# Help...200 year old house that I want to make haunted



## Firsttimer (May 4, 2005)

Hey everyone....I am new and wanted to see if anyone may have some suggestions as to how to proceed.

I have 2 goals. I want to add exterior/interior lighting to my house so when the sun goes down, the house looks very scary from the outside. I am sure there is someone out there that has some experience with this. I am prepared to spend some money on the correct outdoor lighting that will last all year long. I would like to do this with out any "props" on the outside...so that people who see it during the day think it looks "nice"....

the second goal is to put on a cool Halloween haunt....I want to start this process now becuase Halloween will be here faster than I think. I know there are alot of people who are making there own haunts, but I really don't have a lot of time for fabrication. I would like to do something that starts off down the driveway and make them walk to the house/spring house where there are a few scares along the way, finally making it to where the candy is, and something that will scare the skin off of them. I have actually considered making two entrances...so the little kids have a place to go where they will not be too scared.

Sorry to be so long, any help would be greatly appreciated...here is a link to my house...there are pictures there where you can see what I am working with....

www.locustgrovehouse.com

thanks again in advance...

Don Kraper


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## Zombie-F (Apr 12, 2004)

One thing you can do that is easy and somewhat effective, is simply point some floodlights up at the house. The key is to put the floods very close to the house and point them upwards to cast long shadows up the face of the house. I did this last year using orange floods and was very pleased at how creepy it made the exterior. I also had the windows boarded up, but I don't think that is what you're going for.

As for your haunt, if money is no object, there are lots of commercially available supplies around, as well as fellow haunters who build stuff for sale. This is the quickest and easiest way to get something set up, but is very costly due to the intricacy and lengthy build processes of many of the props available.

On the other hand, if you're handy with some power tools and don't mind putting in the effort, you can save a bundle by making your own stuff. Mark Butler's Monster List is an exhaustive collection of how-to links that is very handy in building almost anything you can imagine.


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## CanopyOfCarnage (Apr 8, 2005)

*Nice house*

This is OT, but I have to say you put alot of work into the house, it looks good and when you make the haunted house it wil look better! Nice work and good luck in 05' with your haunted house.


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## hollyberry (Aug 24, 2005)

We just bought an old house too.. this one is only 105 years old .. but you can have a look at what we have done so far

http://www.hollyberrysworld.com/nhmain.html
and here are pics of the house before we moved in 
http://www.hollyberrysworld.com/nh1.html

I agree with Zombie-F that colored flood lights will go a long way in making it creepy looking .. another thing you might consider is spanish moss hanging from anything and everything ..lol... helps add a way creepy look.

Other than that I would probably line the path to teh house with tombstones here and there and statues and maybe some ghosts amonth them... tattered dirty ghosts .. nothing new and spanking white....

Adding sounds as well along the walk and around the outside would be cool and creepy .. you could have some heavy breathing ... some growling.. some whispering and maybe sounds of a child singing or talking to herself would be creepy.

YOu can check out how we have our haunt planned for this year here 
http://www.bastardrat.com


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

Welcome Don. Nice house!

Rob at Skullandbone.com did a nice tutorial on lighting that you might want to review.
http://skullandbone.com/tutorial_01.htm

Mentioned in that tutorial is using a secondary light behind the house which creates an outline effect. I did that last year and it really made the house look larger and creepier with the light reflecting off the trees in the back. I used a 250 watt light with a blue gel but he suggests in the tutorial using an orange.


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## ScareFX (Aug 18, 2004)

One other thing. A Flying Crank Ghost would look fantastic in the upstairs window.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Very neat house, looks somewhat like mine, though mine is only 170 years.
I agree with the up lights, but a lower wattage bulb I find to work the best (20 or less).
White columns with a gate and old black iron fence with ivy and moss wond in it would be a nice touch also.

Here's a link to home http://www.thefrighteners.com/visualtour.htm
The only thing we've done so far is the exterior lighting, everything else in the tour was from the previus owners. Though, as closing they did mention that we have a ghost. Havn't seen it yet and it's been almost a year here.

Jeff


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## death2u (May 16, 2004)

You should sell that house to me. Its beauty is beyond words.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

death2u said:


> You should sell that house to me. Its beauty is beyond words.


Well, thank you Death2U.
You know, the heat bill goes along with it!  
I had to call the gas company thinking they made a mistake 
They didn't

Jeff aka The Frightener


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## VtheVamp (Apr 27, 2004)

ok if I wasnt depressed before I sure am now! Hopefully some day I will grow up and find my 100 old house.  Beautiful homes guys!!


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## HibLaGrande (Sep 25, 2005)

My house will be 200 years old in another 160 years! you could buy it now for say $450,000? it will be worth twice that 160 years from now and you won't have to bother waiting so long.:googly:


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## VtheVamp (Apr 27, 2004)

HibLaGrande said:


> My house will be 200 years old in another 160 years! you could buy it now for say $450,000? it will be worth twice that 160 years from now and you won't have to bother waiting so long.:googly:


silly! Thanks for the heads up. :zombie:


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