Haunted houses a Halloween treat for first time buyers

23/10/07

• Over two fifths of first time buyers would be willing to put in an offer on a 'haunted' houses
• Half of curious first time buyers even keener to view a property with a 'spooky secret'
• A third would try to negotiate a less scary price for a haunted house

Over half of Scottish first time buyers would not be put off by the prospect of sharing their home with a ghostly tenant.

According to a Halloween property survey by Clydesdale Bank Mortgages, two fifths of first time buyers would not be put off buying their dream house even if it was haunted.  Just 17% of those saving for their first home in Scotland said spooky stories of supernatural sightings in a property would make them reconsider making an offer. And half  said they would be more inclined to view a 'haunted' property out of sheer curiosity.

Despite their apparent disregard for things that go 'bump in the night', one in three (33%) first time buyers admitted it wouldn't stop them using a resident ghost as a bargaining tool.

Steve Reid, Clydesdale Bank's director of retail banking 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 neighbourhood can really pay off when it comes to negotiating a sale price."

Clydesdale Bank's research found that 9% of Scottish homeowners think their home is haunted. Interestingly, 71% of people didn't view sharing their home with a ghostly presence as a reason to sell up.

Not so superstitious Scots

• 1 in 20 residents around Inverness believe that their house may be 'haunted', compared to 12% in the Glasgow and Edinburgh region, the areas with the most 'haunted' houses in Scotland

• 81% of residents in the Aberdeen and Dundee areas would be happy to share their home with a 'ghost'

• 65% of people in Dumfries and Mid Lothian would be more inclined to view a 'haunted' property, the highest proportion of 'ghost house hunters' in Scotland (average 47%)

• Just 3% of those living around Aberdeen and Dundee would be put off making an offer on a property if they thought a black cat had brought them bad luck by crossing their path on a viewing