Has anyone ever used this? We're looking at houses and just made an offer on a fairly old one (built 1886). I just have this morbid curiosity about whether anyone has died there, but then, what would I do with that information? Maybe it's better not to know!
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That's creepy! I wouldn't want to know! But I would assume with a house that old there is a good chance...
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We bought a house from someone who's mom died a few months prior. The mom lived here, the daughter in SC and was selling for her. I so don't wanna know where she died
I mean I do, but I can't un-know it if I don't like the answer...
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We had our suspicions about our house when we bought it.... two years living in it a neighbor confirmed that the previous owner died in it (late state cancer)... and also let us know the owners before that gave birth in the house! Circle of life~
But I was prepped before I moved in to have a one of my more spiritual friends come do a blessing on the house if we got creeped out/ghost feelings. But we've never had any issues and never been bothered by it.
And while I'd be curious to know I'd never pay for the results!
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We just bought a house via estate sale. It doesn't really bother me knowing the previous owner passed away in the house after a long illness. I might've felt different if it was a violent crime or something.
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We found out after we bought our condo that someone had been murdered right at the entry way to the building! And we had lived in the building as renters for a year already. Turns out he was dealing drugs.
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I can't believe this website exists! If the house was built in 1886, almost certainly someone died there in its early years, since people used to die in their homes and not in hospitals.
Most of the brownstones in Brooklyn actually have a third-floor cutout in the curved stairwell--it's called a coffin corner; it's for pivoting a coffin out of the "bedroom floor" where people were born and died, and down the narrow stairs. They're ornate and actually very lovely architectural features
Good luck on your bid, I would love a house that old!ETA, just saw your name is in NYC--probably old info to you.
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@LCTBQE: omg! I had to google that! Is that what these were for?
I don't think it would worry me if someone died of natural causes in my house. If someone was killed tragically or murdered, it would be creepy.
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I'm sure someone died in our old house! I wouldn't mind knowing now but I wouldn't pay to find out. The unfinished part of the basement looked like something straight out of a horror movie. We even had the house blessed
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I know the previous owner died in our house. Apparently our new neighbor gleefully informed my husband about it soon after we moved in.
For some reason it doesn't bother me... what does piss me off is that the realtor clearly hid this info from us. She told us that he had moved to a nursing home. Not sure if that was even legal.
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@bluestriped bee: yes, that's a coffin corner and nooooooo!!!!!!! I wish I didn't know your ETA the way some people wish they didn't know about the death in their home
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In the first home we bought, we were told by the agent that the lady died in her bedroom (which became our bedroom). It actually never really bothered me. We got a good deal on the house
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Our building was built in the 1880s, so I assume multiple people have died here. Actually, the neighbor across the hall died a few weeks ago, in his apartment.
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When we were house hunting we toured a house with a downstairs guest bedroom. On the day we visited the owners were converting the bedroom back to it's regular state- removing handrails and ramps. Clearly, an elderly person lived there and no longer needed the room. The homeowner said his mother died and quickly followed up with she didn't die in the house. At that point it didn't matter her room felt haunted to me.
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I'd be curious about the history of a house that old, but I wouldn't give money to that (frankly shady-looking) website. I am not bothered by someone having died at home. I think that's where people should die! A murder would only bother me if it was indicative of a high crime rate in the area.
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@sorrycharlie: Exactly this. There is no "unknowing".
@Foodnerd81: Yikes! Having lived in NYC, I am sure that people died in our various apartments there. But murder is definitely creepier.
@LCTBQE: No, I didn't know about that! How fascinating, though.
@HLK208: Was it just an old house or did you have strange experiences there? I am lucky that this house, though old, has been totally renovated. The basement is creepy in that the ceiling is super low, but it's clean, dry, painted, etc. And luckily the laundry isn't down there so I wouldn't have to go down there very frequently.
@petitenoisette: I think it depends on the state as far as what they have to disclose. Our agent says in Connecticut they have to let us know if there was a suicide in the house, but not other instances of death on the property. Seems weird, but ok.
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Yeah, I'm thinking knowing that information could ruin things for me.
@honeybear: Oh, the site is SO shady looking, isn't it? Interesting idea and all, but could be executed a little more... professionally? lol
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@meredithNYC: That makes sense, I mean I guess that it does seem a little silly to have to disclose a natural death because well, it's natural and just a part of life. But the realtor was definitely being shady about it because I just remember her saying at some point he was still alive and then he wasn't and she was obviously trying to hide it. It wouldn't have changed our mind about the house either way but I can see why she'd try to hide it!
I am afraid to even click on the link you posted by the way because it just seems too creepy!
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@meredithNYC: we had two experiences that were off but nothing that made us believe in ghosts/hauntings. The house had a bad vibe though. We even got feedback from agents who said their clients felt the same!
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No one has died in our house, but one of our ceiling fans does turn on by itself from time to time.
I don't believe in ghosts though, so I just pretend it was a ghost and yell at DH that the ghost is active again.
It would not bother me if someone died of natural causes in a house I bought/lived in. However, it would feel a little strange/wrong to live in a house someone was murdered in...
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This thread is interesting to me. My dad died at home, where he wanted to be, and where most people want to pass away (not in the hospital). It was a comforting way (well, as "comforting" as death can be) and we were all happy he was in a familiar place with his loved ones surrounding him as he took his last breaths. I have such positive memories of that house--the opposite of all of you that have negative associations with a death in a house.
I hope one day I am lucky enough to die at home with my loved ones, rather than in an accident or hospital.
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I wish you didn't have to pay for the searches! I would totally look it up. I also know a couple houses where people have died so I wanted to see how accurate it was.
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Our house was built in 2008 and we are only the second owners. I'm pretty sure that the husband of the widow who sold it to us died in the house (brain cancer) but it might have been at the hospital. We have lived there for 2.5 years and love our home though.
I think it made the widow happy to sell it to a young family even though they had planned on retiring there together. It was just too big for her alone.
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@Anagram: Good point! My dad too, I wouldn't want it any other way. In Anne of Green Gables they said a house isn't a home until someone is born there, married there and has died there. Kind of a interesting perspective (that I fully admit is very different than today's.)
I would want to know if there were a violent crime or something crazy like that.
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@MediaNaranja: that's my feeling too.
@Cole: I was going to make the same Anne reference, lol.I'm not sure how I feel about ghosts and supernatural things, bt at our last house our dd was afraid of her room, but not here.
When we finally buy a a house later this year, if she's afraid we'll see about getting some spiritual friends come in and scare away the spirits, maybe. They offered two years ago in the old house, but I said no. It didn't feel very Christian to me, but now I don't know. I"m open to the possibility..... maybe.
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Our house was built in 1910. You have the right to request if someone has died in the home from your realtor. I passed.
Our house is linked to deaths though. A prominent couple was murdered by their son in attempt to collect their life insurance- but the killings were not done in the home. I was not hesitant since they were not killed here. We have been in our home 4 years and never a bad vibe.
Good luck on your bid, I would love a house that old!
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