Someone died in our new house.

[Elasticatedwaist]

We had to have the floorboards up last week in our new house which uncovered a blackened and charred joist. Turns out,
From talking to a neighbour that there was a fire here, the wife and 2 kids made it out but the man didn’t. He was a drunk apparently and caused the fire. Terribly sad !
Not sure how I feel about living in a house where there was a tragedy like that.
Dh is quite freaked out.
Would it bother you ?

Why would this freak anyone out? Death happens all the time and most older houses will have had people die in them.

Nah. Our house was built in 1803, probably been a few births and deaths here.

Yes, someone has probably died in most houses.But it's a bit different in this case, because it's a named person in specific tragic circumstances, and not just an abstract person from history.

The circumstances too - it's one thing the old man who slipped away in his favourite chair or the little old lady dying in her beloved home surrounded by family and with appropriate palliative care - and another someone dying in a brutal and terrifying way, eg a house fire or a murder, I am a bit superstitious but it would make me think twice.

I think it was pretty rough of your neighbour to share that information with you to be honest. Neighbour could have said there was a fire but didn't need to unsettle you with news of a death in that fire. I wouldn't have let on. House down the road was bombed in the war and someone killed there, the repairs are obvious, but I wouldn't dream of sharing news of the fatality with the current owner.

I'd also be a bit concerned about damage to the property which has not been properly repaired.

Our old house used to be the premises of a funeral directors so I'm sure lots of dead bodies passed through. In fact of our bedroom used to be the 'viewing' room. 😱