Do You Have to Tell Buyers Your Home Is Haunted?

It's a question that comes up around Halloween, usually half joking. If your house in Culcheth, Lowton or Birchwood makes odd noises at night, do you have to mention it when you sell? The honest answer is a bit more interesting than yes or no.

There's a famous case.

In 1991, a court in New York ruled that "as a matter of law, the house is haunted". The owner of a Victorian house in Nyack had spent years telling Reader's Digest and the local paper about the ghosts living with her. When she sold it to a buyer from the city who hadn't heard the stories, he found out after signing and wanted out. The court decided that, having told everyone the house was haunted, she couldn't now argue it wasn't. He was allowed to cancel the sale.

What it means round here.

There's no question about ghosts on the forms sellers fill in for their solicitor in England. Most solicitors take the view that a haunted reputation isn't a legal defect, so you don't have to bring it up. But if a buyer asks you directly, you have to answer honestly. A misleading answer to any question about the property can lead to a claim against you later.

Agents have to think about it a bit harder.

Estate agents are covered by consumer protection rules that say we have to tell buyers anything that could affect their decision, including whether to book a viewing at all. Some property lawyers have argued that a well-known local ghost story could fall into that, especially if the owner has been telling the whole street about it. Polls have found around four in ten people in the UK believe a house can be haunted, so for some buyers it would matter.

What's actually making that noise.

The strange things that happen in houses at this time of year usually have a much less exciting explanation, and they're worth sorting before you sell.

Knocking and banging when the heating comes on. Usually air in the system or pipes expanding as they warm up. Bleeding the radiators often fixes it.
Creaking at night. Floorboards and roof timbers contract as the temperature drops after dark. Very normal in older homes, and plenty of 1930s semis around Culcheth and Lowton have a good creak in them.
A cold spot in one room. Normally a draught, a gap in the loft insulation or a radiator that isn't pulling its weight. Buyers and surveyors notice cold rooms, so it's worth checking.
Lights flickering. Sometimes just a bulb, but if it keeps happening it's worth getting an electrician to look at the wiring. A buyer's surveyor will flag old wiring long before they mention a ghost.
A musty smell that comes and goes. That's usually damp, not a presence. It tends to show up more once the windows stay shut for winter, and it's one of the first things buyers pick up on at a viewing.

The serious bit, briefly.

Whether it's a ghost story, a boundary disagreement or a damp patch behind the wardrobe, it's almost always better for buyers to hear it from you early than find out later. Sales that fall through in the last few weeks rarely do so because of something that was mentioned at the start.