Get Paid to House Sit a Haunted House

By Violet Wisdom

Whether you’re a career paranormal investigator or simply intrigued by the subject, you might have potential for a new source of income.

In the country of Japan, potentially haunted homes are so unwanted the country is dealing with a high level of vacant homes. The term “jiko Bukken” is used for any home that has had an event that could cause a home to be haunted such as a traumatic death or negative death such as suicide. While most of us are familiar with mechanical and safety inspections for homes that look for things such as foundation issues, roof leaks, and needed repairs to furnaces and air conditioners, the Japanese are hiring people to do paranormal inspections. These house sitters make 88,000 yen to spend one night in one of these homes so they are able to issue a paranormal-free certificate. Using conventional investigating equipment such as cameras and thermoenergy devices. According to this article, once a home is certified, that information allows real estate agents to provide enough proof the home is safe from hauntings to get a buyer. 

But what about here in the United States? I did a little digging and found that this service, while not widespread, already exists here. I was able to find a few companies that offer this as a specific service that includes a brief history of the home as well as a company that offers the service as part of a regular home inspection. As it turns out, this kind of service exists throughout the world.

There are three kinds of people when it comes to haunted homes, the kind that don’t want to live in one, the kind that don’t care, and the kind that want one. Two of these three would find it beneficial to know the paranormal status of that giant investment before they sign the dotted line. While most states don’t require disclosure of hauntings, some don’t even require disclosure of stigmatized properties, people who live near a concerning home are aware of the situation. Buyers having peace of mind (or confirmation) is worth the cost as much as knowing if the air conditioner is going to kick on when the next heat wave comes in. 

Think this might be a job for you? Check out our book, “How to Research a Haunted House” for a step-by-step guide on researching both the history of a home and how to discern types of hauntings.