Buying a house someone was murdered in

Breezer

I'm a first time buyer, and I've recently found a wonderful house that I was all set to put on offer on. Getting all excited about this, I went and googled the address, and discovered someone was violently murdered in a house on the road several decades ago. The house number isn't specified, but there's only a couple of houses on this road, so there's a reasonable chance this was the one it happened in.

While it's a fairly upsetting thought, I don't believe in ghosts etc. But other people do, and what I am worried about is resale value! Would this be something that would put people off, do you think?

Yes, this is serious question!

cronos

Breezer wrote: »

I'm a first time buyer, and I've recently found a wonderful house that I was all set to put on offer on. Getting all excited about this, I went and googled the address, and discovered someone was violently murdered in a house on the road several decades ago. The house number isn't specified, but there's only a couple of houses on this road, so there's a reasonable chance this was the one it happened in.

While it's a fairly upsetting thought, I don't believe in ghosts etc. But other people do, and what I am worried about is resale value! Would this be something that would put people off, do you think?

Yes, this is serious question!

I think you could use the "right to be forgotten" EU ruling to submit all relevant links to get them removed from search engines. That would make it go away as a problem. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/files/factsheets/factsheet_data_protection_en.pdf

Jimmy Garlic

Don't bother with it. You mightn't have a problem with it but chances are someone in your family will. I might come across as silly for saying this but I think buildings are like batteries, they store the energy that is put into them. Most people don't believe in ghosts until they actually see one.

Edups

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

Don't bother with it. You mightn't have a problem with it but chances are someone in your family will. I might come across as silly for saying this but I think buildings are like batteries, they store the energy that is put into them. Most people don't believe in ghosts until they actually see one.

Please stop spouting superstition. It's absolute nonsense with no scientific evidence to back it up. He's buying a house, not a pack of Duracell

pablo128

Breezer wrote: »

I'm a first time buyer, and I've recently found a wonderful house that I was all set to put on offer on. Getting all excited about this, I went and googled the address, and discovered someone was violently murdered in a house on the road several decades ago. The house number isn't specified, but there's only a couple of houses on this road, so there's a reasonable chance this was the one it happened in.

While it's a fairly upsetting thought, I don't believe in ghosts etc. But other people do, and what I am worried about is resale value! Would this be something that would put people off, do you think?

Yes, this is serious question!

Unless you're buying the house at a reduced rate now, how would the house be worth less in the future?

Breezer

pablo128 wrote: »

Unless you're buying the house at a reduced rate now, how would the house be worth less in the future?

Makes sense. Just something that crossed my mind. Probably the result of small hour Googling.
Although the sale did previously fall though. Unlikely to be anything to do with it I guess.

Edups

Breezer wrote: »

Makes sense. Just something that crossed my mind. Probably the result of small hour Googling.
Although the sale did previously fall though. Unlikely to be anything to do with it I guess.

There must be houses sold daily that have had someone die in them murder or otherwise. Ffs my auntie died in my nannys house, I hardly think if it was mentioned to a prospective buyer they'd pull out because spoopy ghosts will get us

Breezer

Edups wrote: »

There must be houses sold daily that have had someone die in them murder or otherwise. Ffs my auntie died in my nannys house, I hardly think if it was mentioned to a prospective buyer they'd pull out because spoopy ghosts will get us

Oh I know, it was more the circumstances. And clearly it wouldn't bother me or you, but I tend to be far less superstitious than the average person (as in I'm not, at all) which is why I thought I'd put the question out there!

Car99

It might not be that house .

DivingDuck

Did you try searching the murderer and victim's names separately? There's a decent chance the house it happened in belonged to one of them. Their addresses should be listed in the reporting/obit, and might at least clear up if it's even the same house or not.

How long have the current owners been living there?

I don't know if it would put me off, really. Given the choice between a house where a murder happened and another house all equal otherwise, I'd probably pick the one without the bad history. The market in Dublin is more "this house or no house" these days, though, so you'll still get people wanting it regardless if that's where it is.

Edups

Breezer wrote: »

Oh I know, it was more the circumstances. And clearly it wouldn't bother me or you, but I tend to be far less superstitious than the average person (as in I'm not, at all) which is why I thought I'd put the question out there!

It's okay OP, just keep the doors locked tightly and keep the bat in easy reach, you'll probably not be killed

spurious

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the price was right.

hairyslug

Wouldn't bother me, we went to look at a house where someone had been murdered and I had to drag my wife along but she liked the house enough to overcome the thought of someone being murdered there. She didn't however have any issues going to executor sales.

anewme

I bought a house before that an old lady died in.

Months after we moved in, we found Rosary Beads in one of the rooms. We sent them on to her family.

We knew that moving in and it was no problem. The lady died of natural causes related to old age.

Despite not being superstitious, I would not buy a house where someone was murdered. It's not because I'm afraid of ghosts, because I'm not, I don't believe in it but I think it's more my own mindset.

I get what the person is saying about negative energy, although that is very much in your own head- I would find it hard to be happy in a place where so much unhappiness occurred.

For example, any of those homes where murder-suicides took place of whole families, whatever the price is, no.

id hate to be going to bed to relax, but thinking, did a little child die horribly here, in this room?

As I said, the ghost stuff is nonsense, but it's not about that.

Edups

Edups wrote: »

There must be houses sold daily that have had someone die in them murder or otherwise. Ffs my auntie died in my nannys house, I hardly think if it was mentioned to a prospective buyer they'd pull out because spoopy ghosts will get us

Slight difference between a natural death from old age and murder .....just slight :rolleyes:


It would put me off .....but hey that's just me !

Breezer

DivingDuck wrote: »

Did you try searching the murderer and victim's names separately? There's a decent chance the house it happened in belonged to one of them. Their addresses should be listed in the reporting/obit, and might at least clear up if it's even the same house or not.

I did, yeah. Nothing coming up, just the road name, no number. I wondered was that deliberate.

I don't know exactly how long the current owners have been there, I must find out, I think it may have been just slightly less than the time elapsed since the murder though.

Anyway, enough people here saying it wouldn't matter to them to put my mind at ease. I know it's unsettling, but it was many years ago, and people have lived there happily since. And at the end of the day, with old houses, who knows what happened in them that went unreported.

Baybay

I posted in a similar thread a while back.

A murderer stole a means of transport from outside the house in which we've lived for over twenty years but didn't own at the time, to move a body. Not quite the same thing I know. It doesn't bother me but I do think of it from time to time.

lau1247

Breezer wrote: »

I did, yeah. Nothing coming up, just the road name, no number. I wondered was that deliberate.

I don't know exactly how long the current owners have been there, I must find out, I think it may have been just slightly less than the time elapsed since the murder though.

Anyway, enough people here saying it wouldn't matter to them to put my mind at ease. I know it's unsettling, but it was many years ago, and people have lived there happily since. And at the end of the day, with old houses, who knows what happened in them that went unreported.

can you not ask the estate agent directly?? Aren't they obliged to disclosure any information relevant to the property.. akin to don't ask don't tell but ask and they have to answer.

Breezer

lau1247 wrote: »

can you not ask the estate agent directly?? Aren't they obliged to disclosure any information relevant to the property.. akin to don't ask don't tell but ask and they have to answer.

I think I'd rather not know to be honest!

Parchment

lau1247 wrote: »

can you not ask the estate agent directly?? Aren't they obliged to disclosure any information relevant to the property.. akin to don't ask don't tell but ask and they have to answer.

This! Ask them - say you googled the address and want to know.

Personally i dont think i would buy a house that someone was murdered in. For me it would have a "negative energy" - some people might laugh but i do think houses have a vibe.

We are looking to buy a house and have viewed many - pretty much all of them have had their own "feeling". Some of the oldest/most in need of renovations still had a happy feel.

Thats just me and my slightly hippy notions! If it doesnt bother you and its a good price - go for it.

Eric Cartman

wouldn't bother me in the slightest, but you can damn well bet i'd pretend it did to get the price knocked down, after that though, be grand.

GT_TDI_150

Buy it!!

Be a cool topic to drop at dinner parties.

Eric Cartman

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Buy it!!

Be a cool topic to drop at dinner parties.

also keeps superstitious crackpot's (hopefully including overly religious mother in laws :pac:) out of it.

SEPT 23 1989

No

bad vibrations

You would not have posted if it sat comfortably with you

Edups

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Slight difference between a natural death from old age and murder .....just slight :rolleyes:


It would put me off .....but hey that's just me !

She wasn't old.

anewme

Breezer wrote: »

I think I'd rather not know to be honest!

Then don't buy it. You will find out eventually from a nosey neighbour or something and it will wreck your head

Effects

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

I think buildings are like batteries, they store the energy that is put into them. Most people don't believe in ghosts until they actually see one.

That shouldn't be a problem so. A murder takes place relatively quickly so shouldn't have effected the positive charge on the house that much, if at all.

People don't see ghosts. Stupid people just think they've seen ghosts.

Heisenberg1

Effects wrote: »

That shouldn't be a problem so. A murder takes place relatively quickly so shouldn't have effected the positive charge on the house that much, if at all.

People don't see ghosts. Stupid people just think they've seen ghosts.

Don't want to get off topic but that is complete nonsense. OP I wouldn't buy I do believe in the afterlife and I would not buy it.

Pat Mustard

Murders can affect the value of property in an entire area.

If I was buying a house in which a person had been murdered, I would attempt to negotiate a favourable price. It should also be borne in mind that if you attempt to sell that house, the resale value may be affected. But what does it matter, if you have made the saving when you bought the house, originally.

If you find any evidence of ghosts in the house, you can sell it to the Discovery Channel and make a few quid out of it. Good luck finding the ghosts in the first place, of course.

Bobeagleburger

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

. Most people don't believe in ghosts until they actually see one.

pesky camera avoiding ghosts

Sleeper12

cronos wrote:

I think you could use the "right to be forgotten" EU ruling to submit all relevant links to get them removed from search engines. That would make it go away as a problem.

I think this is for people rather than addresses. I think the story has to be about you for you to request it. Also if none of the articles give the house number you'd have no grounds to request this. AFAIK