Paranormal Property: Americans and Ghosts | Move.org
59% of Americans Have Lived with a Ghost
Why you can trust Move.org
movers helped every month
20k
moving grants awarded
24
moving companies evaluated
156
years of expert experience
80+
For over 8 years, Move.org experts have examined pricing, credentials, and real customer reviews to give you (human) recommendations you can trust. See how we review.
Oct 23, 2019
1 min read
We surveyed 250 Americans aged 18+ about their experiences with haunted houses. Only 45% of our respondents said they believe in ghosts, but those that did gave us some spooktacular stats to look at and some moving questions to think about.
| | | | Post-existential housing crisis | Of those that believe in ghosts, 59% of Americans say they’ve lived in a haunted house. For most people, it just means strange sounds and nightmarish noises. Nothing some earplugs won’t help with. But, at the end of the day, we know that ghost isn’t paying enough in rent to be slamming doors like that. | | Moving on | When it comes to poltergeist problems, 23% of our ghost-ridden respondents moved because they didn't want to live in a haunted house. We think hosting a spooky spirit and all their sounds isn't worth losing sleep. | | Ghostly omissions | Only 53% of those who had real-life haunted houses disclosed that fact to their real estate agent or moving company. Turns out that’s a good move. Apparently apparitions don’t sell: 36% of our respondents wouldn't buy a haunted house. Maybe paranormal investigators can team up with home inspectors and make a killing. | | Paranormal premium | A ghost isn't great for most businesses, but some people think you'd pay a premium price for their paranormal pad. Nine of our respondents thought that a ghost would raise a buyer’s perception of their place. Some things (and people) remain unexplainable. | | Property to die for | You ever find a bloody great spot just to find out it used to be a bloody, great spot—literally? According to our survey, only 27% of Americans would live in a house where a murder happened. But really—would it kill you to live there? |
Planning on relocating?
Check out our Best Moving Companies guide that our moving experts put together after researching professional moving companies across the country. Make your move as organized, easy, and stress-free as it can be.
| Company | Type of Mover | Average quote | Deposit amount | Service locations | Learn more | | Allied Van Lines | Full-service mover | 6,125 | None | 50 states | Get a Quote | | Colonial Van Lines | Full-service mover | $6,500 | Up to 40% | 48 states | Get a Quote | | American Van Lines | Full-service mover | $7,250 | 10%–50% | 48 states | Get a Quote | | United Van Lines | Full-service mover | $9,750 | None | 50 states | Get a Quote | | Mayzlin Relocation | Full-service mover | $6,500 | 25% | 50 states | Get a Quote |
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Pricing data collected by requesting estimates from top moving container companies for four home sizes across six distances.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it’s never fun to be trapped in a terrifying place, especially if you’re paying full price. Our advice: ask your landlord for discounted rent if your house is haunted, or see if they’ll cover the exorcism fees (at least).
Written by
Trevor’s written about home products and services for over six years across editorial publications and retail/eCommerce sites. His work's been featured on Forbes, RealSimple, USA Today, MSN, BusinessInsider, Entrepreneur, PCMag, and CNN. When he’s not researching and writing, you can find him around Salt Lake City, Utah, snapping photos of mountains and architecture or seeking out some good tunes and friendly faces.