Discussion
Yes, I know. Bear with me.
I’m a full-on sceptic of anything paranormal. Ghosts, alien abduction, fortune tellers and psychics. All b
ks in my book. Plenty of things can’t be explained easily but there is always an explanation. That’s my take on things generally.
My wife’s friend and her family think their house is haunted and it has got so bad they are about to sell it.
Family of 5, reasonably well-off and educated (both parents degree educated professionals, two kids at uni and youngest in secondary school).
House is outwardly unremarkable. Decent size, detached 5 bed on maybe half an acre, built in the 60’’s I would guess. Not some ancient pile. Been rewired and has modern heating, new kitchen and bathrooms. All been insulated to modern standards and new windows etc, all done since they bought it (within last ten years or so).
They spend a lot of time away from the house. Most weekends they are away somewhere, even just at hotels or holiday lets fairly local (within 30 miles). Nights out and stay in local town instead of going home. Very regularly, seemed odd to us until the lady told my wife about their feelings and whilst she didn’t say that’s why they are away so often it seems likely.
Each family member has heard footsteps, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, stairs creaking and doors opening and closing when they shouldn’t be. Rooms going cold suddenly. Dogs start growling at nothing. “Sensing a presence”. Apparently this is pretty regular and it has literally got to the point they don’t want to live there any more.
I’ve never been in the house, my wife has and has never heard, felt or seen anything odd.
They paid a “paranormal investigator” to come round who, of course, said there was “definitely an energy” .
In my head this is wind tunnel effect from draughts or open windows and let’s face it dogs can growl at any sound that surprises them. Footsteps can be pipes or a dog jumping off a bed or something outside (they live in the middle of a village with public footpaths on two sides of the house). Seems to me there are likely plausible explanations for each of the individual alleged phenomena but isn’t it odd that they have all got themselves so wound up by it to the point they want to sell up, most probably at a considerable financial loss given all the money they’ve spent on the house.
Any thoughts? Any similar experiences?
Seems the best bet is just to go and be done with it.
Our house is 200+ years old and surrounded by fields and woods. It’s absolutely silent so any noise is noticed. We get mice in the walls and roof spaces in winter. Our dogs bark at birds outside or at a fox yowling or whatever. Badgers scuffle around and we hear them. When it’s windy the roof creaks or twigs come off trees and hit the windows. Nothing spooky in the slightest.
I think it’s some kind of shared hysteria on a small scale.
I’m a full-on sceptic of anything paranormal. Ghosts, alien abduction, fortune tellers and psychics. All b
ks in my book. Plenty of things can’t be explained easily but there is always an explanation. That’s my take on things generally.My wife’s friend and her family think their house is haunted and it has got so bad they are about to sell it.
Family of 5, reasonably well-off and educated (both parents degree educated professionals, two kids at uni and youngest in secondary school).
House is outwardly unremarkable. Decent size, detached 5 bed on maybe half an acre, built in the 60’’s I would guess. Not some ancient pile. Been rewired and has modern heating, new kitchen and bathrooms. All been insulated to modern standards and new windows etc, all done since they bought it (within last ten years or so).
They spend a lot of time away from the house. Most weekends they are away somewhere, even just at hotels or holiday lets fairly local (within 30 miles). Nights out and stay in local town instead of going home. Very regularly, seemed odd to us until the lady told my wife about their feelings and whilst she didn’t say that’s why they are away so often it seems likely.
Each family member has heard footsteps, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, stairs creaking and doors opening and closing when they shouldn’t be. Rooms going cold suddenly. Dogs start growling at nothing. “Sensing a presence”. Apparently this is pretty regular and it has literally got to the point they don’t want to live there any more.
I’ve never been in the house, my wife has and has never heard, felt or seen anything odd.
They paid a “paranormal investigator” to come round who, of course, said there was “definitely an energy” .
In my head this is wind tunnel effect from draughts or open windows and let’s face it dogs can growl at any sound that surprises them. Footsteps can be pipes or a dog jumping off a bed or something outside (they live in the middle of a village with public footpaths on two sides of the house). Seems to me there are likely plausible explanations for each of the individual alleged phenomena but isn’t it odd that they have all got themselves so wound up by it to the point they want to sell up, most probably at a considerable financial loss given all the money they’ve spent on the house.
Any thoughts? Any similar experiences?
Seems the best bet is just to go and be done with it.
Our house is 200+ years old and surrounded by fields and woods. It’s absolutely silent so any noise is noticed. We get mice in the walls and roof spaces in winter. Our dogs bark at birds outside or at a fox yowling or whatever. Badgers scuffle around and we hear them. When it’s windy the roof creaks or twigs come off trees and hit the windows. Nothing spooky in the slightest.
I think it’s some kind of shared hysteria on a small scale.
Edited by Lefty on Wednesday 18th February 21:54
Feels like you should go spend a weekend there on your own, then report back.
I'm sure they would welcome your input!
I'm also broadly a non-believer.....but I guess when you witness things, then your views might change.
I know my mum had a couple of hard to explain experiences that would have raised the hair on my arms.
We binged the Danny Robins "Uncanny" series over the past few months. Some sounded faintly daft, but many would, I suspect, have turned you and me into members of "Team Believer" !
Bloody Hell Ken! is a fun one to start you off
I'm sure they would welcome your input!
I'm also broadly a non-believer.....but I guess when you witness things, then your views might change.
I know my mum had a couple of hard to explain experiences that would have raised the hair on my arms.
We binged the Danny Robins "Uncanny" series over the past few months. Some sounded faintly daft, but many would, I suspect, have turned you and me into members of "Team Believer" !
Bloody Hell Ken! is a fun one to start you off
My house was built in 1733 although probably older in terms of when people lived there so undoubtedly previous owners went through good times and bad times etc
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the fk up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit.
So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the f
k up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit. So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
oddball1313 said:
My house was built in 1733 although probably older in terms of when people lived there so undoubtedly previous owners went through good times and bad times etc
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the fk up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit.
So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
Apt username From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the f
k up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit. So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
Dog Biscuit said:
oddball1313 said:
My house was built in 1733 although probably older in terms of when people lived there so undoubtedly previous owners went through good times and bad times etc
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the fk up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit.
So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
Apt username From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the f
k up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit. So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
I guess by the time people have got themselves and their knickers in a twist like that, they're mentally so drained that nothing other than selling up and moving away will ameliorate their inner anxieties, however logical they otherwise might be.
Personally, I'm a total sceptic, don't believe any of that nonsense.
I also listened to the Uncanny series on BBC Sounds, but didn't believe that there was anything science or logic couldn't explain in any of the stories. My impression was of a collection of daft buggers, naïve and suggestable characters, attention seeking tricksters, all sprinkled with a few very capable con artists.
Personally, I'm a total sceptic, don't believe any of that nonsense.
mikeiow said:
Feels like you should go spend a weekend there on your own, then report back.
I'm sure they would welcome your input!
I'm also broadly a non-believer.....but I guess when you witness things, then your views might change.
I know my mum had a couple of hard to explain experiences that would have raised the hair on my arms.
We binged the Danny Robins "Uncanny" series over the past few months. Some sounded faintly daft, but many would, I suspect, have turned you and me into members of "Team Believer" !
Bloody Hell Ken! is a fun one to start you off
Happy to volunteer to spend a night or weekend there either on my own or with fellow PHers and report back. Sounds like an idyllic weekend away! I'm sure they would welcome your input!
I'm also broadly a non-believer.....but I guess when you witness things, then your views might change.
I know my mum had a couple of hard to explain experiences that would have raised the hair on my arms.
We binged the Danny Robins "Uncanny" series over the past few months. Some sounded faintly daft, but many would, I suspect, have turned you and me into members of "Team Believer" !
Bloody Hell Ken! is a fun one to start you off
I also listened to the Uncanny series on BBC Sounds, but didn't believe that there was anything science or logic couldn't explain in any of the stories. My impression was of a collection of daft buggers, naïve and suggestable characters, attention seeking tricksters, all sprinkled with a few very capable con artists.oddball1313 said:
My house was built in 1733 although probably older in terms of when people lived there so undoubtedly previous owners went through good times and bad times etc
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the fk up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit.
So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
From early on had footsteps now and again upstairs when I was the only one downstairs and regularly had doors sounding like they were opening closing in the middle of the night.
After a few months i d had enough and did my one and only time of being a director and dominating the landing. In my under pants at 2:00 in the morning i gave it the full shut the f
k up speech , i ve work in the morning, i m about to spunk a ton of money turning this sthole into quite a nice house and any more of you being a tt and we ll get the local vicar in to give you the purgatory treatment and you won t like that one bit. So basically stop being a midnight prick and we can all get along fine, do your running about and door antics when we re out. Took a view it thought fair enough and probably didn t like middle aged men in their pants shouting at them but not had a peep out of it since.
Not sure if this is the church of englands advice but feel
it s a technique worth trying ?
Our house was built in 1738. None of that s
te needed here. 
We had a 60/70s build and you would have sworn blind there was someone walking along the landing. The lady who sold it to use said, on the day we moved in, that weird things happened. However, I spoke to a builder and he showed me how the roof was designed and how the noise in the timber frame would move and once you understood it you could tell the noise was the roof moving and pushing the structure. It was often when the wind changed or when the sun hit the roof in the morning or just temperature change.
I spoke to other neighbours and their houses did it too.
I spoke to other neighbours and their houses did it too.
I had a few experiences in our old 1600s house in England , so did my wife . Had a couple of very odd things happen 15 yrs ago whilst working in an office with a witness on one occasion which was funny afterwards as the colour just drained from her face at what she saw walk behind me to which I was oblivious. In don’t dismiss these occurrences but neither do they bother me .
This could be of interest...Forteana Forum on ghosts
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?categories/g...
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?categories/g...
Good thread! 
I'd put money on most of it being the new heating system, where some arse of a plumber has cut the joists and run the pipes hard against the wood. As they warn and cool they scrape, knock, bang and general noise can be very noticable.
Drove me mad in my first house, as I'm a light sleeper.
Black guttering and fascias will do the same expanding and contracting and making all manner of noises.
I'd put money on most of it being the new heating system, where some arse of a plumber has cut the joists and run the pipes hard against the wood. As they warn and cool they scrape, knock, bang and general noise can be very noticable.
Drove me mad in my first house, as I'm a light sleeper.
Black guttering and fascias will do the same expanding and contracting and making all manner of noises.
I've never understood why ghosts are frightening?
Sure you'd be a pissed with a poltergeist chucking things around, however if you had ghost which was undeniable, wouldn't that just reassure you that there was something next?
Yeah I guess you might think you've just gone nuts, but either way, why would it be scary?
Sure you'd be a pissed with a poltergeist chucking things around, however if you had ghost which was undeniable, wouldn't that just reassure you that there was something next?
Yeah I guess you might think you've just gone nuts, but either way, why would it be scary?
dundarach said:
I've never understood why ghosts are frightening?
Sure you'd be a pissed with a poltergeist chucking things around, however if you had ghost which was undeniable, wouldn't that just reassure you that there was something next?
Yeah I guess you might think you've just gone nuts, but either way, why would it be scary?
There aren't any ghosts.Sure you'd be a pissed with a poltergeist chucking things around, however if you had ghost which was undeniable, wouldn't that just reassure you that there was something next?
Yeah I guess you might think you've just gone nuts, but either way, why would it be scary?
But if there were, you're right, probably no reason to be afraid.
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