Man Buys"Murder House" Below Price And Renovates It, But Now His Girlfriend's Daughter Doesn't Want To Live There

"She snapped and said that I just don't get it."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• July 31, 2023

In the tricky world of buying houses, finding a good one that doesn't break the bank is tough. Sometimes, the reason a house is cheap can be a bit weird, just like the situation OP found himself in.

He bought a house at a steal because it was known as a 'murder house' due to a bad event that happened over ten years ago. OP is a 40-year-old guy who is engaged to a woman named Cara, who has a 16-year-old daughter, Kim.

OP and Cara started dating when Kim was 10, but OP only met Kim when things got serious between him and Cara a year later. OP doesn't see himself as a dad to Kim but more like a cool uncle.

Cara's mom recently had a bad car crash, and because of Kim's online school, she couldn't go with Cara to look after her grandma. Cara didn't want to leave Kim alone at home because of a past incident where Kim invited friends over without asking, so Cara asked OP if Kim could stay with him.

OP agreed, showing her the fully renovated house that he bought a few years ago. Even though the house was the scene of a murder, OP didn't let it bother him.

He fixed it up and made it liveable again. When Kim came to stay, he showed her around the house and even surprised her with a room of her own.

Everything was going great until a neighbor told Kim about the murder that happened in the house. Kim was scared and asked OP to sell the house. OP refused to sell it, which made Kim even more upset.

Cara couldn't help solve the problem because she was busy looking after her mom, so Kim and OP were left to sort it out. Kim got really mad at OP, calling him cruel and uncaring, which left OP wondering if he was wrong for not having a problem living in a house where something so terrible happened.

OP asks:

OP is in a relationship with Cara, and she has a teen daughter KIm. Because Cara needed to be with her mother, KIm stayed with OP

He bought a house at a steal because it was known as a 'murder house'

Everything was great, and Kim loved her room. But then one neighbor decided to tell the murder story to her

Now Kim demands that OP sells the house

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a-hole:

The neighbor is the real A-hole here

"Kim's having an age-appropriate reaction"

100% scared or 100% thrilled

Teens have strong emotions, and don't really have sense of mortality. They don't yet understand that death happens everywhere

OP responded:

This Redditor gave OP a nice idea, and it might work

Another Redditor agrees:

The bottom line is:

OP's handling of the situation is understandable, but there's room for more empathy. Buying a home is an enormous financial commitment, and it's tough just to uproot once settled in, especially considering the work OP put into renovating the house.

However, it's also crucial to appreciate that teenagers like Kim often feel emotions more intensely than adults and lack the perspective that comes with age. They are more likely to be affected by the idea of living in a house with a dark past than an adult who's come to understand that mortality is a part of life and that death occurs everywhere.

Damjan