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Recently Purchased Poltergeist House to Become a Themed Airbnb

 

Featured image credit: Warner Bros.

At the end of August, our sister site covered the residential sale of the home memorably used in the 1982 horror classic Poltergeist. At the time, we assumed it was simply a residential transaction. But new information reveals that the Poltergeist house was actually purchased as an investment property with the idea of marketing it as a themed short-term rental. And though it’s still got a long road of renovation ahead of it, it’s already shaping up to be a sound investment.

How to Sell a “Haunted” House


 

The Mandela Effect may leave you swearing that Steven Spielberg helmed 1982’s Poltergeist. However, the Jaws director was only responsible for the film’s story and co-authoring its screenplay. Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) took on directing duties for the film about a suburban family plagued by apparitions from the netherworld. And everything in the film leads back to the house itself.  

Outside of the silver screen, the Poltergeist house stands in a Simi Valley neighborhood, joining the army of horror movie filming locations that pepper Southern California. Yet, listing agent Laura Murdock of Equity Union admitted to CoStar that the home’s cinematic history left some potential buyers wary of committing to a purchase. Now, Coldwell Banker Realty’s Christian Melgar and Zo Amilee, the buyer’s agents on the transaction, are confirming that the house’s fabricated haunted history influenced the buyer as well. But in a positive way.  

Some Things Never Change

Anyone familiar with the film would instantly recognize portions of the Poltergeist house today. The original owners moved in 45 years ago (just a few years before the filming of Poltergeist) and have remained at the property since. And while aspects have been updated over the years including new appliances and carpeting, the majority of the home appears the way it was famously portrayed back in 1982. For a lot of real estate professionals, this would be a major hurdle to overcome, even in the current hungry market. But the single-family Simi Valley home went under contract just two weeks after listing.


 

It’s a rare case in which a lack of renovation actually worked in the famous home’s favor. The buyer, who purchased the home with a cash offer for $1.28 million (about 9% over its asking price), made her purchase specifically because of the home’s horror movie history. She plans to rent it out as a Poltergeist-themed Airbnb. And she’s already at work trying to perfectly recreate the distinct look of the Poltergeist house that fans of the movie remember. 

Seeing the Investment Potential of the Poltergeist House

Melgar explained to CoStar that the renovations wouldn’t simply be of a cosmetic nature, positing that the unnamed investor would likely be tied up for several months in preparing the property for rental. And though the buyer is new to property investment, it seems she’s making a strong start to her portfolio. She created a preliminary website for the home and, despite only sharing it with her agents, received nearly 50 rental requests within its first 24 hours. 

It just goes to illustrate that a solid real estate investment can come in all shapes and sizes. Even as interested parties balked at the home’s dated appearance or history as a silver screen haunted house, at least one other buyer saw the potential. And it seems her vision is going to pay off. 

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