This Halloween, consider mentioning any (friendly) ghosts and goblins that may have taken up residence in one of your listings — as it turns out, more than half of buyers are open to living in a haunted house.
In September, realtor.com conducted a Haunted Real Estate survey where 1,000 respondents shared their opinions on living in a home with a “few extra guests.” Thirty-three percent of buyers said they were completely fine with living in a haunted house, 25 percent said they’d be open to it and 42 percent said no way.
For those who were iffy about it, a price reduction (40 percent), access to a better neighborhood (35 percent), more square footage (32 percent) and extra bedrooms (29 percent) would make them say “yes.” Meanwhile, only 8 percent of respondents said no perks were needed for them to purchase a haunted house.
“Haunted houses are a popular attraction this time of year, but we wanted to see how many people would actually live in one,” said housing expert Sarah Staley in a press release. “What we found may be a sign of today’s tight housing market, or for many living in a haunted house doesn’t have to be a deal breaker.”
When it comes to paranormal activities, 48 percent of respondents said they could tolerate hot or cold spots in the home. The next most tolerable activity was strange noises, at 45 percent, followed by strange feelings in certain rooms at 39 percent, and unexplained shadows at 35 percent. Only 20 percent of respondents could tolerate levitating objects and the feeling of being touched.
Lastly, the survey revealed that 42 percent of buyers believe they have or at least may have lived in a haunted home. When asked what made them think the home was haunted, 58 percent cited strange noises, 51 percent revealed strange feelings in certain rooms and 40 percent indicated objects moving or disappearing.
