Since Halloween is just around the corner, we thought it would be appropriate to bring you the results of Realtor.com’s newly released Haunted Real Estate survey.
According to the results, many respondents said they would be more than open to living with ghosts year-round, especially if a few bumps in the night leads to more home for their money or the chance to live in a better neighborhood.
“Haunted houses are a popular attraction this time of year, but we wanted to see how many people would actually live in one,” says housing expert Sarah Staley. “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.”
The survey, which queried more than 1,000 online respondents in late September, revealed 33 percent of respondents are open to living in a haunted house and 25 percent might be, while 42 percent are not at all interested in entertaining the idea. Here, some more interesting findings from this spooktacular report:
• 40 percent of respondents indicated that they need a price reduction to choose a haunted home over a non-haunted home, 35 percent require a better neighborhood, 32 percent need larger square footage and 29 percent would do so if more bedrooms are involved.
• Only 8 percent of respondents said they require no additional perks to purchase a haunted home. In contrast, 47 percent of those surveyed indicated they would live in a home where someone died, 27 percent said they might and 26 percent said they would not.
• Some people prefer some paranormal activities over others. For instance, 48 percent of respondents open to living in a haunted house indicated they could tolerate cold or hot spots in their home. The next most acceptable activity was strange noises at 45 percent, followed by strange feelings in certain rooms at 39 percent and unexplained shadows at 35 percent. The least tolerable happenings included levitating objects and the feeling of being touched, both of which are acceptable to 20 percent of respondents.
• Living in a haunted home is not out of the ordinary for many people. According to the survey, 28 percent of respondents believe they have lived in a haunted home, 14 percent think they may have and 58 percent indicate have never lived in one. 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.