Four Bedrooms, Two Bathrooms and a Grave:

Do Charleston Home Sellers Have to Disclose a Death?

Dating back to the 1600s, homes in downtown Charleston, S.C. have withstood wars, fires, and earthquakes. Kitchens served as emergency rooms, women gave birth in bedrooms and the elderly passed on at home. Add in 300 years of murders, suicides and tragic accidents and odds are there has been a death in any given home on the peninsula.

Property disclosure laws vary by state. In South Carolina, sellers and their real estate agents are only required to disclose a death if specifically asked by a potential home buyer. The disclosure is limited to what they know. Sellers and agents are not required to research the property. 

Google for Ghosts

One of my clients checked the address of every home of interest using DiedinHouse.com. The website pulls data from a variety of public records and shares any recorded death as well as the cause of death. But the service isn’t comprehensive. That client bought a clean slate, spirit-free residence or so he thought. A year later, his co-workers saw a man standing behind him in his kitchen during a Skype meeting. There was no one else in the room. 

Public records might not include deaths or burials on the property prior to the home being built. 

Even when it comes to a neighboring cemetery, death can be a dealbreaker. This presents a challenge for sellers, but an experienced Realtor with a strategic marketing plan can find the right buyer for every home.

Historic ‘Haunted’ House for Sale

Some buyers seek a spirited house. According to the website “Haunted Rooms America,” Sword Gate House is one of the 10 most haunted places in Charleston, SC and it happens to be for sale. 

The 17,142-square-foot mansion was built by Solomon Legare in 1803. It later became Madame Talvande’s Girls School. The strict headmistress kept a close watch on the young ladies entrusted to her care, but one managed to sneak off with a boyfriend. Upon the discovery, an enraged Madame Talvande had the tall fence erected around the school. To this day, some have claimed to see her apparition standing guard just inside the home’s namesake gates at 32 Legare Street. 

For those who appreciate history more than hauntings, Abraham Lincoln’s granddaughter once lived at this beautifully renovated home now being offered for $14,999,000.

Sword Gate House at 32 Legare, Charleston, South Carolina

If you’re interested in this property or any of Charleston’s historic homes for sale, please contact me. I’m a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Global Luxury serving greater Charleston.