6 Tips To Help Sell A Haunted House

You might not be afraid of ghosts and ghouls, but it can be a real problem for home owners when it comes to selling a house with a spooky history.

The majority of estate agents believe that a home with a spooky history can lose up to 20% of its value and can be twice as difficult to sell compared to a normal house.

Haunted houses make for great tourist attractions but when you're about to put up a For Sale sign, the last thing you need are ghostly squatters that are going to bring your selling price down.

Research conducted by Move with Us, home of the largest network of independent estate agents, found that 83% of estate agents felt that a home with a chequered past can lose 11-20% of its value as potential home buyers are spooked by the stigma of past events. This might include it being built on top of a graveyard, a former crime scene or rumors the property is haunted.

Robin King, Director of Move with Us, said: “A house with a chequered past can come with a stigma attached to it, particularly to those who live locally and have pre-conceptions of the property. With this sort of property, buyers often put in a lower offer or will use the history as a bargaining tool.

“For anyone looking to sell a home with a spooky history there are still a number of things that you can do to help sell the property for a higher price. Presentation really is everything and giving the property some serious curb appeal will help get viewers through the door as well as dressing the home in a way that creates an aspiration for a certain lifestyle."

Top tips for selling a home with a spooky history:

1. De-personalise the space – Hiding any family photos and personal items helps to create a blank canvas so viewers can imagine the space as their own.
2. Curb appeal is key - If you are going to spend time presenting the inside of a property at its best, you need to spend some time on the outside too. Viewers will often disregard a property before they've stepped inside if the outside looks unattractive. Clear any paths of rubbish and weeds, clean all windows and doors and hide any bins to help make the property more inviting.
3. Let there be light – It's important to maximise light and space as they will appeal to every buyer. Lamps are great for lighting any dark corners and hallways. Make the most of natural light by making sure all curtains and blinds are fully open in every room.
4. Tidy up - It might seem pretty basic, but ensure that your property is tidied up before a viewing. A messy property really can scare away buyers. Put the laundry away, do the washing up and move out of sight anything that does not need to be on display.
5. Dine in style - Dining rooms are often neglected and left to gather cobwebs. To maximise the selling power of this room, clear everything out and dress the table ready for a dinner party to display an aspirational lifestyle.
6. Dress to impress - Ensure your property is dressed and ready for presentation when the agent takes the marketing photos for the website/ brochures. Pictures on websites are the first thing that potential buyers usually see when looking for a property and they can make the difference between getting a viewing or not.

Ghost Hunter Moves Into The Cage

A GHOST hunter who has chosen to live alone in the county’s most haunted house admits he goes to bed at night clutching a crucifix.

Ghost hunter goes to bed clutching CRUCIFIX while living in county's 'most haunted' house!!

Micky Rawlings, 39, is staying at The Cage in St Osyth while researching a documentary about the supernatural.

He admits most people think he’s a bit “bonkers”.

Micky claims to have witnessed intense paranormal activity and fears the house could even kill someone one day.

The single dad-of-one, who works as a painter and decorator, said: “I’m trying to go about my daily life as best I can, but it’s hard.

“I do get unnerved. I’m not a religious man and yet I go to bed every night clutching a crucifix for my own safety.

“After a few days, I got to learn the natural noises of the house. Now the non-natural noises keep me awake at night.”

The Cage has an eerie history and once served as a jail which was in use until the early 20th Century.

In the 16th Century, 13 women accused of being witches were chained there before being hanged.

The ghost of one - Ursula Kemp - is still said to roam the house.

The house has been owned by Vanessa Mitchell, 40, since 2009.

She claims she was forced to flee the property after spotting a black shadowy figure standing outside young son Jesse’s bedroom door.

She has now put the two-bedroom property up for sale with a whopping £290,000 price-tag.

Micky is helping Vanessa pay the mortgage by arranging paid-for ‘ghost hunting’ nights for members of the public.

He said: “I’ve seen books flying off shelves in the upstairs hallway. I’ve watched doors open on their own, and I’ve even seen a shadow person with my own eyes.

“This was in the room I’m now using as my bedroom. The only way I can describe it was like seeing someone wearing a dark colored robe – in the form of a black mist.

“That figure has been seen by numerous people over the past few years.

“I’ll often hear the sound of children banging around playing upstairs when there’s absolutely no-one else in the house."

Many locals dismiss any reports of supernatural spookiness as rubbish.

Micky has rigged the house with cameras in a bid to record video evidence.

He said: “When Vanessa lived there, she’d see these really wild things but she couldn’t show her neighbours anything tangible.

“God knows how many people think she’s crazy. But I know she’s not a crank – I’ve seen these things myself.

“And there are others in the village who do believe. They won’t even walk past the house at night. I’ll often see them crossing the road to avoid it.”

He added: “Most people will hear this and think, ‘This bloke is a bit bonkers’. Others might say, ‘No way can a house be that haunted’.

“But it is. And for me, it’s a fascinating place.”

Haunted Pype Hayes Hall To Become Luxury Hotel

Pype Hayes Hall stands in Pype Hayes Park in Erdington, here in Birmingham. We are very excited because news was released during the summer that the old house which dates back to the 1600’s is to be converted into a four-star luxury hotel and spa. Pype Hayes House is only a couple of miles from our office.

Now it appears that Pype Hayes Hall is also one of the most haunted houses in Birmingham. Pype Hayes House has one or two grizzly secrets. It is the site where medieval lovers carried out a suicide pact. It is reputed to be the site of a double murder mystery as well as a Black Death love tryst.

Patrick Hayes, a local historian, has written about the house and its other world inhabitants in his book ‘Ghost Stories of Erdington’.

Apparently local council staff – the house was owned by the city council until recently – all reported feeling ‘uneasy’ walking through the park.

There is a raft of strange sightings in and around the hall. These range from ladies seen in old-fashioned dresses ‘drifting’ across the grounds to incidents where a bookcase, plates and crockery have all been found scattered and smashed on the kitchen floor.

So long as the ghosts remain in Pype Hayes Park and are not tempted to jump on the bus to our office we will be happy.  In the meantime we watch with interest the restoration of what is a fine old historic house. It is expected to begin shortly.