NEWS
Haunted houses and those with nasty pasts can be difficult to sell
01-11-2012
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A flat in town in Northumberland was the scene of a brutal murder earlier this year when a person was bludgeoned to death by a burglar. Despite the flat being in a desirable area with a close knit community, surveyors in the area say it could potentially prove difficult to sell at its true value, or rent out now.
‘A home in which a murder took place can often experience a drop in potential resale value and saleability as buyers tend to stay clear of stigmatised homes. But, in a small number of cases, a crime scene house can experience an increase in resale value depending on investors’ interests,’ said Neil Foster, director at Foster Maddison estate agents.
Even when floorboards are removed and every piece of physical evidence extracted, the reputation of a murder house lingers, and can take years, decades or even centuries to lose its notoriety. However, some buyers and renters that fall head over heels with a home can overlook its horrid history, unless it is rumoured to have ghosts that is.
Kim Dunster and Mathew White of Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, began to wonder if their bungalow, built in 1964, was haunted after their toddler son would cry all night, holding his hands around his neck. The frightened couple began filming their son’s bedroom on an evening, which revealed eerie orbs around his room. When voicing their concerns to those in the community, a woman who used to live next door told the couple she had to move as her daughter’s toys under her bed used to move at night.
The family were so convinced their home was haunted they applied to their housing management company, Your Newcastle, to be relocated, filling the reason for move section on their official house change form with one word – ghosts.
It may seem a little far fetched to some, to say that ghosts can affect a property’s saleability or rentability, but Foster says that even people that don’t really believe in them are put off from buying or renting a home that is rumoured to be haunted, as it’s the fear of the unknown.
‘We recently lost a £550,000 verbally agreed sale when the vendor joked to the buyers that the property was haunted. Ultimately, people want a home that is their haven, safe and comfortable, and will not compromise on anything that they think may not be just that,’ he explained.
Selling Agents have a moral obligation and a duty of disclosure to inform prospective buyers of any events that occurred in a property which may affect its value. However, in some cases they may not know a home’s full history as there’s no formula or legislation which allows them to search for stigmatised properties.
Neil says buyers should do their research and use their wits by speaking to the neighbours of the property they are interested in purchasing, as well as the locals in the area, as this is the best way of finding out the true history of any home.
