Haunted houses could scare off buyers

Some 5% of people who’d viewed a house they wanted to buy reported feeling a ‘spooky presence’ such as unexplained voices, lights randomly turning on and off.

Haunted houses could scare off buyers

Selling a ‘haunted’ house could scare off buyers – and strip up to 10% off the value of your home, a Halloween survey from Together has revealed.

Nearly half of Brits (46%) polled would be put off if they suspected they are sharing their new home with a ghostly spectre or poltergeist.

And one in five (20%) would be willing to drop their asking price for a quick sale of a home with spiritual inhabitants.

The Halloween survey of more than 2,000 British adults by mortgage lender Together, discovered that 42% who thought they were sharing their home with a ghost or poltergeist would cover up the fact to potential buyers.

Incredibly, 15% would even conduct a banishing spell or ritual to rid their property of ghostly goings on – rising to 20% in London, according to the survey conducted in partnership with YouGov.

Richard Tugwell, group intermediary relationship director at Together, said: “It’s amazing that people would be willing to lower the price of their home by 10% because it’s believed to be haunted.

“The average UK house price is currently £225,995, meaning that vendors would be willing to take a cut of more than £22,500 for a quick sale. It’s also interesting to see the lengths people would be prepared to go to, to either hide their suspicions of hauntings, or to use rituals to remove spirits from a house.”

According to the study, 46% said it would be unlikely they would buy a house they were viewing if they suspected there was a ghost or poltergeist present. Only 31% would be likely to buy.

Those in the North East seemed most put off, with the majority – 56% – saying they’d be unlikely to make the purchase, falling to just 37% of potential house hunters in the South East.

Women were considerably less keen on supernatural residents. Over half (55%) would be deterred if they suspected a ghostly spectre was present, compared to over one third of men (36%). Nearly half (46%) would disguise their suspicions the home was haunted from potential buyers, compared to 37% of men.

Some 5% of people who’d viewed a house they wanted to buy reported feeling a ‘spooky presence’ such as unexplained voices, lights randomly turning on and off, or objects moving without being touched.

Known as one of Britain’s most haunted houses, “The Cage” in Essex went on the market last year. The owners have reportedly failed to sell the 1800s property - a former medieval witches’ prison. ‘Witch’ Ursula Kemp was imprisoned there before her trial and hanging at Chelmsford. Her ghost is said to haunt the building.