More than half of home buyers say they’d be OK buying a “haunted” house, according to realtor.com’s 2013 Haunted House Report, based on nearly 1,400 respondents' views regarding spooky homes. In fact, more than a third of respondents say they’ve already lived in a haunted house.
But if they’re going to live in a scary home, buyers expect a discount, the survey finds. Thirty-four percent of respondents say they would buy a haunted home if it were discounted 1 to 30 percent, and 22 percent said they would buy a spooky house if it had a discount of 31 to 50 percent. Nineteen percent of survey respondents say it would take a discount of 51 percent or more on a haunted house for them to buy it.
“When purchasing a home, buyers want to know what they are getting into, and that includes anything potentially spooky,” says Alison Schwartz, vice president of corporate communications for Move Inc., the operator of realtor.com. “Our data reveals that while the majority of consumers are open to purchasing a haunted home, many buyers conduct research on a home’s history to be aware of any weird incidences.”
The survey revealed that respondents believed the following are warning signs that a home could be haunted:
- 61 percent say a cemetery on the property;
- 50 percent say a home that is over 100 years old;
- 45 percent considered quick transitions in owners could be an indicator;
- 45 percent say an unexplainable low price on the home;
- 43 percent say a home’s close proximity to a battlefield could be another sign.
Many respondents also say they can be spooked away from a haunted home. They rated the following five incidents as having the potential to scare them away:
- Levitating objects
- Ghost sightings
- Supernatural sensations
- Flickering lights/appliances
- Strange noises, such as footsteps and doors slamming
Source: “Survey: Most People Open to Buying a Haunted House,” realtor.com (Oct. 18, 2013)
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