Buying a house with a bad history

stevoh

There’s a house come up in an area I know well. It’s a location I grew up in and I’m interested in the property.

I know that a previous owner killed himself in the garage, and am not sure what to think about that in terms of potentially buying the place. I think I could live there, although obviously it’s not ideal. 

I’ve heard that murders and suicides need to be declared when selling a property and I guess it affects the resell price and demand.

Wondering whether there’s things to factor in such as how my kids would feel growing up there and how visitors would feel about it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

MikeJXE

Thats in the past and needs to be forgotten 

You could make a story of it the kids might like a ghost story 

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest not unless the media had made a big deal out of it.

I drove through a quiet village at the weekend, police everywhere, my son said someone was murdered in the park next to the school.

Do you think everyone will avoid the park and the school ? Of course not 

propertyrental

I live in a 150 year old house. I'm sure countless people have died here.......

Grizebeck

I’ve heard that murders and suicides need to be declared when selling a property and I guess it affects the resell price and demand.

Where did you hear that old rubbish

stevoh

I live in a house where my father was found dead, and I rarely think about it. Suicide is slightly different, although I mainly interested in what others think, when considering the re sell value 

elsien

I can’t see it making any difference to visitors at all someone topping themselves  in the garage years ago. Especially since most visitors probably wouldn’t have a clue, and I would be unlikely to be telling them.
Do your children even need to know?
I think you’re seriously overthinking it. My house is 120 odd years old and it’s a fairly safe bet it at some point someone’s died in one of the bedrooms, in pre-NHS days. I don’t give it a second thought.

stevoh

Grizebeck said:

I’ve heard that murders and suicides need to be declared when selling a property and I guess it affects the resell price and demand.

Where did you hear that old rubbish

This is what I read:

It is a legal requirement under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (or CPR's), that estate agents and property vendors alike have to disclose any information that could either effect or decrease the value of a property. This does include both murder and suicide in the property

stevoh

propertyrental said:

I live in a 150 year old house. I'm sure countless people have died here.......

No doubt.

We all probably live in houses where people have died. Even new builds are probably built on land where some died at some point in time. 

MikeJXE

stevoh said:

propertyrental said:

I live in a 150 year old house. I'm sure countless people have died here.......

No doubt.

We all probably live in houses where people have died. Even new builds are probably built on land where some died at some point in time. 

Even new build are built by someone dying building them, not so much now with health and safety regulations but it can still happen. 

user1977

stevoh said:

Grizebeck said:

I’ve heard that murders and suicides need to be declared when selling a property and I guess it affects the resell price and demand.

Where did you hear that old rubbish

This is what I read:

It is a legal requirement under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (or CPR's), that estate agents and property vendors alike have to disclose any information that could either effect or decrease the value of a property. This does include both murder and suicide in the property

You still haven't told where you read it, or why you believe it.

I live in a building about 140 years old - how much do you think I'm expected to know about everything that's happened in it, and why would buyers care?

turnitround

I once went to view a property and I didnt know who the seller was till they opened the door.  Turned out it was It was a lady I knew from a few years before. I used to clean at her previous property.
The house had a long hallway and a beautiful staircase with a stained glass window at the top. I loved the house, all of it. However I knew that the ladies husband had hung himself from the top of the stairs a few years before. As I looked round the house I came out of one of the bedrooms and saw where she must have found him and I just knew that I couldnt cope with the image of seeing him every time I got up to go to the loo in the night.