Our house is properly haunted and I don't know what to do

I'm going to sound completely mad but I don't know where else to post this. My family (me, my wife Claire, and our two kids aged 8 and 5) moved into a Victorian terraced house in Sheffield about eight months ago. For the first few months, nothing strange. Lovely old place, bit of work needed, but generally fine.

But about four months ago, things started getting... odd. It started with sounds - footsteps in the hallway at night, someone walking down the stairs even though nobody had. Claire heard it first, then I did, then one night our son came into our room terrified because he'd heard 'someone walking in the corridor.'

Then about six weeks ago, we started finding things moved. Not anything dramatic - doors that were definitely closed being open, the kettle being turned on (not boiled, but switched on), lights flickering in specific rooms. Last week, Claire's wedding ring disappeared from the bathroom and turned up in the downstairs loo. The loo.

I want to be rational about this. I really do. But I'm getting scared, and I'm more scared that I'm scaring my kids. Does anyone have genuine experience with this? Not ghost hunters, not TV psychics, but actual people dealing with this in their own homes?

Before I suggest paranormal explanations, let me ask some practical questions: Have you had the house surveyed for subsidence or structural issues? Old Victorian properties sometimes settle, which can cause creaking, doors swinging open, etc. Have you checked for draught currents that might move objects? Carbon monoxide detector - seriously, get one if you haven't? Psychological priming is powerful - once you think a house is haunted, your brain interprets normal noises as sinister.

None of that means nothing's happening. But it's worth eliminating basics first.

and I'm more scared that I'm scaring my kids

This is the real issue. Whether it's genuinely haunted or not, the fear is affecting your family. I'd honestly suggest getting a respected local vicar to do a blessing, or a house cleansing from someone qualified (check reviews, avoid obvious charlatans). Even if there's nothing paranormal, having a 'ritual' that makes you feel the house is cleansed can be genuinely therapeutic.

My mate had something similar in Leeds. Turned out to be a combination of settling house, plus his anxiety amplifying normal sounds. But he felt better after a vicar visited, and the incidents seemed to stop. Placebo or genuine, the result was the same.

We had something quite similar in our old flat in Manchester. Footsteps, things moved, the works. For us it turned out to be pipes, rats in the walls, and our own nervous system making mountains out of molehills. But it was TERRIFYING while it was happening.

What helped us: documenting everything (dates, times, witnesses), being genuinely skeptical about our own interpretations, and getting the house professionally checked (surveyor, electrician, pest control). Once we'd ruled out practical explanations, the activity seemed to diminish.

I'm not saying it's not haunted. But if you rule out the mundane stuff first, at least you'll know.

This needs a proper parapsychological investigation. Contact the Society for Psychical Research - they've got members in the Sheffield area who investigate this stuff seriously. They won't assume it's haunted, but they'll actually look at evidence rather than dismiss it. Much more credible than Most Haunted type people.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Whether it's genuinely paranormal or not, your fear is valid. But please do the basic checks first - carbon monoxide is a silent killer and can cause hallucinations and strange sensations. Old houses make noise. Drafts move things. Kids are suggestible.

If after ruling out the practical stuff the activity continues, THEN look into paranormal explanations. You're clearly thoughtful people, so approach it methodically rather than emotionally.