‘Poverty ghost’ scarier than the dead for practical Taiwan ‘haunted house’ buyers
- Big villa for sale at knock-down price has ‘ghost’ from drug overdose death, as property prices go up more young snap up cheaper ‘haunted’ homes
A property agent in Taiwan, who advertised a house in which someone had died, has sparked a discussion on social media after online observers dubbed it a “happy haunted house” because the death was not violent.
In mid-May, the agent in the island’s Yilan county, posted information on the company’s Facebook account about a villa with two garages for sale, the news website ftvnews.com.tw reported.
The four-storey property – built 29 years ago – has a total floor area of 210 square metres, eight bedrooms, two living rooms and five bathrooms.
It was on the market for NT$9.8 million (US$304,000), much cheaper than its original price of NT$13.8 million, because of its “haunted” history after someone died on the premises.
Two years ago, after the owner turned the house into a bed and breakfast hotel, a guest died from a drug overdose.
The owner was unperturbed by the death and continued to live there for two years.
He was selling the house because he had moved to a farm that was bigger and suited his needs, according to the agent.
This property attracted much attention on social media in Taiwan.
“After learning about its history, I think the house is not so scary,” one online observer wrote.
“For the first time I realised that haunted houses have a category called ‘happy haunted house’. People on the internet have invented so many new terms,” another said.
“Its price is reasonable. I am interested in buying it,” another person said.
Favouring pragmatism over superstition, people from Taiwan in their 30s tend to snap up so-called haunted houses, lured by the price tag, which is generally 20-50 per cent lower than market value.
Property prices in big cities such as Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung have surged from an annual rate of 5 per cent to 13 per cent in recent years.
Residents say they are under economic pressure to buy houses, with many taking out big bank loans covering more than half the asking price.
“I don’t have money, so I am not afraid of ghosts,” said one online observer.
“The most horrible ghost is the poverty ghost,” another said.
