Top 5 Creepy Home Features
Top 5 Creepy Home Features
Spooky decorations are a fun part of decorating for Halloween, but what if it isn’t a decoration at all? Some homes have creepy features that could send buyers running for the hills. Check out the top 5 creepiest home features:
Shower Fuzz—This is probably the most common (and easiest fix) of the creepy features. Furry showers and strange colored petri dish conditions are not typically on a buyer’s wish list. It’s an easy fix with a little bleach and elbow grease!
Guessing Games—What is that red spot on the carpet? A pool of blood? Wine? Ketchup? What are those bullet holes from? Target practice or a drive by shooting? You can see where this type of guessing game is creepy. Whatever you need to do to get it gone, do it—shampoo the carpet or replace the bullet hole in the window. If this is a game being played, nobody wins.
Cemetery—So…Uncle Kirk is buried in the backyard. Whether Uncle Kirk was a beloved uncle or a favorite pet, it’s a bit unsettling either way. Some people may be disturbed by it and some won’t mind at all. Hopefully it’s far enough away from the house that it’s not the main view. If it can be easily seen, consider planting some pretty trees (such as crepe myrtles) to add a barrier between the house and the graves.
Memories turned Creepy—An old headless baby doll, an antique portrait or a dusty wedding dress wouldn’t normally give pause. However, when they are the only things in an otherwise empty house, it takes on a more macabre quality. Once you’ve finished loading the moving truck, walk back through to make sure no items are left behind—especially if they could be creepy in the wrong context!
Deaths—This is a little different from the others on the list, but worth discussing. Do you have to disclose a death on the property? If the death on the property was from natural causes or suicide, it does not legally have to be disclosed. If it was a murder or caused by the house (such as carbon monoxide poisoning), it has to be disclosed. Discuss disclosure with your Realtor®, but in general, you can’t disclose too much.
Anything on a property that makes someone point and ask “what is that?” should probably be addressed. However, the Halloween season does give a little leeway with spooky décor. Just make sure you’ve got it taken care of by the 1st of November and leave the screaming for October.
Lisa Priest loves haunted houses (during October) and is an East Texas Real Estate Broker / REALTOR® with Picket Fence Realty, Inc. You can reach her via phone or text at 903-948-3343 or read more at BuyPalestine.com
