A listed mansion has failed to sell because of singer Adele’s claims it is haunted, its owner says.
The superstar rented Lock House in Partridge Green for six months in 2011 when it been on the market for £5.75 million.
While living there, she gave an interview to CBS saying she believed it was haunted.
Owner Nicholas Sutton now wants to convert the house into three homes and the garage into a cottage.
And he says Adele’s comments are the reason the house cannot be sold intact.
His latest planning application to Horsham District Council, he says: “Unfortunately, during an interview on CBS, Adele remarked that she believed the house to be haunted. This comment negatively impacted future marketing efforts and continues to affect the property’s reputation to this day.”
He says that after Adele left, the house was put on the market for sale again and then in 2013, rented to another tenant who said she was going to run a bespoke dressmaking business there.
The application says: “However, it was later discovered that the tenant had misrepresented her intentions and was, in fact, running a residential retreat with 11 guest bedrooms and a fitness boot camp.
“Upon learning of this unauthorised use from disgruntled neighbours, the applicant took immediate action to stop the tenant’s activities. The tenant vacated the property six months into the tenancy, in early 2014.”
The application says the next tenant claimed to be a wealthy individual from Monaco, signed a lease for two years but only paid one quarter’s rent.
It says: “It took three years for the applicant to regain possession after the tenant sought postponements due to undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
“Once the applicant finally regained vacant possession, the property was re-marketed by Strutt and Parker at a lower price, reflecting the poor condition the house had been left in by the evicted tenant. Unfortunately, once again, no offers were forthcoming.
“In response, the applicant lightly refurbished Lock House, installing a new kitchen, new carpets, and redecorating throughout. Despite this, efforts to sell the property through Savills and Knight Frank in 2020 for £5.75 million did not lead to any offers.
“With further marketing efforts proving unsuccessful, the applicant reluctantly decided to fully refurbish the house again, move back into the house and present it as a loved family home.
“Even after this attempt, and despite marketing at £500,000 less than the most recent Red Book valuation of £6.75 million (as of October 2022), there has been only one viewing in nine months and no offers.”
