Just two weeks after it was listed for sale, a house in California made famous by the horror movie “Poltergeist” went under contract after receiving multiple offers.
The house's sale price cannot be disclosed until the transaction closes but listing agent Lauren Murdock told CoStar News the property had the sales agreement Tuesday evening. The property was listed for nearly $1.175 million, according to CoStar’s Homes.com.
The Simi Valley house was listed earlier this month by its original owners who lived at the property for 45 years, Murdock told CoStar in an earlier interview. Though the house has newer appliances and has been structurally updated, much of the interior looks the same as it did during the filming of “Poltergeist” at the location in 1982.
That was both a draw and a deterrent for prospective buyers, according to Murdock.
“It does look dated,” Murdock said. “In my opinion, it doesn't need anything, because the house is in excellent condition. You could move in right away. More than likely, some new buyer is going to want to make it their own, and they, more than likely, will want to update it to something that looks more like what's trendy today.”
But beyond its appearance, Murdock also had to contend with the property’s spooky past in finding a buyer for the house. “Poltergeist” tells the story of the Freelings, a family whose house is taken over by evil spirits that abduct their daughter.
Murdock said the house’s scary Hollywood connections lured in some potential buyers, but she had to promise others that it was “not haunted.”
“I get a lot of questions of, is this house haunted, or is this neighborhood haunted,” she said. “The answer is absolutely no. It's not haunted. And I can verify that personally, because my parents actually live on the same street.”
Murdock wrote in the property's Homes.com listing description: "Don't miss out on your chance to own this iconic piece of Hollywood history. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in a home with a story, minus the spooks."
On the other hand, “a lot” of buyers were interested in the house “because of its famous past,” according to Murdock.
“Maybe they're a fan of the movie, or maybe they just like the famous past, or they're in love with the actual layout,” she said.