Haunted House Stories
It’s no surprise that a Halloween-themed blog would be brimming with tales of haunted houses (or at least homes that people are convinced have a ghost or two lurking inside). After spending years working for a moving company, I’ve come to expect these eerie stories as part of the job.
Haunted houses, spirits, strange goings-on – it’s all par for the course. We’ve even had customers who were utterly convinced their homes were cursed. But how much of that is real? Well, I’ll leave that for you to decide as you dive into the following few stories.
Dolly and The Seven Cats
There’s one story that always makes the rounds at our company when Halloween season rolls around, and it usually starts with, “Hey, do you guys remember old Dolly?” (For the sake of privacy, of course, all the names I use here are completely made up.)
Dolly was the sweetest old lady, living with her seven cats in a quiet, perfectly ordinary American suburb. She would’ve happily continued her peaceful retirement, surrounded by her furry companions if only she could still manage to take care of her enormous house. But Dolly was getting older, and so was the house, and she eventually had to face the inevitable—she needed to move into a care home where she could get the help and attention she needed.
When she called us to handle her move, Dolly was heartbroken. That big old house had been her home for so many years, and it had become a symbol of the neighborhood. But then, on the day of the move, Dolly disappeared. Not a trace. We checked everything – contacted her neighbors, rang her phone. Nothing. Dolly, and all seven of her cats, had just vanished. She never responded to our calls or emails again.
But here’s the spooky part. Neighbors swear that when night falls, and the street is cloaked in darkness, you can still hear her – Dolly and her seven cats, howling into the night like ghosts from a forgotten world.
In-Home Estimate Gone Wrong
This spooky moving story is about a family moving out of a house that never quite felt like a home. And it all started with an in-home estimate.
Our moving guy (let’s call him Mike) – good, old, dependable Mike, was scheduled to do a walkthrough for this family’s big move. Pretty routine, really. We almost always schedule in-home or virtual estimates, especially when the house is as big as this one. The house was a sprawling, creaky Victorian tucked away in one of those neighborhoods where every house seems to have a secret.
Barely two weeks after settling in, the family contacted us, eager to move out due to unsettling experiences. In all our years, we’d never had clients move into a house only to beg us to move them right back out.
They described hearing strange noises at night – footsteps, door slams, and inexplicable whispers. They also asked us to come over and do the inventory list again, this time in person. It started pretty normally. The house itself wasn’t anything too weird – just a classic old fixer-upper in a quiet neighborhood. Big windows, tall ceilings, the kind of place that screams “potential” if you’re willing to put in the work.
When Mike got there, he said the vibe was just… off (not that he’d admit it right away, of course). Mike’s the kind of guy who prides himself on being practical and no-nonsense.
But even he couldn’t ignore it. As he walked through the house with the couple, measuring rooms and jotting down notes, he kept hearing strange noises – faint tapping sounds, almost like footsteps above him, but whenever he glanced up, nothing was there. He also swore he heard doors creaking open and slamming shut, even though the couple insisted the house was empty. Mike didn’t say anything then because, well, who wants to be that guy who mentions ghosts during an estimate, right?
The Fiancée’s Final Move - A Spooky Moving Experience
It started when we got a call from a man named Greg. He sounded pretty normal at first, polite and straightforward. He was moving into a new apartment and needed help transporting a few belongings. Nothing too out of the ordinary, right?
But then he casually mentioned that he was moving all of his late fiancée’s things – boxes, furniture, even her clothes. The way he said it was so calm, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. We didn’t really think too much of it at the time. People grieve in different ways, right?
The day of the move came, and we arrived at Greg’s place. He showed us around, pointing out all of her things, and, I kid you not, there was an entire room filled with his fiancée’s belongings, untouched. Her favorite chair, her side of the bed made perfectly as if she’d just stepped out for a moment. It was like she still lived there – or like he believed she did. Greg was insistent that everything needed to be moved exactly as it was, down to the tiniest detail, because, according to him, she was going to live in the new place with him. He said it so casually that our zip consultant was shocked.
We packed up everything, moved it to his new apartment, and that’s when it got even weirder. Greg had set aside a whole room for her, completely decorated as if she was going to walk through the door any minute. He talked about how her spirit would be most comfortable there, how she’d prefer this layout. At this point, it wasn’t just sad; it was eerie. But what could we say? We are movers, but sometimes, we are also therapists and friends when needed.
Unexplained Events During a Move
Over the years, we’ve encountered many creepy moving experiences – from eerie sounds in empty homes to bizarre client requests – but some stories still send shivers down our spines long after the trucks have rolled away.
The Mirror That Wouldn’t Stay Packed
It was a simple job – pack up a one-bedroom apartment for a client moving cross-country. Everything was going smoothly until we got to this old, ornate mirror. Every time we wrapped it, sealed it, and set it aside, we’d turn around to find the box open and the mirror lying out.
At first, we thought someone was playing a joke. But it happened three times – and the last time, we’d all been in the kitchen together. The client shrugged and said, “That mirror belonged to my grandmother. She always liked to make sure she was seen.” We double-wrapped it after that and couldn’t help but check the back seat of the truck a few times as we drove off. Safe to say, we didn’t look too hard into the rearview.
A Moving Day 911 Emergency
It was a seemingly ordinary day for our safety guy, Stephen – the kind of day where he’s used to hearing quirky moving mishaps, from missing boxes to pets getting locked in rooms. But that day, for the first time, he received a panicked email that stopped him cold.
The email was short but terrifying: “Call 911 immediately. A man with a gun just entered my apartment. I’m hiding and can’t speak. Please, do it now before he finds me.”
Stephen’s heart raced as he reread the message. This wasn’t your typical moving day dilemma. Without wasting a second, he called 911, his voice steady but filled with urgency as he relayed the situation. Every second felt like an eternity, and the silence from the client’s side only made the wait more agonizing.
The police responded quickly, arriving at the apartment within minutes. Stephen sat staring at his screen, refreshing his inbox, hoping for a sign that everything was okay.
Finally, he got word back. The police had secured the building, and the client, who had been hiding silently in a closet, was safe. The man had indeed broken in, but thanks to Stephen’s quick thinking, the authorities were able to intervene before anything worse could happen.
That day changed Stephen’s idea of what a “normal” workday could be. It was a stark reminder that sometimes, even in the world of moving, real-life emergencies come crashing through when you least expect them.
Moving Stories for a Spooky Season
Think of residential moving services as your personal moving assistant, always ready to lend a hand. We’re not just a moving company; we’re your neighbors who understand the little quirks of moving day.
Packing up your life can feel like a game of Tetris, but with our expert team, we’ll make sure every piece fits perfectly!
From carefully packing your favorite mug to ensuring your couch makes it through the door, we take pride in treating your belongings as if they were our own. So, while you dive into the excitement of your new home, let our Zip movers handle the heavy lifting and logistics. Together, we’ll turn this new chapter into a smooth and memorable journey!
