There is a vacant house in a suburb of Dublin where a young homeless girl was battered to death a few months ago. The guy who owns this house it aparently is waiting to sell it because of the “murder house” stigma. I know - it sounds like something from a Stephen King novel.
Anyway - I’d buy it in the morning and live in it : no bother. Would this freak anyone else out ? And since I’m sure the answer will be “yes” (at least from some Dopers) - Why ?
Thanks.
PS - Mods, if this is in the wrong Forum - I apologise, but I posted it hear becuase I need a serious answer.
I saw a TV prog about this recently and it can be a good way to get a bargain, if you’re not worried about reselling.
If the murdered had been caught and was to spend the rest of his life behind bars, and if the house had no discerible evidence (bloodstains on the floorboards etc), then I’d consider it, but only if it was the house I wanted in every other respect.
Another condition would be that there was no evidence left to find - i.e. if only 70% of the dismembered body had been recovered on the property, I think I would pass.
The property is in the centre of the most expensive area in Dublin, and as far as I know there is no evidence of the murder left. Even if there was, you could get a trauma cleaner to come in and do his business.
Anyway, I’m glad someone that makes as much sense as you usually do agrees with me.
I think I would also probably choose to do something that would honour the victim in some small way, perhaps planting a tree in the garden as a lasting (but unmarked) memorial, but that’s just me.
Our first house went onto the market after the owner’s husband died in the main bedroom. I imagine a lot of houses have had people die in them. I can’t see why murder would make any difference, unless it was taken as evidence that the house was in a dangerous part of town.
Is this included in the list of stuff you must disclose when you sell?
Heck, I have lived in a murder house. OK, the murder occurred after my family moved out, but I certainly wouldn’t be creeped out by the idea of moving back to the place, except that it’s in a town I don’t want to move back to.
Don’t see why it would be a big deal, but some people are funny.
I wouldn’t have a problem with it, especially if it was a bargain. That check I write every month to my mortgage company is a helluva lot more real than any horror movie conditioning.
I couldn’t care less if someone had been murdered in the house I was looking to buy unless it was a direct result of the area i.e cracksville or something. I mean if some one else has already been randomley murdered by a homicidal maniac in your house you are probabley statistically less likley to be the victim yourself, plus it would make a good talking point. ‘Here we go Sue, Bob, this is the guestroom where you will be sleeping and funnily enough was where the last family was dismembered prior to being put through the wood chipper in the garden, sleep tight - just scream if you need anything…night’
No, I wouldn’t buy it. I have always been particularly sensitive to the “feel” of a house, including the house I grew up in. I always hated that house and later discovered it was built on the site of an isolation hospital where many died. It still gives me the creeps today when I go back to visit my family.
Whereas the house I live in is great - as soon as I walked in I just knew I had to live here - it kinda “welcomed” me and feels like a “happy” house. Unlike one we visited when we were viewing to buy. It felt “all wrong” to me … didn’t get the chance to turn it down though. One week later the husband murdered the wife, and the house was taken off the market …!
It depends for me on the degree of notoriety of the case. If it were just a matter of a domestic dispute gone horribly out of hand and I could spackle over the bullet hole in the bedroom wall then fine no problem.
If it were a highly publicized case, particularly involving a child or children that rallied a community together the house might be a focal point for some folks.The fact of the murder itself wouldn’t prevent me buying a house but I wouldn’t want to continually find flowers jammed in my fence and teddy bears with notes saying “She’s in heaven now” and votive candles on my driveway.
I don’t know. I have no belief in ghosts, psychic residue or anything like that, but I imagine if I knew someone had been recently murdered in the house I might think about it a lot, and that wouldn’t be pleasant. Plus, my neighbors would have unpleasant associations with it that might transfer on to me. (“He’s the weirdo who just moved into the murder house” sounds somehow worse than “He’s the weirdo who just moved into the craftsman bungalow with the detached garage.”) That said, if it were a real bargain I wouldn’t rule it out, but I can see downsides.
If murder’s were truly random, you’d be just as likely.
I wouldn’t have a problem myself, but would probably not buy a ‘murder house’ if I had kids (which I do).
There is a house in the neighborhood where I now live where a particularly well covered crime happened. When we were house shopping/moving (and while the crime was still in the news) we talked about ‘what if’ the house was available, would we look at it?, etc. It had a good location and size suitable for our needs. We were sure the price would be good due to the noteriety and obviously the area prices suited us anyway. We decided not to look at it because the kids are so young and we wouldn’t want them to have to deal with any stigma from other kids in the neighborhood, although I certainly felt up to dealing with the attached stigma, myself.
We bought a few blocks away for the ‘murder house’.
This sounds exactly what i am going thru right now. My S/O has discovered a little gem of a house located in a VERY affluent neighborhood for a very affordable price.
The problem? Its a murder house!
A couple of years again an older lady murdered her husband while he slept and now she is in the loony bin.
The weird thing is, i’ve been to the house, and it still has all her stuff there! Piles and piles of trash, dishes still in the sink, all the funiture, clothes, toys - EVERYTHING. Its so creepy. its like the people who were living there just got up a left.
We are so close to getting the house but at the same time i never want to live there!:eek:
