Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a ghost for a roommate, or live somewhere with a notorious (and ghoulish) reputation? Well now could be the perfect chance to find out. These haunted homes have just hit the market and they're packed full of paranormal activity, creepy interiors and things that go bump in the night. Are you brave enough to take one of them on?
At almost 150 years old, Penfield Reef Lighthouse has been guiding ships safely into Black Rock Harbour in Bridgeport, Connecticut since the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. The little lighthouse, which sits just a mile off the Connecticut coast, is still active today, and is up for auction from late June 2023 with The U.S. General Services Administration with a starting bid of just $50,000 (£39.8k). However, it hides a haunting secret…
Not only does the price include the island, the lighthouse, and even the foghorn, but it also throws a ghost into the bargain. According to local lore, former lighthouse keeper Frederick A. Jordan still haunts the waves around the lighthouse, where he met his death shortly before Christmas in 1916 while attempting to row ashore to spend the holiday with his family.
Ever since, lighthouse keepers have reported seeing Jordan’s ghost around the island, or have found the logbook mysteriously and repeatedly flipping to the date of his death. More mysteriously, reports have been made of at least two boats being led away from the reef to safety by a ghostly man. While it remains to be seen who will be willing to take on this haunted property, at least potential buyers can take comfort from the fact that the ghost seems friendly!
The first reported sighting of Jordan’s ghost dates to 1920, when his successor wrote an article in the Bridgeport Sunday Post: “I was awakened — I was off duty — by a strange feeling that someone was in my room. Sitting up I distinctly saw a gray, phosphorescent figure emerging from the room formerly occupied by Fred Jordan. It hovered at the top of the stairs, and then disappeared in the darkness below.”
The lighthouse dates to 1874 and is definitely a fixer-upper, with extensive internal renovations required before it could be considered habitable. However, with 1,568 square feet of space, two-storeys, and of course the 51-foot octagonal tower, the building offers plenty of potential, as well as ample space to share with any ghostly inhabitants!
Four bedrooms, two bathrooms…and nine ghosts? That’s right, this property’s spooky past takes front and centre on it’s current listing, which touts the home as a true haunted house. The late 19th century home in Troy, New York has been in current owner Michele Bell’s family for six generations, her great-grandfather having made the initial purchase back in 1919. Today, the 3,092-square foot home could be yours for $349,999 (£275k) dropped from the initial list price of $444,444 (£353k). We can’t imagine why…
The Enslin Mansion, as the home is known, dates to 1890, but the majority of its ghostly inhabitants have taken up residence since it was purchased by Bell’s ancestors. Indeed, five of the nine spirits who haunt the home are believed to be her deceased relatives. Slightly more sinisterly, a sixth is said to be the soul of a former tenant who was found dead in the basement, which Bell now keeps permanently locked after experiencing paranormal activity there.
The identities of the remaining three ghosts remain a mystery, although Bell has her suspicions. The house was once a supper club in the early 1900s, and in 1931 it was visited by famous gangster John T. “Legs” Diamond, who was shot to death in his bed in Albany, New York not long after. Bell believes his shade may still be hanging around the home, perhaps still hankering after a really good meal he once enjoyed there...
However, Bell believes the home offers plenty of potential beyond its ghostly inhabitants. The listing suggests that the house could easily be converted into a café, restaurant, or coffee roasters, and Bell herself has previously let out the master bedroom on Airbnb. For a plucky entrepreneur who doesn’t mind capitalising on a bit of haunting history, the home could be a real business opportunity, Bell believes.
Legally a two-family home, the property offers two units which could be let separately, or combined into a single-family house. Original details including hardwood floors, three ornamental fireplaces, and an expansive covered front porch offer what the listing describes as ‘old-world grandeur.’ In short, the home offers plenty of potential, if you can overlook the fact that its overflowing with paranormal activity as well!
This rather beautiul four-bedroom property in Canton, Mississippi, looks just like any other luxury home with its sweeping staircases and grand façade. But if you delve a little deeper, you'll discover a seriously spooky history....
Ornate decorations in this living room certainly make this look like a typical home, and indeed it once was. Built by Dr James Priestley in 1852, as a family home, the property has since experienced some strange goings-on. In fact, since the doctor and his wife died in the early 1900s during an epidemic of yellow fever, it's become a decidedly haunting dwelling.
The most recent owners, who have wonderfully eclectic taste as demonstated in the bathroom, have reported paranormal activity occurring in the spooky doctor's house and insist they saw the ghost of Susan Priestley in the bedroom where she died. Others in the neighbourhood are said to have seen her figure standing at the windows.
In spite of the grand hallway (pictured) and large rooms, the house has been tricky to enjoy. Owners of the Priestly House have witnessed a piano playing on its own and candles falling out of their holders. It's been said that Susan Priestley got so attached to the home after her husband died that she just didn't want to leave. We wonder how easy it is to live with her?
The haunted house is currently up for sale for $938,000 (£814.8k) with Keller Williams and comes with plenty of plus points for those brave enough to see past the home's history. Spanning 5,252 square feet, the spine-chilling residence comes complete with four bathrooms, an attractive library, a formal dining room, a music room, a parlour, an office, a sleeping porch and a swimming pool, all said to be in peak condition.
As it turns out, this spooky-looking Welsh manor house is every bit as haunted as it looks. Derwydd Mansion, as the property is known, dates to roughly 1485 and sits nestled in the Carmarthenshire hills, between Ammanford and Llandeilo. The Grade II-listed home boasts 14 bedrooms, seven reception rooms, four bathrooms, 12,758 square feet of living space, 8 acres of land, a wealth of history…and a resident ghost.
In addition to its phantom, the mansion has plenty more to recommend it to some lucky buyer with £2.6 million ($3.3m) going spare. Expertly preserved original details throughout the home include coffered plastered ceilings, Jacobean fireplaces, restored oak panelling, friezes, cornices, cartouches, heraldry, and a spectacular Tudor-style staircase all give the home a period elegance that takes you back through centuries of history.
The home has also retained its 17th century interiors, which have been noted for their ‘exceptional quality and completeness and…19th century additions which reinterpret the architectural theme'. Indeed, according to the property’s listing, the estate is considered one of the largest and grandest in the county. And, like all great homes with rich histories, Derwydd is believed to have a ghost called ‘the white lady.’
The white lady, or Gwen Vaughan, as she is more formally known, is said to appear only to unmarried men, usually in the window of Sir Rhys' room (sadly the listing does not specify which bedroom this is). The estate first came into the possession of the Vaughan family in 1603, when Sir Henry Vaughan of nearby Golden Grove by marriage to Sage, granddaughter of Rhydderch, and stories about Gwen have been passed on through the family for generations.
The grand estate was supposedly once the property of Tudor knight Sir Rhys Thomas, who reportedly hosted Henry Tudor alongside 5,000 Welsh soldiers at the mansion as they travelled to Leicestershire in 1485 for the monumental battle with King Richard III that ended the War of the Roses and began the Tudor royal dynasty. Filled with antiques and vintage decor, you'll find 15th century architecture, though some additions were made in the 19th century. But will you find the ghost?
Colne Priory, as this magnificent estate is known, is a Grade II-listed stately home believed to have been built around 1825, currently on the market for a whopping £6.3 million ($8.1m). The house was constructed in the Strawberry Hill Gothic style, with red brick elevations in a Flemish bond under a slate and tile roof. Its imposing exterior easily puts one in mind of gothic novels and ghostly apparitions, and with good reason…
Before the home itself was built, the land was occupied by the priory, which was chartered back in 1111. After the dissolution of the monasteries in the mid-16th century, the priory passed into private ownership, and by the late 17th century was occupied by a man named Mr Harlakenden, who was, according to lore, regularly awoken at two o’clock in the morning by the tolling of the priory bell, even though no one was ringing it.
However, potential buyers will be relieved to learn that eventually, Harlakenden called a prayer meeting to ‘cast the devil’ from the clock tower, after which the bell was never heard again. Indeed, not only does the new construction not have any sort of bell tower, it also boasts every modern amenity, including Cat-5 cabling for audio-visual equipment throughout, CCTV and underfloor heating.
The home does still offer plenty of old-world grandeur, however. Gothic arched windows, stained-glass panels, and a sweeping oak staircase are just a few of the features that will allow the home’s new owners to play lord of the manor. The property is ideally suited for entertaining large house parties, with seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and seven reception rooms, including formal living and dining areas, a billiards room, library, and home theatre.
Set on nearly 24 acres, the mansion offers spectacular grounds which include an orangery and potting shed, a pool and pool terrace, an orchard garden, a tennis court, rolling lawns, a lake with wooden decking for swimming access, and a gazebo. Outbuildings include a former aircraft hanger reconfigured as a workshop, a large garage, stables, and the former chapel cottage, which has been converted into a three-bed guest cottage. For those missing the ghostly aspect, on the grounds you will still find the ruins of the original priory, perhaps they are haunted...
Set on 34 acres of land, Earlshall Castle in the Fife region of Scotland is an exceptional historic property. It’s believed to have taken its name from the site of a hunting lodge, which was once owned by the ancient Earls of Fife, relatives of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. It's home to a rather noble ghost...
The fairytale castle is reportedly haunted by Sir William Bruce, or one of his descendants, Andrew Bruce. A phantom figure is frequently seen in the bedroom formerly used by Andrew Bruce and heavy footsteps are often heard on the staircase. However, that's not the only ghostly figure that's been seen floating about.
There have also been sightings of a servant girl and another figure who patrols the spiral staircases at night. Constructed in 1546, the property would have needed the staff as it boasts 10 bedrooms, two dressing rooms and six bathrooms. This is one of the bedrooms, with stunning wooden beamed ceiling and large four-poster bed.
Despite its grim history, Earlshall Castle is undoubtedly one of the UK's most spectacular private homes. The 8,398-square-foot manor has no end of space for a large family to stretch out, including eight grand reception rooms, three cottages and even its own woodland and magnificent walled garden.
If you think you can handle the occasional ghost sighting, you could be the proud owner of one of the best-kept 16th-century houses in Scotland with its wooden beams, original fireplaces, timber wainscotting and dramatic topiary gardens included! Earlshall Castle is currently available with Savills at a spooky $9.2 million (£8m).
Love this? Like and follow us on Facebook for more unusual homes for sale