Do you live in a haunted house and want to boost its value? Here are five tips that will help you do so.
As you know, I recently got a mysterious online home valuation request from some homeowners whose house looked haunted. Their address was 1313 Cemetery Lane (they call themselves the Addams family), and I sent out a email asking for help trying to contact them.
I have since received another cryptic message from them asking for tips on how they can improve the value of their home. The phone number they provided is dead, and when I knock on their door, the home looks abandoned.
This home looks spooky, so the advice I have for them really applies to anyone looking to sell a haunted house. Thus, I have five tips on how the owners of haunted houses can improve their home’s value:
1. It’s all about curb appeal. A buyer will make an almost instinctual decision the minute they see a photo of the front of the house whether they want to see more of it. That’s why I recommend cleaning up the landscaping—remove the abandoned vehicles, dead trees, and bushes, large spider webs, tombstones, etc. If you have the budget and time, planting fresh grass or laying down sod can make a front yard look better. If you can, even adding some fresh, drought-tolerant landscaping or succulents can give a home a modern look.
2. Add a fresh coat of paint and repair any termite damage. The home looks like it has not had any termite work done in a long time and it has a lot of badly worn paint. Also, there are several broken windows that I would recommend having replaced.
3. Add a fresh coat of paint to the inside of the home. I have not been able to go inside the home, but the way a home looks on the outside is usually a good indication of how a home looks on the inside. Thus, a fresh coat of paint on the interior can go a long way in making the home look fresh and clean. The home will probably need a thorough cleaning too.
4. Change the address. A lot of buyers might be turned off by the address 1313 Cemetery Lane. What’s really odd is that this is the only home on the street, and it’s weird that the address number is 1313. I checked with the city and it actually used to be 0001. Anyway, we can check with the city to see if they can change the address.
5. If you remove any tombstones, please take the undead with you. A new buyer is probably not going to want unwanted visitors—even on Halloween.
If the owners of the home are reading this: We do have referrals for landscapers, painters, and other vendors that can help get your home ready. We don’t know anyone who can help with unwanted spirits, but I am sure we can look on Yelp and do some research on Google to find a good ghostbuster.
To the rest of my friends and clients: If you come across these homeowners, please share these tips with them. I would greatly appreciate it.
If you have any questions about this event or this topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to speak with you.
