This is a guest contribution from Paige A. Mitchell.
Any homeowner can relate to all the excitement that comes with being handed the keys to your brand new home. Well, brand new to you. With any new home, you are sure to encounter a few quirks that simply can’t be repaired … or even explained.
Our new home was listed at a great price, so we immediately jumped on the opportunity. It wasn’t until we got to the showing that we noticed the home was right next to a cemetery. The home was charming and beautifully aged, so that didn’t deter us from putting in an offer, and it got accepted. It has been a month since I moved into my new home, so here are a few noises and quirks that come with an old house that happens to be right next to a cemetery—no relation, I’m sure!
Creaking in the middle of the night … and all hours of the day
Old homes make noise. That kind of goes without saying. They say it’s the house “settling”. But this home seemed to have conversations with itself at all hours of the day. Whether it sounded like someone was walking through the hall, a door was being opened, or one of the cemetery’s permanent residents walking up to our front door, there’s always some type of noise being made. We were able to troubleshoot a few of these. For instance, the rocking chairs on the porch rap against the windows when the wind picks up. The dishwasher and clothes washer are also two of the loudest appliances I’ve ever heard—full of thuds, clanks, and whirs.
A sudden draft out of nowhere
Was something brought forth? Maybe. Otherwise, I’d say most older homes have poor insulation. It seemed like in my first month living here, even during the warmer weather, there has been a cool draft that appears out of nowhere, while I’m relaxing in my room or on the sofa. While my air conditioning system is a little dated, not old enough to negotiate the purchase contract, there seems to be an intense draft that kicks in sporadically throughout the day. One room is particularly cold at all times. The bonus room, which is located above the garage, is supremely chilly. We blame it on poor insulation. That’s fair, right?
Little bumps in the night (also known as rodents)
While my new friends in the cemetery would make regular visits in the form of creaking doors, floors, and walls, there were some other less-than-welcome friends that would scurry about in the middle of the night. Those unwelcome friends were rodents! Because the house is older and was also vacant for some time, it seemed there was a rat infestation in parts of the home and needed to be eradicated as soon as possible. Hauntings from the cemetery can be lived with. Rodents are unwelcome in my home, however.
Paint that tends to crack and chip in an instant
The paint of my home seemed to peel in a moments notice. Was someone angry that I had moved in? Or was it possibly lead paint that had to be removed before I could safely reside in my new and old home? I may never know. What I do know is that my new, lead-free paint has yet to peel. Take that, cemetery dwellers!
Whether I have a few ghostly residents in my home or not, I have absolutely fallen in love with the old-world charm this house has. I’m excited to spend my years here and am even more excited to add some of my personal style in the form of decor updates and repairs. Hopefully my taste won’t scare away the cemetery folks too much!
About the Contributor
Paige is a freelance writer and reviewer who recently bought her first house. She drew inspiration from her experiences of her first month living there for this post. As she adjusted to the many different noises and quirks of an old house, she was convinced it was haunted. Understandable since she lives next to a cemetery and all.
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