We have all been there, enjoying a peaceful evening home alone when all of a sudden, you are on edge, listening into unfamiliar noises and convincing yourself you are not alone, being burgled or even that there may be a ghost! It could be a creaky floorboard, the sudden draught from an open window or streetlight casting unfamiliar shadows and suddenly our imaginations go crazy…
Fear not- it might not be a ghost after all...
With Halloween around the corner and spooky stories keeping us awake at night, it can all start to feel quite real. Whilst this may have some of us quivering under the duvet, the more sceptical amongst us knows that most “supernatural signs” can be easily explained as easily solvable, common household problems.
No one wants a restless night, especially in the run-up to Halloween when imaginations are wondering and even the hardiest of us can start to question spooky-on goings. With 39% of Brits believing a house can be haunted and just over a third (33%) believing in ghosts* it’s all too easy to scare ourselves silly unnecessarily.
This is all too familiar for Sophie Page, 23, who recently moved to a Victorian property in Richmond with her partner and two children. Having previously lived in a new build, she has found it difficult to settle and feel comfortable living in an older property. “Sometimes there is a draught that goes up the stairs into my baby’s room yet I go to close windows or look for the source of the breeze and find no reason for it!” she said. Despite being initially unnerved by occasional flickering light switches and creaky floor boards, she isn’t too worried. “With a new born, I find my sleep is broken through the night but often I find it difficult to settle as I’ve seen strange shadows before or heard noises from another room that’s empty. I’m quite a spiritual person so do believe in ghosts and definitely feel there is an unexpected air of mystery associated with our new home.”
Common causes of easily fixable things that ‘go bump in the night’ causing people to wonder if their homes are haunted according to homes services marketplace Plentific.com include:
The lights keep flickering on and off
Lights turning on and off at random is one of the signs most commonly associated with a haunted house, but also one of the easiest paranormal signs to debunk. After checking there is no unruly sibling playing a prank, a licenced electrician will most likely tell you that the flickering is being caused by faulty wiring, loose bulbs, fluctuating voltage or any number of other perfectly logical reasons including stormy weather.
Doors and cupboards keep slamming shut
Did you just imagine that? You thought you shut it... didn’t you? A slamming door can be sudden, loud and alarming, especially when heard from a room halfway across the house and enough to raise the hairs on your neck when home alone... Before you call for the Ghostbusters, check the fitting - if a door can open and close on its own, it may be that the strike is slipping too easily out of the latch place, or it could even be caused by a strong draught. If you need help re-hanging your door, a local handyman or carpenter would be the professional to call.
I always feel like I’m being watched
We have all been there, minding your own business and you can’t shake the feeling that you are not alone and there are eyes on you… sometimes there is, however more often than not it’s your imagination going into overdrive. You might think you can see a shadowy figure in the corner of your eye and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Whilst you can’t stop your imagination going into overdrive, you can quell your paranoia and ensure that when you are in the privacy of your own home, you know you are safe and secure. It is a sad and well known fact that many Brits fail to adequately protect their homes so if you want to feel more secure, it would be worth speaking to a local security specialist about installing measures like CCTV cameras, sensor activated lighting or simply a stronger lock for your front door.
My belongings go missing and then reappear
Have you ever put something down, only for it to vanish by the time you go back to get it? Believers of the supernatural will often blame ghostly goings on. If your belongings keep going missing then the most likely explanation is poor organisation. You can make things easier for yourself by adding more useful storage to your home, a hook for your keys or even a safe for your more valuable items. If you really want to stop your belongings from vanishing, try having a handyman put up some convenient new shelves before you start looking for a local ghost busting firm.
I can hear strange noises
Do you hear something going bump in the night? When we hear noises that we don’t recognise, it is common for us to feel on edge or even to start panicking. Ghosts are said to have a wide repertoire of spooky sounds, with believers reporting everything from scratching to faint wailing or whispers. The truth is, an average property can produce a wider range of noises than a symphony orchestra. Those scratching sounds are far more likely to be caused by a few resident mice or rats than a poltergeist, just as that bubbling sound is most probably down to a faulty boiler. Do you hear what sounds like something otherworldly banging on your pipes? A plumber will tell you it is caused by trapped air pressure.
There are unexplained smells
Just as they do with noises, ghosts seem to specialise in creating a wide variety of smells including sewage, dead fish and even rotten eggs. Luckily enough, individual smells are also relatively easy to pin down and explain. For example, did you know that burning plastic components in an electrical socket can produce a fishy smell? Similarly, a sickly smell could indicate a dead creature in your plumbing or ductwork, while a blocked drain could leave your home smelling like sewage. If you detect a damp or musty smell, be sure to book an appointment to have your home checked for damp or mould. While not as scary as a poltergeist, unchecked mould can be as dangerous for a person’s health as asbestos!
I keep feeling sudden changes in temperature
Have you ever moved from one part of a room to another and felt it suddenly go cooler or warmer? Cold and hot spots are another favourite paranormal sign for believers, largely because they can seemingly occur anywhere. Luckily, there are plenty of far more realistic explanations for localised fluctuations in temperature. A chill in the air could be caused by a window in need of resealing, or you could be standing too close to an open door. Another common explanation is ‘radiative heat loss’, which essentially refers to how standing next to a cold object can cool you down, just like a reverse-radiator. If what you really need is more control over the temperature in your home, you could always have a smart thermostat installed or look into draught excluders!
Holes appearing in the garden
Everyone can appreciate a well-kept garden, so when holes start appearing overnight without any explanation it can be understandably distressing. Many believers are quick to blame mysterious holes on supernatural activity. Unfortunately for these believers, there are far more realistic reasons for unexplained holes. A landscaper might tell you that the problem is being caused by sinkholes, collapsed drains or even by a resident family of moles!
Waking up with scratches on your skin
It can be scary enough to think that your home is haunted without believing that the resident spooks are also out to get you! A number of believers have reported waking up with scratches and even bite marks on their bodies, which they naturally put down to angry apparitions. The real reason for this phenomenon can be just as scary as ghosts: bedbugs! When someone sleeps on an infested mattress, they will usually wake up to find bites on their skin and even blood specks on their sheets. Similarly, if a person lets their pet sleep on their bed, they can put themselves at risk of attracting flea bites. If you spot any of these signs, you should clean your bedding and have your mattress inspected by a local pest control specialist.
When it comes to unexplained issues in the house, home services marketplace Plentific.com know a trade professional who will do a much better job of fixing them than an exorcist!
Plentific.com spokesperson Stephen Jury said: “When something unexplained happens in the home, it can be natural to panic. You just need to ask yourself which is more likely: ghosts are out to cause mischief, or that your home just needs a little bit of TLC?”
Tagged in Ghosts