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Adele’s Remarks Haunt West Sussex Mansion Sale

In a surprising twist, international pop sensation Adele’s brief residency in a palatial West Sussex estate has come back to haunt the property’s owner years later. The singer’s offhand remarks during a television interview about finding the house “quite scary” are now being blamed for the owner’s inability to sell the sprawling mansion, once a convent.

Adele’s Memorable Mansion Stay

Back in 2012, at the height of her stardom, Adele rented the Lock House estate in the idyllic English countryside for a six-month stint. The Grade II-listed property, set on nearly 7.5 acres of picturesque grounds, boasts a rich history. Originally built in the early 20th century, it was later converted into a convent before being transformed into a luxurious private residence.

During a tour of the home with American TV network CBS, Adele casually remarked that she found the vast estate “quite scary.” While the superstar never explicitly claimed the property was haunted, her comments seemed to imply an eerie atmosphere lurking within the storied walls.

Owner Fights Haunted Reputation

Fast forward to the present day, and those seemingly innocent remarks have come back to plague the mansion’s owner. In a recent planning application submitted to the local council, he directly attributes Adele’s statements to the property’s tarnished reputation and his inability to find a buyer, despite aggressive marketing efforts by top real estate agents.

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.

– Excerpt from Lock House owner’s planning statement

The owner goes on to lament that Adele’s ghost story association has “blighted” the estate, rendering it unsaleable in its current state. He reveals that after nearly 14 years of actively trying to sell, only one offer came through in 2020, and even that fell apart once the prospective buyer learned of the supposed haunting.

From Convent to Private Compound

The irony of a former convent being branded as haunted is not lost on local history buffs. Lock House’s unique past saw it transition from a lavish private estate to a Convent of the Visitation in the 1970s. The mansion’s grand ballroom was even consecrated as a chapel during this holy period.

When the current owner acquired the property in 2003, he oversaw extensive renovations to convert it back into an opulent residence. The ballroom-turned-chapel now serves as an expansive family kitchen, with additional amenities like a home cinema, game room, pool complex, and tennis court rounding out the estate’s lavish offerings.

Plans to Subdivide and Conquer

Stymied by Adele’s ghost of a chance remark, the beleaguered owner is now seeking permission from the council to carve up the estate into three separate homes and a cottage, arguing it presents the “optimum viable use” for a property otherwise shackled by superstitious lore. He contends the conversion will preserve Lock House’s historical significance while providing “much-needed housing.”

As the planning committee ponders the mansion’s fate, the question remains: will Adele’s star power continue to eclipse this estate’s prospects, or can it be reborn and shake off its haunted reputation? In the fickle world of celebrity real estate, only time will tell if the owner can exorcise the ghost of Adele’s off-the-cuff remarks and breathe new life into the storied grounds of Lock House.