A New Survey Reveals People Would Spend the Night Alone in a Haunted House for $10,000

Whether you're the kind of person who would willingly stay in a haunted house or someone who gets shivers down your spine at the mere thought, a recent survey from California Contractor Bonds reveals that most people would spend the night in one willingly when incentivized. The study checked in with over 1,000 people across the United States to see what it would take for them to sleep alone in a paranormal residence. Turns out, more than half of the participants would require $10,000 or more to do so.

Some respondents said they weren't willing to spend the night alone in a haunted house point blank, but almost 14 percent of the participants could be convinced if they were offered $1 million. However, most would rather earn less money if it meant they were allowed to bring a friend with them. According to the survey results, the majority (56 percent) of respondents would take $10,000 and stay with a friend, rather than go it alone and rake in six figures. Of all the age groups surveyed, millennials were the biggest daredevils with 11 percent of respondents saying they would stay solo for free.

Brave ones know that sleeping in a haunted house for one night is manageable—but would you buy one? The survey revealed that 25 percent of participants would purchase a home they knew was haunted, while 38 percent are willing to buy a residence that someone was murdered inside; a whopping 70 percent would buy a house they knew someone died in. Purchasing a haunted house is where baby boomers dominate; nearly half of these respondents said they were willing to take the plunge (although they might bow out if locals were afraid of the house).

The survey results reveal a lot about people's individual fears. Believe or not, only six percent of respondents were most worried about ghosts, while the majority (65 percent) were most afraid of going down into the basement (fair enough!). Other fears include demons (47 percent) and possessed dolls (24 percent) But perhaps it's less about what you see and more about what you hear. The survey noted that 41 percent of participants said that the sound of singing children is the most terrifying part about haunted houses—and one in five are most afraid of the sound of footsteps.