Usually there is a little bit of cachet when one of the world’s most beloved stars has lived in a sprawling pile that comes up for sale.
But not in the case of Lock House, which, according to the vendor, has failed to find a buyer because the singer Adele has blighted it by saying it was haunted.
Adele lived in the West Sussex home, a former convent, for six months and is named half a dozen times in a planning statement from the owner, who is now aiming to convert it because a buyer can’t be found for the whole house.
Adele showed the American TV network CBS around the Grade II-listed house in 2012 and said she found it “quite scary”, but did not say she thought it was haunted. A British tabloid claimed the singer-songwriter was convinced the house was haunted and Hello! also featured it in a list of stars’ ghostly homes.
It may seem a bit of harmless fun, but not for the owner, who claims the 10-bedroom home set in almost 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of land near the village of Partridge Green is unsaleable in its current state.
The planning statement says the Grade II-listed house is surrounded by grounds with “roaming deer, mature oak, cedar, Scots pine and lime trees” and views towards the South Downs.
It was built at the start of the 20th century and a ballroom was added in 1940. In the 1970s it was converted into the “convent of the visitation” and the ballroom was converted into a chapel.
The current owner bought it in 2003 and refurbished it, turning the ballroom/chapel into a family kitchen. It now has a cinema room, snooker room, a “leisure complex” with a swimming pool, tennis court and a summer house.
Adele rented it for six months after the owner moved out. But the planning statement 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.”
It adds: “Adele … blighted the property saying it is haunted”, continuing: “The applicant has actively tried to sell the property for about 14 years. Despite the property being consistently marketed by top agents, no offers have been forthcoming.
“Full marketing efforts were made, including brochures, professional photography, advertising in Country Life, national PR campaigns and exposure on all major property portals.
“The only offer received over the years was in August 2020, but the prospective buyer withdrew after learning about the property’s supposed haunted status.”
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The owner is now seeking permission to transform the mansion and a garage into three houses and a cottage.
He said: “This proposal provides the optimum viable use of Lock House, preserving its historical significance while delivering much-needed housing,” and urged Horsham district council to grant permission.
In the CBS interview, Adele, who is from London, mentioned that the house used to be a convent. When showing the interviewer around, she said she had moved for privacy, adding: “This house is a bit of a cliche really. This bit’s all quite scary really. It was a convent for a little while.”
The interviewer mentioned the horror story The Shining, to which Adele replied: “All work and no play,” a reference to the “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” line made famous in the film The Shining starring Jack Nicholson.
The Sun reported that Adele was convinced the house was haunted and had heard “things that made her jump”.
