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Spooky reasons for rejecting a house revealed by first direct, this Halloween
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Just in time for Halloween, another report on spooky issues likely to frighten off potential house buyers has been released!
Creepy neighbours, residents who have died, rumours of haunting, and unlucky house numbers are just some of the spooky reasons for rejecting a house, according to research from first direct.
Nearly half of all house buyers claimed creepy neighbours would convince them to pass on a property, while one in five admitted that a death in the house would send shivers down their spine.
One fifth would be deterred by rumours of ghostly goings-on and nearly one in ten find unlucky street names or numbers a definite turn-off…
These results come from a survey of 2,000 people looking into the darkest deal-breakers when it comes to buying a house.
Inappropriate street names, ‘bad energy’ and relationship breakups also made the list of the top terrors when looking for a new home.
| Top spooky reasons for rejecting a house | Percentage |
| Creepy neighbours | 43% |
| Someone died | 21% |
| Rumours of haunting | 20% |
| Unlucky street name or number | 8% |
| Rude/funny street name | 8% |
The results of the survey also revealed:
- 28% of 21– 34-year-olds refuse to consider a house that someone has died in, making them the most superstitious age group.
- First-time buyers were also more bothered about the above issue (25%) than second-steppers (14%).
- Around one in twenty first-time buyers also wouldn’t buy a house owned by a couple that got divorced…
- Looking at location, those in Bristol are the least likely to be put off by creepy neighbours (35%) and a resilient 86% wouldn’t be phased by a property in which someone had died.
Joe Gordon, Head of first direct, said: “It would appear that as house buyers we are pretty easily spooked by anything out of the ordinary, especially if we’re buying for the first time. But it’s amazing how much this drops the longer we’re on the housing ladder.
“One thing is for sure. We all know the value of having really good neighbours, but if yours are a bit closer to the Addams family than the Brady Bunch, you might find they’re responsible for putting the morgue in mortgage when it’s time for you to start looking for a new home!”
