So you’ve finally bought your dream home. Congratulations!  Only...something isn’t right.

Maybe it’s those strange noises you hear in the attic or basement. Maybe you feel as though someone is standing behind you in the hallway, or that someone has just walked by you in the kitchen, or maybe you feel weak, confused or drowsy. Either way, all the signs are pointing to one terrifying conclusion.

Your new house is haunted.

Believe it or not, buying a haunted house is actually a hazard of buying a home, even in the 21st century. According to Realtor.com, 44% of people buying a house either suspect or are fully aware their new house is haunted. Even more interesting, 42% of potential house buyers would not buy a house if they knew it was haunted.

Fortunately, you don’t have to take this infestation of spooks and the supernatural lying down. There are certain things you can do that will banish any spooks back to the realms from which they came and make your home suitable for the living.

Here's what you should do if you buy a haunted house

Check for Carbon Monoxide Leaks

If you suspect your home is haunted, the first thing you need to do is check for carbon monoxide leaks immediately. One of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is visual and audial symptoms, such as footsteps passing by, the sounds of furniture being scraped across the floor, or even seeing images of people. It can even lead to feelings of confusion and paranoia.

According to a number of skeptics, scientists and natural gas companies, carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for many reports of “haunted” houses. In many ways, though, carbon monoxide poisoning is even scarier than a ghost, since it’s almost unnoticeable if you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector and very often leads to permanent brain damage or even death.

Renovate Your Home

Some ways to tell that your house is haunted include:

• Feeling a cold breeze, as though someone has walked past you
• Lights flickering on an off on their own
• Feeling “cold spots” in certain areas of your home
• Hanging items blowing, as though in a breeze

Coincidentally, these are also all signs that your house could really stand to benefit from a renovation. Home repair professionals can find and fix hard-to-find air drafts in your home, and replacing worn-out or inadequate insulation can get rid of cold spots in your home. A good electrician can also check your house’s wiring and get rid of flickering lights.

Finally, renovating your home might get rid of any areas in it that seem spooky. Illuminating dimly-lit rooms and painting haunted rooms in brighter colors can replace a spooky ambiance with one you find more comfortable. As an added bonus, renovating your home can also increase its value.

Hire an Exorcist

If all the above tips fail, you may need to take the drastic step of hiring an exorcist to rid your home of the evil spirits. When looking for exorcists, you’ll want to take into account the qualifications. According to many sources, a proper exorcism can only be done by a Catholic priest, although many mediums also claim that a degree of psychic sensitivity is essential in order to communicate with any ghosts haunting your home in order to figure out how to get them to leave voluntarily.

Since science has yet to devise any way to gauge an exorcist’s effectiveness at cleansing spirits, you’ll want to talk to past customers of a psychic before you hire them. You might also want to make sure the psychic offers a money-back guarantee if they can’t exorcise any ghosts.

How much you’ll pay for these services varies. The Catholic Church usually won’t charge anything, but they may “suggest” making an offering to the church for services rendered. They also have an extremely high bar you have to pass before they get involved.

Evangelical preachers and psychics are generally more willing to believe you, but they also charge anywhere from $75 to $500 per hour for their services, depending on the exorcist’s popularity. Having said that, you might want to see what psychics, demon hunters and exorcists charge in your area. You could get a really good deal that fits into your budget.

If you feel up to the challenge, you can even try to exorcise any spirits yourself. While this rarely goes well in pretty much any ghost story ever, the odds are you’ll probably be okay. At worst, nothing will happen. At best, either the ghosts will leave or, as some psychics recommend, you’ll be able to come to an understanding with the ghosts about when they can and cannot conduct their supernatural activities.

Of course if you really want to get serious and don’t mind some property damage, there’s rumored to be some paranormal investigators in New York City who specialize in “busting” ghosts. If you’re lucky, you might also be able to attract the services of two freelance exorcists/monster hunters who drive a ’67 black Chevy Impala.

Got questions about making your home less spooky? Ask us! 

Get a Scary Good Rate on Your Home Mortgage at First Alliance Credit Union

Buying a haunted house is one of those home-buying hazards people rarely talk about. If you do buy a haunted house, though, you can take steps to banish the ghosts. Check for carbon monoxide leaks, renovate any spooky areas of your house, and you might even consider getting an exorcist to banish the ghosts. 

No matter whether your dream home is haunted or not, First Alliance Credit Union can help you get a mortgage with a fantastic interest rate that fits into your budget. Contact our Real Estate Lending team today  and see what they can do for you!