Olivia and Cole were ready to put down a security deposit on their first home together. After one tour, Olivia was absolutely sold, but Cole couldn't help but hesitate on finally signing. The realtor felt confident that this was the perfect place for the couple to start building a life together, but red flag after red flag said otherwise. When Olivia and Cole learned about the house’s dark past, it sent them running for the hills…
A Cute Bungalow
Olivia and her husband Cole were househunting for the perfect place to plant their roots in Louisville, Kentucky. They hoped this would be the home where they started their family. Olivia knew househunting could be a nightmare, but she had no idea just what exactly they were in for...
She Had Her Sights Set
After looking at several different houses, Olivia had fallen in love with one particular property in a suburban neighborhood outside Louisville. It seemed perfect. The design was exactly what she'd imagined, the price was great, and the location couldn't have been better. Of course, they still had to go inside...
She Was Too Naive
Despite her excitement, Olivia should have held out a little longer. The house they'd nearly put a deposit down for turned out to have a lot of surprises in store, and Cole wasn't as ready to commit. He had some important questions to ask...
Blinded By Positivity
The house had so many incredible selling points. There was a cute garden, a huge fireplace, and a wraparound front porch. It had everything Olivia wanted, but Cole had a strange feeling everything wasn't exactly as it seemed since they'd only looked at the outside. He started asking the realtor some questions that Olivia hadn't considered...
As Typical As a Horror Movie
After they'd toured the house, Cole pulled Olivia aside and asked if she was sure this was the right place for them. He was about to point out all the red flags he'd noticed about the house, but she wouldn't hear it. There were so many warning signs about the house that she was ignoring, he couldn't believe it...
Blame It On The Weather
The day Olivia and Cole toured the house, it had rained earlier that morning. The place looked a little gloomy, and Cole said something felt off about it, but Olivia blamed it on the weather. He'd had a gut feeling though, and he continued on with his skepticism so as not to get Olivia's hopes up that they'd sign something today...
A Look Around
The outside of the house was nothing like the inside. It was in total disrepair. Olivia was shocked. The realtor had completely misled them and what they saw when they finally stepped inside was beyond what they could have imagined...
No, That's Not Crown Moulding
As Olivia was still attempting to stay positive, calling the place a "fixer-upper," Cole noticed something strange. He pointed to something in the corner, and the realtor explained what they were seeing was "the return vent for the AC." But something didn't seem right about it...
That Looks More Like a Dungeon
Cole asked why the vent looked more like prison bars, and the agent didn't have a response right away. She quickly continued on with the tour, bypassing the grate. They moved into the kitchen, which raised some more red flags...
Scratched Windows
The agent showed them the kitchen, which was too small for Olivia's liking. She loved to cook, but thought a potential remodel might fix the problem. Cole wasn't looking at the layout, however. He'd noticed some strange scratches on the windows. When he asked what they were, the agent said it was probably just some routine wear-and-tear. That was good enough of an answer for Olivia, but certainly not for Cole...
The Upstairs Had Some Charm
Olivia was thrilled that the upstairs wasn't creepy at all. The rooms were on the smaller side and a little worn down, but it was almost charming. She was completely blinded by the thought of turning one of the rooms into a nursery. Cole, on the other hand, hadn't forgotten the creepy grate they'd seen downstairs...
Something's Weird About the Closet
Cole, of course, immediately spotted something fishy about one of the closets in the master bedroom. While Olivia was fantasizing, he asked the realtor about a small door in the back of the closet. It looked like it certainly didn't belong there. She replied, "Oh... I didn't notice that before." He didn't buy it...
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
Cole decided to take a closer look instead of letting the realtor take them to the next room. He pulled open the small door in the closet and saw that it led to a tiny, dark room. He stepped back and showed Olivia, who was now feeling uneasy herself. The realtor stayed quiet...
Let's See The Basement
Somehow, despite the weird room, Olivia still wasn't totally deterred from seeing the rest of the house. The realtor seemed thrilled and asked if they were ready to look at the basement. Olivia spoke first and led the way back downstairs. Cole, still uneasy, had no choice but to follow her...
Everything Seemed In Order
Olivia thought the basement seemed pretty normal. For the most part, it was clean; there were a couple of shelving units on the walls and some chairs that the previous owners must have left. It got her approval, and she waited for Cole to say something in disagreement. He walked around and stopped when he peered behind a corner that Olivia hadn't seen. He seemed freaked out...
A Second Mysterious Door
Olivia turned the corner and saw what Cole was looking at. There was a huge door on the wall with three padlocks and a sliding lock. Cole immediately asked the agent what this could possibly be for, and he had a feeling she was hiding something. She quickly said, "I don't think it goes anywhere, we don't have a key." Again, that was somehow good enough for Olivia...
A Surprising Twist
To Olivia and Cole's surprise, the yard was actually pretty nice. He was very hesitant to believe what he was seeing, but Olivia was already envisioning their future family sitting outside. It was like she'd forgotten about the super creepy door that was just a few feet away. Cole hadn't, though...
A Pretty Glaring Lie
The agent tried to say that it probably just led to the backyard. "Then why are there like 10 locks?" Cole asked. She suddenly looked incredibly nervous. Olivia listened carefully, but she seemed to be taking the agent seriously. They were ready to go see the backyard, but it was obvious Cole just wanted to leave...
A Logistical Error
While they were standing outside, Cole brought up a good point. "You do realize the door is on the opposite side of the basement, right? It should be there..." He pointed to the side where the door should have been. Something didn't add up...
Something Was Very Wrong
Olivia realized he was right. This house was totally out of sorts, and whatever the previous owners had been doing there was definitely suspicious. The agent had started to pull out some signing papers as they were looking around, but Cole quickly got around the discussion. He told her they'd be in touch so they could get out of there...
An Awkard Drive Home
Olivia asked Cole what he thought, but she definitely already knew the answer. He said something felt so off about the whole place, and the realtor was for sure behind it. No way was he going to sign on that place, and he was begging her not to even consider it...
They Did Some Background Research
When they got home, Cole and Olivia decided to look up the address of the house they'd just seen. Cole couldn't get rid of that sinking feeling, and he needed to find out what exactly they were in for if they agreed to sign on the rental. When result after result began appearing on their screen, they couldn't believe what they'd nearly gotten themselves into...
A Known Haunted House
Olivia was in disbelief. How could they have not known? The realtor was attempting to rent a confirmed haunted house without telling them. There were countless decades-old news headlines about a family who'd lived in the house and was terrorized by a paranormal being. They'd even had the house exorcised, it was that serious...
A Possessed Girl
Olivia kept reading and discovered that the daughter of the family who'd lived in that house had claimed to be possessed by a demon. A news report said that they'd kept her in the basement, behind the huge locked door that the realtor pretended to know nothing about. An exorcism had been performed on her in that back room, but it hadn't worked...
The Family's Untimely End
When the daughter's exorcism failed, the demon inside her went on a rampage, terrorizing the whole home and family. It became violent and destructive, which would explain the disrepair inside. The family ultimately didn't survive the attack, and the home has been sitting ever since. The realtor had made it her goal to finally do away with the house so it would go off the market, but once again, she'd lost another sale...
Every Horror Movie Trope Come to Life
Cole said there was no way they were moving in. Olivia had ignored every stereotypically scary thing about the house. She was like every character in scary movies who gets killed off first. She laughed it off in the moment, but maybe he was right. If he hadn't been there, she probably would have offered a security deposit for that haunted house...
The Story Blew Up
Other women replied to Olivia's story on Twitter. One user said, "Wait—was there a porcelain tub? Now I get it! We can not be trusted. HGTV by Stephen King." Clearly Olivia wasn't alone. When touring a house, if there's one GREAT selling point, any potential hauntings can easily be swept under the rug...
"Every Sign of the Devil's Handiwork"
They joked for the rest of the car ride home. "You were going to ignore every sign of the devil's handiwork for some built-in cabinets and a wrap-around porch," Cole said.
"We should go home and do a preemptive sage lighting in case anything followed us," Olivia replied.
They Finally Found The Right Place
Eventually, Olivia and Cole finally found a place that she confirmed wasn't haunted. She took to Twitter again to say: "Moved into our new place today. It doesn't appear to be haunted," and the replies flooded in. People were worried that she'd actually signed on the original house. "Not THAT house guys! Different house! I learned, okay! This is a perfectly normal rental home with no quadruple-locked mystery doors."
Some People Buy Haunted Houses on Purpose
There are people who scour the market for haunted houses. "The best way I can describe any haunting is, it feels like cold electricity to me. If it's friendly, I can handle it," one homeowner said of her own house. Her realtor disclosed that the house had been cited as "haunted" before she put her deposit down, and she welcomed it...
Tips For Living With a Ghost
Many people who live with ghosts in their homes say to never be afraid of them. Many animals sense other beings, and if a pet seems to be barking or looking at nothing, you could be dealing with a spirit. Though it's a natural response to be scared of something you don't understand, always keep in mind that it can't hurt you...
Always Stay In Control
It's important to remember that this is your house, not the ghost's. It might seem intimidating, but don't be afraid to stand up to a spirit that might be giving you trouble. If a ghost always opens a door that you want shut, you might have to resort to locking it.
Research Your Ghost
Depending on where you live, your ghost might have some historical relevance. It's important to understand its backstory in order to figure out how to best deal with it. If you can pull together some evidence regarding its death and learning its triggers, it will be easier to deal with it when it causes trouble in your home.
Talk To It
Though it might be the last thing you want to do, talking to a ghost can actually help calm you down. Treating it like just another person in your home will ease your mind and also help you take control of the situation a little better. It will also make the ghost feel like it can approach you in a friendly way.