Boo! A countryside estate in West Sussex, England, valued at $7.4 million, has been stuck on the market for over a decade — and its owner blames Adele.
The Grammy-winning singer rented the 10-bedroom mansion, Lock House, for six months in 2012. During an interview with Anderson Cooper on “60 Minutes” that same year, Adele described the property as “scary,” admitting it “gave her the creeps.” Although she never explicitly called it haunted, her comments may have affected the mansion’s marketability.
Nicholas Sutton, the property’s owner, claims the superstar’s remarks scared off potential buyers. He put it up for sale for $8.9 million in 2011. “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,” Sutton wrote in a planning application submitted to Horsham District Council.
Lock House, a converted Edwardian convent, boasts 20,000 square feet and includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a tennis court, a helicopter pad, and 32 acres of land. Despite extensive renovations — including converting the chapel into a family kitchen — Sutton says the mansion’s upkeep and institutional past have made it a hard sell.
The property was originally constructed in 1909 and later owned by a convent. Sutton’s frustration reached new heights after the only serious offer, made in 2020, fell through when the buyer learned of the home’s eerie reputation.
Now, Sutton is pursuing an alternative plan. He’s seeking permission to divide the mansion into three residential units and convert the garage and mansion into three houses and a cottage.
“This proposal provides the optimum viable use of Lock House, preserving its historical significance while delivering much-needed housing,” he said.
Adele’s stay at the property may have been brief, but her influence seems to have lingered. While she has since moved on to other glamorous homes — and amassed a net worth of over $183 million — Lock House remains trapped in limbo, its market value haunted by whispers of her past remarks.
