Are you living in a house that you’re convinced is haunted? Whether you’re moving to escape the spooky specters or you just need to relocate for work, you might be worried about how the haunting will affect your house sale. Are you required to tell interested parties that the house is haunted? Will you scare off potential buyers?

A 2017 survey revealed that 33% of people are open to living in a haunted house, 25% might be open to it, and 42% are not open to it. That’s a significant proportion of people who won’t be put off by ghostly residents - so selling your haunted home might not be as hard as you think.

Understand Disclosure Laws in Your State

Do you have to tell buyers that your house is haunted? The answer is a little complicated. In some states, you’re required to report any deaths in the house in recent years. Once a death is disclosed, you might meet with buyers who have questions about whether or not the house is haunted, and you should be prepared to answer these honestly. Different ‘haunting’ phenomena might meet with different reactions from buyers. Things like hot and cold spots might not put people off, while sightings of ghostly figures could be a bit more off-putting.

There’s no specific law that says you have to reveal that a house is haunted, but withholding the information could be a bad idea if your house is ‘notoriously haunted’. For example, if it’s well documented in the local media that the house is haunted, or if all the locals refer to it as, ‘the haunted house.’ Being honest with potential buyers is always the safest move - ask a company like St George Real Estate Agent for advice if you’re not sure.

Make Sure The House Doesn’t Look Haunted

Being told that a house may be haunted is one thing - walking into a home that looks like the set of Frankenstein is another. Unless they’ve got a serious interest in the paranormal, most buyers will be looking for a normal, welcoming family home. If anything troubling has happened in your home, making it look as clean, fresh, and new as possible is key. Painting the walls in light colors, replacing carpets and curtains, and letting in plenty of natural light will help your property appeal to even the most spooked buyers.

If you’re trying to downplay the haunting, avoid anything that looks too old-fashioned or spooky - stick to neutral, modern furniture and accessories. Make sure the house isn’t too cluttered or full of personal items, as this can make it extra difficult for buyers to imagine themselves living there.

If you’re trying to make a feature of the haunting and your house has an interesting history, have a few period pieces on show and be ready to explain them to buyers if asked. However, don’t go overboard. Just because you think your house is haunted, doesn’t mean you need to fill it with pumpkins and cobwebs.

Have Estate Agents Chat to Buyers About the Issue

Estate agents are professionals when it comes to figuring out what’s important to buyers and then highlighting the unique selling points of your home. Bring the haunting issue up to your agent and ask them to raise it delicately with potential buyers. If they’re chatting with a buyer who loves all things paranormal, they’ll know exactly how to frame the haunting as a unique feature.

If a buyer is put off by the haunting, they’ll be able to do the opposite. They could highlight the chance to get a great home in a nice area at a lower than average price, in return for putting up with a ‘reported’ haunting. Your agent will also be able to spot skeptics a mile away and can focus on reporting the facts of the home without any ghost stories thrown in.

If you plan to be present during viewings, be sure to have a chat with your agent beforehand. They’ll be able to brief you on the kind of buyer you’re about to meet, and this will help you to avoid saying anything off-putting during the viewing. If you’ve got a viewer who’s terrified of ghosts, you don’t want to cry out, “There’s the grey lady!” during a tour of the kitchen. Likewise, playing down the haunting could be disappointing to a wannabe ghost hunter who’s looking around.

Be Prepared to Lower Your Asking Price

While a haunting is a feature to some buyers and a non-issue to others, there are those who will be put off by it. The risk is especially high if an unpleasant crime took place in the house, or there has been a recent death in the property. If you want a quick sale, you’ll need to be prepared to lower your asking price. Having an asking price that’s noticeably lower than other properties in the area is a real selling point, and many buyers will be willing to put up with a little paranormal activity if it means getting their dream home in the perfect area.

You could also start by listing your home at your ideal asking price, but allowing your estate agent to lower it if they decide that an otherwise interested buyer is being scared off by the haunting. You shouldn’t have to sell your home at half the price because of a haunting, but you should be prepared to make some sacrifices.

Consider Making The Haunting a Feature of Your Home

If your home has an interesting history then it could be worth advertising the haunting as a feature. There are plenty of ghost enthusiasts out there, and a good haunting could be what makes them choose your home over another. Having as much information as possible about the history of the house, who could be haunting it, and how the haunting manifests itself is essential if you want to go down this route. You’ll also need a good agent to screen potential buyers and make sure they’re serious - or you could find yourself giving free ghost tours!

Selling a haunted house isn’t impossible, it just takes some careful planning. Be sure to disclose everything that local laws require, make your house look welcoming, and be prepared to give potential buyers details of the haunting. You’ll make a sale before you can say, “Boo!”