Toronto family buys 38-room funeral home for $599,999 and turns it into dream house

Why this Ont. family bought a haunted funeral home Here's why this Ontario family bought a centuries-old Victorian home outside Windsor that once served as a funeral home.

A Toronto family is dead set on turning a nearly 150-year-old former funeral parlour in southwestern Ontario into the home of their dreams -- even if it means putting up with a few ghostly roommates.

“100 per cent, it’s haunted. But it’s pretty friendly. It’s mostly very friendly,” Heather Blumberg told CTV News Toronto during an interview on Halloween.

Heather, originally from the United Kingdom, and her husband, Arryn, originally from South Africa, moved into the sprawling 12,000-square-foot home a year and a half ago with their children, Rafferty, 20, and Noa, 14.

The young family used to live in Toronto’s hip Roncesvalles neighbourhood before they saw the $599,999-listing for the Dresden, Ont. property online.

The Blumbergs weren’t looking to leave Toronto -- and admit they didn’t know the space used to be a funeral home until just before viewing the 38-room property in the middle of the pandemic -- but that changed as soon as they opened the door.

“We walked in this place and literally within minutes, we were like, ‘Yeah, we're buying it,’” Heather recalled.

The purchase did raise some eyebrows though among their neighbours in Toronto.

“I think our neighbors thought that we were out of our minds,” Arryn explained. He added that their families in South Africa and the U.K. were less surprised by their unorthodox home choice, following years of living abroad and off the beaten track.

As with any older property, the home in Dresden was in need of repairs, especially after sitting vacant for five to six years prior to the sale. During that time, Arryn explained that the property had been battered by Ontario’s wintry weather and its damage had started to show.

“I think the community was worried about what would happen to it, because it is has been such a focal point for such a long time,” he said.

To that end, the family has since installed new plumbing, HVAC and other major home improvements to keep it in good shape, all while collaborating with the neighbourhood to make sure the space lives up to its former glory.

“We are making sure that we are respectful of what we do in the house… You know, we can't please everybody. Some people still think we're weird, but for the most part it’s been good,” Heather said.

And that effort to play nice with the locals has gone a long way. The Blumbergs say the people of Dresden have gone “out of their way” to welcome them.

Their good-nature has been well received not only by those living in the area, but also by the ghosts the family believes lives with them.

“It could be anything from footsteps that sort of walk around certain rooms. We have a lady's voice that shouts out ‘Hello.’ Day. Night. Never anything else just ‘Hello,’” Heather says of just of few of the supernatural personalities they cohabitate with.

“We have music that plays from the basement. We have a guy that people see on our side porch or walking through our hallways, doors opening and closing, et cetera,” she added.

For the most part, the Blumberg’s patience with the paranormal has made for a practical living arrangement, just as long as certain rules are followed

“Don't try and engage [with the ghosts] and don't antagonize one way or another. You know, then everybody gets to live vaguely peacefully. They were here first, and they'll probably be here long after we're gone,” Arryn said.

Monday night marks the first Halloween in the home where the Blumbergs can really focus on their spooky celebrations.

Those lucky enough to be in the area tonight will be greeted by a house covered in red light and at least 1,000 fake bats meant to poke fun at the very real bat problem the Blumbergs have experienced at the property.

“We do have a bit of a bat infestation here. And they randomly fly out at us…So we're going to be running out of the house in bloody torn black clothes after being attacked [by the bats],” Heather said while describing their festive display.

Beyond Halloween, Heather and Arryn appear to be quite happy in their new home and say their citizenship applications were just filed about a month ago.

The Blumberg family says they plan to continue their renovations while breathing new life into the property that may have otherwise been forgotten.

“We love being here and [feel] very settled,” Arryn said.