5 Horror house valuations
that will make you skin crawl
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Leaves are falling off the trees, and temperatures are dropping. October 31st is just around the corner, and that means one thing and one thing only, ghosts and ghouls are out to play.
Whilst we decorate the office and prepare for the spookiest holiday of them all, we have decided to celebrate this Halloween a little differently.
As a cash buyer, we pride ourselves on our ability to buy any house, in any location, and in any condition. So this Halloween, we’ve decided to put our promise (and our nerves) to the test and price up some of the scariest houses the UK has to offer.
We have crunched the numbers and we estimate we would spend £4,020,000 on all of these Halloween-themed purchases!
These properties have either been the inspiration or the setting of several famous british horror films or series, from The Conjuring 2 to Shaun of the Dead.
So if you are ready for things that go bump in the night and ghoulish ghosts hanging around every corner, come take a look at some of our favourite UK horror houses…
Read on, if you dare…
284 Green Street, Enfield
Up first on our list of horror houses is 284 Green Street, located in Enfield, a borough of Greater London. This charming three-bedroom semi-detached property has it all. A great location? Check. Fantastic travel links? You betcha. The disgruntled ghost of a dead resident unable to move on and doomed to haunt the house in the form of a malevolent poltergeist until the end of time? Of course.
Fans of the Conjuring universe may recognise this property as the inspiration behind The Conjuring 2, where Ed and Lorraine Warren are sent to save a young girl possessed by the spirit of the former resident. If the Conjuring is not really your speed, you may also recognise this house from Sky short series inspired by the events that transpired at the house ‘The Enfield Haunting’.
The haunting began in 1977 when a single mother and her four children moved into the property. Soon, they began to notice strange happenings, such as furniture moving on its own, knocks in the night, and fires starting without a cause, before the poltergeist upped the ante and began to possess one of the children. This went on for 18 months until the haunting eventually subsided.
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Thankfully these days you don't need to worry about the Warrens knocking on your door so much as you will about trick-or-treaters.
We asked our underwriter Nick to value this property, bones and all, and let us know exactly how much he thinks this spooktacular property would be:
"This haunted house straight from the silver screen is the perfect family home for those looking to upsize whilst still staying close to Enfield town centre. Situated in the commuter town of Enfield, this property is perfect for those who enjoy the ease of the city but who want to escape the hustle and bustle and don’t mind the occasional haunting. I would market this ideal 3-bedroom family home at £425,000, a bargain considering its proximity to London and the lively roommate that it brings."
30 East Drive, Pontefract
Keeping in the spirit of things, our next haunted property on the list is a little closer to home. 30 East Drive in Pontefract may look like your typical 1950s, 3-bedroom, semi-detached property, but things are not quite as they seem. With a beautiful garden at the front and back of the property, a spacious interior, and great local amenities nearby, there is lots to love in this family home.
And what new home is complete without the ghost of a murderous monk whose body was discarded under the house after he was killed for his crime?
The story goes that a local monk murdered a girl and when his crimes were discovered he was hanged by local villagers. His body was disregarded in a well where 30 East Drive is located. Other stories say there is no monk and instead, it is the ghost of a man named Fred, whose twin was a killer who blamed Fred for his crimes. Fred was hanged and now his restless spirit haunts the house.
Then in August 1966, the Pritchard family moved into the property. They began to notice strange occurrences in the house, they saw dust fall from mid-air, puddles appearing without cause,
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and cupboards shaking and objects levitating. Before long the ghosts started to attack the family and resisted any attempts to exorcise them.
The events that transpired in the house inspired the 2012 horror film ‘When the lights went out’.
Horror fans may be delighted to know that the monk is not the only spirit trapped in the house. There is also a young boy, girl and elemental spirit. Unlike the Enfield poltergeist, the monk and his friends are anything but banished and have instead been branded ‘the most violent poltergeist in Europe’.
Our underwriter Nick had this to say about the property:
"30 East Drive is a quaint 1950s property which I would put on the market for £170,000. The fact that it is home to the most violent poltergeist in Europe shouldn’t put off potential buyers too much, as it’s location within the bustling town of Pontefract should more than make up for it. If bumps in the night and ghostly apparitions in the corridors are up your street, then this haunted house is the property of your dreams."
Cotterstock Hall
Moving away from poltergeists, we are taking a trip down to Peterborough, all the way to the 17th-century walls of Cotterstock Halls. Eagle-eyed horror fans may recognise this famous haunt as Eel Marsh House from The Woman In Black.
This property was the home of Jennet Humfrye, who committed suicide on the property after the death of her son. Her vengeful spirit stalks the grounds of the property, and when spotted descends upon the local town and forces local children to suffer the same fate she did.
Thankfully, guests are more likely to be stunned by the original 17th-century features of the property than they are by any ghostly apparitions. This stunning, 7-bedroom Grade 1 listed property is packed full of amenities, such as a library, cellar, ensuite and a cellar kitted out with 5 rooms and wine bins.
You’ll be screaming with delight once you take in the incredible 4 acres that come with this property, complete with manicured gardens, stone buildings and garaging.
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Whilst the woman in black may not be real, we wouldn’t blame you if you kept the attic off limits and stayed away from that rocking chair in the nursery…
Our underwriter Nick valued this haunted mansion at a staggering £1.5 million. Here is what they had to say about it:
"If a gothic haunt straight from the movies is what you are after then look no further. Home to the fictional spirit of the woman in black, Cotterstock Hall is a beautiful 17th-century mansion complete with a lot of its original features. This grade 1 listed property is home to more than just the spirits of the damned, as future owners can look forward to making use of the wine cellar and study, as well as taking long walks around the 4-acre gardens."
108 Nelson Road
From one classic british horror film to another, the next haunted home on our list is the home of none other than Shaun, from the 2004 horror comedy Shaun of the Dead.
Fans of the cult classic will know this as the house where Shaun and Ed had to fight off zombie Peter in order to rescue Diane and her flatmates.
Nowadays you won’t have to worry about fighting off a zombie invasion as you leave Nelson Road, and you can focus on the more important things, such as what you will do during your short commute to Central London.
This 4-bedroom terraced property has plenty to offer horror lovers, from a spacious garden to local amenities aplenty, this property is perfect for those looking for a home that can double up as a fortress against an army of the undead.
And the best part of the purchase? You are just walking distance from the Winchester, where you can have a nice cold pint and wait for this all to blow over this Halloween.
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Our underwriter Nick had this to say about this Halloween house:
"The London property market can be a killer, but if you are quick, we would market this zombie-proof fortress at a reasonable £1,200,000. This London postcode is to die for, and this 4-bedroom terraced property takes full advantage of its location. With a spacious garden and excellent travel links, 108 Nelson Road could be the haunted home for you."
Bowden Hall
Moving away from the silver screen, our final horror house was the star of BBC One's mini-series, ‘The Secrets Of Crickley Hall’.
This 5-bedroom detached home was the background of the chilling three-part series. Crickley Hall was the home of several orphans displaced during WW2, who disappeared after arriving at the new home. In the show, Suranne Jones is trying to escape a painful past but instead finds herself in the midst of a supernatural haunting taking place at the property.
She finds herself in a race against the clock, trying to solve the decades-old mystery whilst hoping to put to bed not only the ghosts of her past but the ghosts of the house.
In reality, this Grade 2 listed property is a quaint home nestled in the heart of Derbyshire, ideal for those who are trying to outrun a dark past.
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Our valuator Nick had this to say about the property:
"Straight from the screen of a BBC supernatural thriller, Bowden Hall is perfect for growing families who are looking to escape the city. Nestled a short distance from the peak district, this haunted home has plenty of amenities to keep the whole family happy. With beautiful gardens to wander through and plenty of rooms within the house to explore (keep an eye out for any ghostly children hiding in the attic), I would market this property at £725,000. "
So, as the nights draw in and Halloween creeps closer and closer, which horror house would you pick? Are murderous monks your cup of tea, or would you prefer to take your chances with the woman in black? Whichever spooky property was the house of your dreams (or nightmares) be sure to have a happy Halloween….
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