Happy Halloween: Two-Thirds of Prospective Buyers Report Being Open to Haunted Houses

(Image courtesy of Karolina Grabowska/Pexels.com)

Zillow, Seattle, conducted a new survey delving into prospective buyers’ willingness to purchase a haunted house, finding 67% report they could be convinced to buy a haunted house if it had the right features, location or was more affordable, among other factors.

Amid a tight market, 40% say they would consider a haunted house if it had features they desired, such as a big backyard, a pool or a two-car garage.

And, 32% said they’d consider such a house if it were in their desired location. Thirty-five percent of respondents said they’d consider it if the house was listed at a lower price than the rest of the market.

“The combination of high prices, limited inventory and rising interest rates is creating a witches’ brew of trouble for would-be homeowners,” said Manny Garcia, a Senior Population Scientist at Zillow. “Despite these chilling conditions, life events like job changes, coupling up and having children still drive households to buy. These shoppers have to square their budgets with important home characteristics like bedrooms, bathrooms and floor plans. When balancing so many priorities in an inventory-starved market, avoiding ghosts and ghouls doesn’t always make the cut.”

In fact, there are even some for whom a ghost or ghoul would enhance the purchase decision: 29% said they would be more likely to purchase a home if it was haunted. Twenty percent said it wouldn’t impact their decision at all.

As for those already in their homes–12% of successful buyers say their home is haunted, and 17% say it may be.