MSE Blog: Would you live at a murder scene to bag a house price discount?

Davesnave

marathonic wrote: »

They got convicted and the house has been on the market since. I don't see how this would turn someone off buying though.

Indeed, it's more likely the atmosphere of the house would turn them on....

pingufan

Absolutely not. I know that I would be kept awake by every single noise & creak and at 3am I would be lying there with my imagination running wild.

There's a house near me where a father beat his wife & 4 kids to death before hanging himself over the bannisters. a family bought the house and are seemingly happily living there but no...I couldnt

RuthnJasper

I wouldn't care in the slightest. For people who live in older properties - who knows what might have happened there?! It's the knowledge of what took place, in my view, rather than the actual facts of the history that spooks people.

I know people who have their houses blessed by a priest when they move in, whether or not any dodgy history exists... Even if the house is a brand new build and they are the first residents!

That said, I knew someone who was horrifically killed, along with her mother, a few years ago (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1443419/Old-Etonian-sent-to-Broadmoor-for-killings.html). The place was an appalling mess afterwards, but the Police cleaned it properly. The number of 'gh0uls' who turned up to view the property when it went on the market was appalling. Like people who slow-down to gaze at traffic accidents, such wretched types are always going to exist in society.

For serial-killers, I think the approach taken involving 25 Cromwell Street (the Fred/Rose West property) was the most appropriate. Demolish the place and put a nice community/memorial garden there. (more, really, to prevent the types of people who may feel drawn to such a place than for any "spirits" or "atmosphere" remaining).

The dead are gone. Those who took away their lives are, hopefully, either also dead or incarcerated forever. Brick is brick, stone is stone, and the past is over; we cannot change it. I wouldn't object if I knew that my house had previously been the location of brutality of any kind. It's just the place where I am fortunate enough to be able to live.

Mishomeister

To be honest I don't see this flat being sold at a discount. It is an auction starting price and as far as I am aware the houses in London auctions sell well above the starting price.

patman99

I would buy a murder house. If it was a notorious murder, then I could charge £10 a person for a 'murder tour' of the property.
Would help pay off the mortgage.

grifferz

marathonic wrote: »

The '43% wouldn't buy if it was used as a drug den' - what exactly is a drug den?

I would be concerned about addicts visiting at all hours of the day and night to score, being firebombed by some dealer who doesn't realise the den is shut down, that sort of thing.

I'd probably be more concerned about that than I would be about living in a murder scene with its risk of murder tourists visiting.

A bit like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sebastian_Horsley_sign_%E2%80%93_This_is_not_a_brothel.jpg

MercenaryMan

"The fact more than half of those surveyed would consider a murder scene, brothel or a drug den shows how keen people are to get on the property ladder or move to a bigger home.

Or perhaps people have a more nuanced understanding of risk than this nonsense suggests.

skivenov

I once had a brew with a bloke who bought the house where this happened

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/feb/22/ukcrime2

He even showed me the blood stain behind the sofa. :shocked:

Moby_Tide

Better the devil you know isn't it? There are thousands of houses next to murder scenes, convicted !!!!!philes, ex-drug dens etc and no-one really knows in most cases. As soon as the property and/or neighbours move on the history starts getting lost. Fair enough if there is still blood on the walls but if the price and property is right I don't see a problem

Owain_Moneysaver

beecher2 wrote: »

I'd be a bit concerned that strange people might turn up at the house if they knew its past and because Nilsen is so notorious. Other than that it wouldn't bother me.

I'd charge admission for guided tours :money: