'Haunted' houses do not deter most first-time buyers
24th Oct 2007
Most first-time buyers (FTBs) would not be put off from buying a property if they found out it was 'haunted'.
According to a study by Yorkshire Bank, 54 per cent of FTBs would not be too bothered if the house of their dreams turned out to have an unexpected ghostly presence within.
In fact, less than one in five (19 per cent) said that supernatural stories would make them reconsider an offer, and more than a quarter said they would be even more likely to view a haunted house out of curiosity.
As well as this, many savvy FTBs would use the fact that a ghost was said to be resident in their dream home as a bargaining tool.
Yorkshire Bank's Gary Lumby said: "We all know to look out for damp patches and cracks in the walls when viewing a home, but it could prove a little trickier to spot a supernatural problem with your potential property!
"Doing your research in the local area can really pay off when it comes to negotiating a sale price."
Other statistics indicate that many more residents in the north-east of England believe their house could be haunted than those in London.
Also, more people in the north-west pull out of ghostly house sales after being spooked by scary stories.
© Zoopla Property Group Limited