This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
A new study by specialist insurance broker Towergate has found that half of Britons believe that they have experienced some sort of paranormal activity in their property, with one in eight even moving out because they thought their home might be haunted.
Spooky property
Do You Own a Spooky Property?
According to the study, many of us have experienced weird events in our homes – almost a third of people confess to having been spooked in their properties at night. Meanwhile, 17% have seen a ghostly figure, a quarter have heard strange or unexplained noises, and 18% have felt a sudden and icy chill.
The research also found that 13% of Brits would move out immediately and put their house up for sale if they thought it was haunted, while 9% would contact a paranormal investigator. Just 6% would prefer to speak to a member of the clergy, while some enterprising homeowners (6%) would even try to make some money by organising paid visits or overnight stays.
Haunted house hunters
Spooky properties are also putting homebuyers off their purchasing plans. The study found that one in eight Brits (12%) have looked around a house and decided not to put in an offer because it was too spooky, while 14% would not buy a home if their pets were spooked by it.
Two-thirds would not buy a house near a graveyard, an undertakers or a sinister-looking church. Unsurprisingly, three-quarters would not buy a property near a morgue.
Meanwhile, many prospective homebuyers would look for a sizeable discount on a property that was said to be haunted, with almost a third saying they would be satisfied with 20% off the asking price. But even so, almost half of homebuyers (45%) insist that no reduction in price would be enough for them to move in.
Towergate’s Drew Wotherspoon comments on the findings: “When there are stories of something strange in a neighbourhood, this can be a huge turn off for potential buyers. Some people thrive on stories of haunted houses, and can use tales of things going bump in the night to their advantage.
“What is clear from this research is that spooky vibes can be real deal breakers when it comes to buying and selling properties – and this makes it a scary time for sellers.”
Have you ever been put off buying a spooky property?
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