that way though, death isn't scary and I'm sure the occupant was a lovely person. Its a silly thing to worry about so I'm trying to talk myself out of feeling that way.

Yes the lying is much worse though. The vendor hasn't been great so far as I mentioned in my OP, so it feels this is another reason to worry about the sale as well.

It's absolutely none of your business how that poor person died, and under no circumstances should you try to get their family to divulge that information.

LOADS of houses will have had people die in them. You may have already lived in a house that had someone die in them. What is it that bothers you? What would make it ok?

This is the type of situation where google doesn’t help. Not sure how you stumbled across that info unless you were looking for it?

The house I used to live in was owned by an old couple. We lived in it for about 6 years before the neighbors told us one of the occupants had died in the house.

I never really have it another thought tbh. We’d lived there for a long time with DC’s so it was home and I just chose to not think of it. I can understand how it would be a bit eeire had we known that before we bought it.

It makes no odds. Spirits aren’t real so it seems a shame to lose a perfect house due to your imagination running wild.

The only time this bothered me was when we nearly bought a house that had been a care home. The owners had changed the address and although the house was beautifully done up they were not living in it. They had moved out of the main house into an annex and were only using the kitchen. There was something really odd going on. I took my brother round as he is an experienced builder and he said he thought the house was beautifully renovated, but not to buy it. He couldn't explain why , but it creeped him out. We eventually backed out as there was something really strange about it all, but we didn't know what.