Realtor.com® Survey Indicates Haunted Homes Don't Always Have to be a Deal Breaker

Forty percent of respondents willing to accept a few bumps in the night for a lower home price

News provided by

Oct 11, 2017, 09:00 ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Many people are open to living with ghosts year-round, especially when a few bumps in the night lead to more home for their money or the chance to live in a better neighborhood, according to the results of a Haunted Real Estate survey released today by realtor.com^®, a leading online real estate destination operated by News Corp., subsidiary Move, Inc.

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, 25 percent might be, and 42 percent are not open to the idea.

When asked about the factors that may sway their decision:

40 percent of respondents indicated that they need a price reduction in order 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 indicate they would live in a home where someone died, 27 percent said they might, and 26 percent said they would not.

"Haunted houses are a popular attraction this time of year, but we wanted to see how many people would actually live in one," said Sarah Staley, housing expert. "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 also revealed that 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.

For more information about the survey, please visit: http://www.realtor.com/homemade/haunted-house-survey/

About realtor.com^®Realtor.com^® is the trusted resource for home buyers, sellers and dreamers, offering the most comprehensive source of for-sale properties, among competing national sites, and the information, tools and professional expertise to help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. It pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today helps make all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS^®. For more information, visit realtor.com^®.

Media Contacts:
Realtor.com®
Lexie Puckett Holbert – [email protected]

SOURCE realtor.com