Must I Disclose A Boulder Haunted Listing?
So you say your house is haunted, and that’s why you want to sell. Hmm. I would have to double check whether that has to be disclosed or not. There are many things that needn’t be. For instance, losing a loved one in a house happens for all sorts of innocent reasons all the time. And Colorado law does not require this to be disclosed. Doing so may unfairly place a stigma on a house or lead buyers to believe it is a Boulder haunted listing!
The same is true in Massachusetts where real estate pro Kevin Vitali says, (I’m paraphrasing here) states that agents and sellers do not need to disclose psychological impacts such as a recent murder in the house. That’s scary huh!
Of course, home buyers can always use your favorite search engine and local law enforcement platforms to research crime in the area or see if the house itself comes up in search results.
This Old House Makes Noises All Night
While it could easily be that your house is haunted, perhaps there are other reasons for all the noises at night. For starters, as we lay down to sleep, many of us have everything turned off in the house. Suddenly any sound is amplified. While it is completely reasonable your home is haunted, it could also be as simple as…
- A gust of wind impacting your house and causing it to creak a bit.
- Pets running across squeaky wood floors.
- A ghost from the last century trying to right some wrong and move on to the afterlife.
- Your HVAC system. Ducts are known to expand and contract as your heating/cooling system runs in the evening.
- Pipes banging at all hours.
This last one is more common in older homes. Water pipes can make all sorts of noise, sometimes related to the water pressure in your house. It’s not that you have a Boulder haunted listing. You simply need the services of a top notch plumber! A water hammer arrestor will go a long ways according to Paul Sian out in the Cincinnati housing market.
Creepy Curb Appeal
Of course, a positive spin to selling your home during the Fall months is to decorate your house for sale. Sure, you might truly have one spectral shadowy house on the block. But all the home buyers will see is your creative energy hard at work.
Vicki Moore in the Pacifica market goes into detail on using strategic staging to make your home more saleable. She points out paint is one of the least expensive fixes to bring more appeal, inside and out. So sure, maybe your house looks haunted 24/7. Or perhaps you just need to add a really good coat of paint. Or even simply power wash your home.
True story, I recently helped a client with a distressed pink house. It screamed paint me. But, then we simply had the house power washed. And trimmed the overgrown landscaping. It was like a completely different house, with great curb appeal. And those improvements generated a quick better than full price sale.
Flickering Lights And Trippy Tripping Breakers
This just happened in my own home. Every time I went to use a printer, the breakers tripped. Could it be my very own house was haunted? Probably not. I started with a trusted electrician. Southpaw Electric came out and took a look. What they discovered is that the breaker for my home office is just 15 amps. And the printer I like to use the most uses 9.6 amps.
Well, it turns out that combined with the lights and various plugs, I was going over the recommended limit of amps. And the breaker would trip. The fix is to either have the printer in a different room or add another breaker to the panel (that’s the route I’m going). Whew. For a moment there, I thought I had my very own haunted Boulder listing.
BTW, being in the Boulder real estate industry, I’ve met a lot of great contractors. While there are plenty of good ways to find someone to help you with a house repair issue, please also consider me a resource. I’m happy to introduce you to a favorite vendor.
Free Nightly Entertainment
Hey, if you can’t move or don’t want to move, consider your haunted Boulder listing a home with free nightly entertainment. Embrace the self moving furniture and wear warm slippers so the ice cold spots in your house don’t give you the chills every time you step into one. And if a supernatural haunt is actually your thing, I can set a search for homes that might be just the thing.
I Don’t Believe In Ghosts
You might not be the sort to worry about ghosts and goblins. What about vampires? Did you know there is an actual vampire buried in Lafayette Colorado? Honest to goodness. I double Dog dare you to visit that cemetery in the middle of the night (ideally on a full moon so you can see where you are stepping).
So, sure, actually having a Boulder haunted listing is unlikely. Nonetheless, who hasn’t heard a sound go bump in the middle of the night.
I’m Bob Gordon, local Realtor pro. I’ve been assisting clients, friends and family with real estate since the mid nineties. I honestly think I have been in a haunted house or two. But most of the homes I see are just really nice places to call home. Thanks for checking out the blog and be sure to leave a scary comment below.