No Halloween weekend would be complete without some scary stories, right? And in this three-minute read, we share three terrifying tales of home moving horrors.

The good news is we’ll also let you know how to avoid them.

When all is not what it seems

Horror movie fans will remember that scene in the Bruce Willis classic The Sixth Sense when it becomes clear that all is not what it seems.

Home buyers need to exercise a little caution when taking a property seller’s word for granted – as highlighted in the following story of woe.

The Torrance family (the names have been changed to protect the innocent) bought a home in an area they liked but were initially concerned about parking issues on the road.

Mrs Torrance said: “The people we bought the house off five years ago lied and told us residents’ parking was coming into force, and naively, I believed them without checking. The truth is, people in the street have been trying to get residents’ parking for years without success.

“They also told us that a planning application for houses to be built behind our garden had been rejected. The truth was it had been granted permission, and we endured years of building work and noise. It’s been a nightmare, to be honest.”

The lesson from Mrs T’s experience are – always do your own research. If in doubt, ask the selling agent and your solicitor for clarification of any grey and potentially problematic areas of the purchase.

Phantom landlords

If this doesn’t leave a chill down your spine as a home seeker, nothing will.

There’s an increasing number of phantom landlords out there.

These ghastly money-grabbing ghouls trick trusting tenants out of thousands of pounds by getting them to pay deposits for properties that aren’t available, have already been rented out and, in some cases, don’t even exist.

Never send money as a deposit for a property you haven’t visited.

Check out this article on how to exorcise the risk of falling foul of these fraudulent fiends.

Up in smoke

One family in London had an awful experience when choosing a cheap removal company to move their prized possessions.

The removal van had been filled with their belongings and set off to their new home.

The family, let’s call them the Addamses, on their way to their new home, caught sight of the van on the emergency lane of the M25.

The problem was the van was on fire, and everything in it was destroyed.

This horrific tale was made far worse because the ‘cheap’ removal company had no insurance and pretty much vanished into thin air after the incident. ALWAYS ask to see a removal company’s insurance certificates and cover level.

We’re always on hand to answer any questions you have about home moving. And we promise always to treat you well, and we never trick anyone. Happy Halloween.