Poltergeist house will become Airbnb to replicate original film set

The Poltergeist house in Simi Valley, California has officially sold for $1.28 million — and it will become an Airbnb that the new owners will remodel to match the sets used in the classic horror film.

The home was initially put on the market a few months earlier in August for the first time since 1979 - and was listed at $1.175 million. 

Christian Melgar and Zo Amilee from Coldwell Banker Reality Westlake Village told TMZ in an article published on Saturday that the property sold on Friday for $1.28 million, which was $100K over the original asking price. 

The buyer is an investor from Los Gatos, California, and they have the goal to rent out the house after reviving the abode to look like the Poltergeist film set with furniture and decorations. 

The supernatural horror classic — which was written and produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre filmmaker Tobe Hooper — was released in 1982, and notably became the eighth highest-grossing film of that year. 

However, a date when the house will be available for Airbnb guests to reside in is not known. 

The 16,000 square-foot Simi Valley home — which is located north of Thousand Oaks and Malibu — has four bedrooms, as well as two-and-a-half bathrooms. 

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Poltergeist house hits market for first time since 1979 with $1.175M asking price

A large swimming pool is located in the spacious backyard, as well as a circular jacuzzi nearby. 

The front of the house has a three car garage as well as patches of green grass and a few shady trees - while a brick walkway leads up to the wooden front door.

Per the listing in August from Equity Union Real Estate's Lauren Murdock, the abode has 'a thoughtfully designed layout perfect for entertaining, relaxing, and living your best life.'

The home has been 'well taken care of' and possesses 'good energy' in spite of its ties to the film franchise. 

The two-level home includes a vast living room that has large windows, allowing for ample sun to come in 'creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.'

The home has a dining room that connects to a kitchen 'where fans of the movie will love to see it's still in its original form but with updated appliances,' the listing stated.

A family room that features a fireplace and space for an office, according to the listing, or 'could easily be converted into a downstairs bedroom.'

The home's four bedrooms are situated in the upper level of the home, as the master bedroom has vaulted ceilings, which the listing stated establishes 'an airy and open atmosphere of tranquility.'

The master bedroom also includes a large bathroom with a huge bathtub with double sinks, a shower and an expansive walk-in closet.

The upstairs area also consists of a trio of bedrooms and a vast bathroom in the home's hallway.

In the storyline of the film, a suburban home (later revealed to have been built on a burial site) was haunted by demonic ghosts who sought to force out the Freeling family. 

Stars that were cast in the project included JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Oliver Robins and the late Heather O'Rourke and Dominique Dunne.

Tragically, the motion picture has been linked to a curse in which a number of actors in the film franchise died prematurely.

They include Heather O'Rourke, who died at the age of 12 during surgery in February of 1988; and Dominique Dunne, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend at 22 in November of 1982.  

In a 2022 piece for Vanity Fair in commemoration with the 40th anniversary of the motion picture's release, Williams said that she learned that real human remains were used amid production of the film.

'I always assumed that the skeletons were made by the prop department,' Williams told the outlet. 

'A few years later, I ran into one of the special effects guys, and I said, "You guys making all those skeletons, that must have been really amazing."'

'He said, "Oh, we didn't make them, those were real." I said, "What?" He said, "Yeah, they were real skeletons."'

Said Williams: 'I don't know where they were bought from, but that really grossed me out. I'm glad I didn’t know that then, because I would've really been screaming a lot - for real.'

Following the film's release and box office success, Poltergeist garnered various accolades, such as three Oscar nominations for Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. 

Two sequels were also made: Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988). A remake of the original film was released in 2015.