Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins, Oh My! Would Living in a Haunted House Make You Want to Move?

Boo! What was that?

If you heard some ghostly screams in the middle of the night, would that be enough for you to put your house on the market? If you are in the majority, then probably not. Realtor.com^®‘s annual Halloween survey found that 56% of people who believe their home is haunted have not considered moving.

While 62% of people said they would most likely not consider living in a house that had the undead for roommates, 54% of people who believe they live in a haunted house suspected the home was haunted before they signed their closing documents.

Only 13% of respondents think they have a ghostly presence in their home, with strange noises as the top reason people think their home is haunted, 44% of respondents said. Following strange noises, 38% of respondents said they experienced shadows and 37% noticed hot and cold spots. One-third said the feel of certain rooms led them to believe there were living with ghosts, while odd pet behavior led 30% to believe their home was haunted.

“Haunted houses typically draw big crowds this time of year, but we wanted to see how many people actually believe they live in one,” said Lexie Holbert, realtor.com^® housing and lifestyle expert. “Although only a small percentage of respondents indicated they believe their home is haunted, it was surprising to see how many are perfectly comfortable sharing their space with spirits from the world beyond.”

In the Northeast, 13% of people believe their house is haunted, behind the West (18%), but ahead of the Midwest (11%) and the South (10%). In the Northeast, respondents were most likely to say the feel of the room, shadows and/or strange noises were the culprits.