Whereas once, people used to do anything to avoid or ward off "evil spirits", with hanging up horseshoes and other lucky charms commonplace, the research shows that 43 per cent of people say they would not be put off purchasing a property if it was rumoured to be haunted.
Moreover, one in three people, 34 per cent, claim to have lived in a house that was either haunted or rumoured to be haunted.
It appears that most Brits are very resistant to things that have traditionally been considered "spine chilling"; 74 per cent would not be put off purchasing a property if a previous owner had died there (although they would want the asking price to be lowered), 82 per cent would purchase a property that was "No 13" in the road and 37 per cent would even buy a house if it had a "sinister past".
Most tellingly of all, if things did start to "go bump in the night", only 30 per cent of people say that they would move out of the property. Should this spookiest thing of all happen, 45 per cent of people say they would just stay put, and 24 per cent say they would stay put, but would hire an exorcist to try and chase off the source of the nocturnal disturbances.
Lynsey Hallam, group press officer at Portman Building Society commented: "It would appear that British homeowners are ghost proof! They are certainly not fazed by the thought or reality of spooky goings on in their homes and with a significant third of people saying that they have lived in a haunted property or one that is rumoured to be haunted, it would seem that the demand for property remains pretty much the same whether it is renowned to be haunted or not."
