I think I have a ghost

[Haunted]

I moved into a house built in the 1800s. It's an antebellum plantation house in Georgia. At night I hear what sounds like footsteps on the stairs but when I look there is no one there. I don't have any pets and I don't think I have rats or anything.

What should I do?

[KarinaKay]

We have a member - IndyEastsider - who has written a wonderful - FREE - guide to living in a haunted home:

http://hauntedhomes.wordpress.com/files ... _smash.pdf

This is what he says,

One thing that is commonly reported as paranormal activity is the sound of footsteps. These sounds could easily be nothing more than the natural sounds of a house settling, especially with modern construction methods.

One investigator, after reading about an Amish carpenter who stated that improperly nailed flooring and steps could result in the sound of someone walking in parts of a house, consulted a master carpenter – a guy who does quality work. He confirmed everything the Amish carpenter said about nailing flooring and steps and had even said he worked on a staircase where it would sound like someone walking down them at night. Upon inspection of the staircase he found several issues that would result in settling sounds. After he was finished reworking the staircase the footsteps went away.

http://hauntedhomeowners.com/evidence/

I would look for a non-paranormal cause first, such as settling. After ruling out the mundane, i would consider contacting a paranormal group.

[IndyEastsider]

Thanks, KK. =D

On anther hand, you might not need to do anything. It sounds like a lovely home. If there are other things going on, an investigation might be interesting to pursue. If all you experience is "footsteps", please realize that the noises are not going to harm anybody, whether it is a paranormal cause or just the house settling.

One investigation I did involved reported footsteps, but the hallway and front room were newly refurbished with nice wooden floors. Every time the furnace kicked on there was quite a racket due to the wood planks shifting with the changes in temperature and the vibration of the air blower. There are many possible causes. You may also want to check with a contractor that you trust to check for other noise sources.

[Unicorn0]

Houses in the south always have to deal with the humidity. And, sometimes it gets cold at night. Can create a lot of different sounds.

[Haunted]

Thanks everyone for you responses. I think I'll do a little investigation of my own.

[KarinaKay]

Thanks everyone for you responses. I think I'll do a little investigation of my own.

Absolutely no problem! Hope it helps

Within a few weeks, I'll have a section developed where people can find paranormal groups in their area, should the need arise.

[MidniteRed]

Unicorn makes an excellent point about humidity and wood. Your home does sound lovely!