Hong Kong folk do not mind living with ghosts, as long as they get a cheaper home

KUALA LUMPUR (June 25): Try selling a home in Malaysia which is supposed to be haunted or was the site of a gruesome death. Best of luck to you.

But in Hong Kong, many of people here do not mind living with “spirits” if they get a price discount on the property price.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a survey by the Hong Kong Squarefoot online property portal showed that the many people in this ex-British territory said “they would consider living in a home which hides a tragic past” if the price was right.

And this is surprising as Hong Kongers are usually known to be very wary of Feng Shui elements and living with spirits which are still lingering in a property is a real no-no.

However, it looks like many people are throwing such concerns to the wind as Hong Kong property prices have rocketed to among the highest on the planet.

Alvin Cheung, associate director at Prudential Brokerage told the Hong Kong-based daily that: “If you asked these buyers whether they are afraid of ghosts, they probably are, more or less. But they are more afraid of sleeping on the street.”  

“Before people think it is unlucky to stay in a haunted home, they think how lucky they are to find a home – whether it’s haunted or not is not the problem.

“Whether you have enough money to buy one is the key issue,” Cheung added.

“Normally people would not choose a haunted home, but the city’s housing prices are not in a normal range right now. Young people who would like to get a home have no choice when they do not have much savings,” Derek Chan, head of research at Ricacorp Properties told the publication.

In fact, Asif Ghafoor, founder and CEO of online property portal Spacious revealed to SCMP that “enquiries about discounted haunted homes have increased”.

Malaysians, especially in the urban areas of the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru – would you buy and live in a “haunted” home?