Is My House Haunted? 7 Signs To Look For From Paranormal Investigators
If you are reading this because something in your home does not feel right, you are not being silly or dramatic. Living somewhere that makes you feel on edge, watched, or just not quite comfortable is tiring. Even if it all turns out to have a very normal cause, it is still important to get to the bottom of it, so that you can get back to feeling at peace in your own home.
At KASE Paranormal we speak to a lot of people who start with, “This is probably nothing, but…”. Quite often it is a mix of ordinary house quirks and a few things that are harder to explain. Our job is not to judge or tell you what you should think. We listen, look at what is going on in the property, and try to work out whether there is anything genuinely unusual happening.
If you would like a bit more detail on how we work generally, please head over to our “What We Do” page to have a read.
In this guide, we will walk through:
Simple checks you can do yourself
Seven common signs people associate with a haunting
When it might be time to ask for a trusted investigation team to visit or friendly house check
Before You Assume It Is Paranormal, Do These Simple Checks
A lot of classic “haunted house” activity overlaps with everyday issues in older (and newer) homes. Before you jump straight to ghosts, it is worth ruling out a few basics. This is not to dismiss you. It often helps you feel more grounded and in control.
Heating, plumbing and the building settling
Central heating switching on and off, pipes cooling, and radiators expanding can all cause knocks, bangs and ticking sounds.
Old floorboards can creak loudly when temperatures shift or when someone walks in another part of the house.
Loft spaces can amplify noises from wind, birds, or loose tiles.
If you can, note what time the noises happen and whether they line up with heating cycles or temperature changes.
Electrics and lighting
Flickering bulbs, buzzing lights, or devices switching on and off can sometimes be traced to loose connections or overloaded sockets.
Cheap LED bulbs can flicker more than older bulbs.
If you feel safe to do so, try a different bulb or plug a lamp into a different socket. If in doubt, speak to a qualified electrician.
Windows, doors and airflow
Draughty windows and ill fitting doors can create cold spots and whistling sounds that feel very focused in one area.
Internal doors that are not hung straight can swing by themselves when a window opens elsewhere in the house.
Walk slowly around with your hand out and see whether the coldest points are near windows, vents, chimneys or external doors.
If these basic checks explain your experiences and the uneasy feeling settles, that is a positive outcome. If they do not, or if you are noticing patterns that go beyond what seems reasonable, it may be worth looking at some of the classic “signs” people report.
7 Signs Your House Might Be Haunted
These are not hard rules and one sign on its own does not automatically mean your house is haunted. What matters is the pattern over time, how it affects you, and whether ordinary causes have been ruled out.
1. Repeated unexplained noises in specific areas
Most homes make the odd random noise. What gets our attention as investigators is when:
Footsteps, knocking, or tapping sounds repeat in the same place
The noises respond to your presence or questions, for example knock patterns that match your requests
The sounds are heard by more than one person and cannot be traced to pipes, neighbours, pets, or the usual house movements
If you feel comfortable, try calmly saying something like, “If that was you, can you make that sound again please?” and see whether anything changes. Make a note of the time and location.
2. A consistent feeling of being watched or not being alone
Gut feelings matter. Many people tell us that one room feels heavy, uncomfortable, or “as if someone is standing right behind me” even when it looks completely normal.
Things to notice:
Does the feeling come and go or is it constant?
Is it worse at certain times of day or night?
Does it ease if you move furniture, change the lighting, or open a window?
Sometimes the layout of a room, low lighting or high EMF from electrical equipment can affect how we feel. If those environmental tweaks make no difference and the sense of a presence remains, that is worth noting.
3. Sudden cold spots or changes in temperature
Stories about hauntings often mention cold spots, especially if they are very localised, such as “a patch in the hallway that always feels icy.” While draughts and poor insulation can explain a lot, some investigations record temperature drops that do not match the heating or airflow in the building.
What to look for:
A cold patch in a room that does not change even when heating is on
A noticeable drop in temperature when activity is reported, compared with baseline readings at other times
Cold spots combined with other signs on this list
A basic digital thermometer can help you get a feel for what is normal in your home.
4. Electrical disturbances that follow a pattern
Lights flickering occasionally is usually electrical. It becomes more interesting when:
The same light, plug, or device misbehaves only during particular conversations or in response to questions
Devices switch on and off while other electrical items on the same circuit are unaffected
The activity continues after an electrician has checked the wiring
Devices turn on without an obvious source of power
If this is happening, keep a simple log of dates, times, what was happening in the room, and who witnessed it.
5. Objects moving or being found in strange places
Many of us misplace items when we are busy. It is different when:
Objects are repeatedly found in the same odd location
Items move while multiple people are in the room and can see them
You hear distinct sounds of items being dropped or thrown, and then find something out of place or find nothing anywhere, at all.
Objects disappear, never to be found again.
In some cases, this kind of activity is labelled “poltergeist like.” It can also be linked with stress in a household, so it is important to look at the whole picture calmly.
6. Unusual smells with no obvious source
Reports of unexplained smells often include:
Tobacco smoke in a non smoking home
Perfume, flowers, or aftershave linked to someone who has passed away
Less pleasant odours that arrive suddenly, linger briefly, then vanish
First, check the obvious sources, such as drains, fridges, pets, chimneys and nearby neighbours. If those are ruled out, note when the smells appear, where in the house, and whether they seem to connect with anything else.
7. Apparitions, shadows, and vivid experiences on the edge of sleep
Seeing a figure, a shadow person, or a face is one of the most intense experiences people report. It can happen:
Wide awake, often at the same spot in a hallway, doorway, or landing
In the corner of the eye, as if someone has just walked past
During sleep paralysis episodes, when your body is asleep but your mind is awake, and you cannot move
Sleep paralysis is a recognised sleep phenomenon and can involve extremely vivid experiences. At the same time, some apparitions are seen by fully awake witnesses in clear conditions. When we investigate, we look at medical, psychological, and environmental factors alongside the possibility of genuine paranormal phenomena.
If you would like to understand how a proper investigation team approaches this sort of thing, you can read our blog post “An Introduction to Paranormal Investigating”.
When a Paranormal Investigation Team Can Help
You do not need to have dramatic evidence to ask for help. In fact, many private investigations begin because a homeowner says something like:
|| “I feel uncomfortable in my own home and I just want to know whether there is anything to this.”
A professional style investigation can help when:
You have ruled out basic causes and the activity still unsettles you
Multiple people in the house have witnessed the same things
The activity is affecting sleep, relationships, or your willingness to be in certain rooms
You would like a neutral, respectful team to look at the situation with fresh eyes
KASE Paranormal offers supportive, private investigations across Kent and the South East. You can read more about our approach here: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/private-investigations
If a visit is appropriate and you are comfortable with it, a small team will:
Talk with you in more detail about what has been happening
Take baseline readings for temperature, EMF and other environmental factors
Spend time in the affected areas, using equipment and quiet observation
Review any existing photos, videos or audio you may have collected
You remain in control of what happens in your home at every stage.
If you want an example of how a real life case unfolded, you can also look at our Ashford Private House Investigation case study in the blog: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/blog/ashford-private-house-investigation
How To Reach Out For Support
If you live in Kent or the wider South East and you are dealing with unsettling activity, you do not have to handle it alone.
On the KASE Paranormal website you will find:
A short contact form where you can outline what you are experiencing in your own words: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/contact-us
An option to book a free chat about what you are experiencing. You can request this directly in the contact form.
Reach us via email or WhatsApp if you’d like to get in touch quickly
Find us on social media:
You can also browse other articles on our blog if you want to read more while you decide what to do next: https://www.kaseparanormal.co.uk/blog
Whether your house turns out to be haunted, quirky, or simply in need of a few repairs, you deserve to feel safe and settled in your own space. If something does not feel right, it is absolutely reasonable to ask for help.