Halloween is drawing ever so near -- and while kiddos are freaked out by goblins and ghosts, we grownups are spooked by something far scarier: the check engine light on the car dashboard, the groaning hot water heater in the basement, or the evidence of termites.
The joys of home ownership are plentiful -- but so are the expenses. And there's nothing scarier than a denied insurance claim or a looming repair bill. The chill that passes down your spine when facing a real-life adulting nightmare would rival that of any child imagining that a monster lives under the bed. The things kids are afraid of are (generally) made up ... while the things adults are scared of are very, very real.
Security company A Secure Life set out to see what our biggest household fears were, by first identifying and evaluating the most common household fears as seen on social media, then running those fears through Google Trends to see where each state ranked in Google searches for those fears.
So ... ready to find out what Washington, D.C., residents are most afraid of? House history.
Whether this means they're googling the storied past of their home (i.e., did anyone die here?), or looking to see what building permits the previous owners pulled for renovations and fixes, "house history" is what D.C. homeowners are concerned about the most.
The most-searched fear was for "mold/black mold," which was of great concern to 11 states, including Rhode Island and Kansas. Fear of "carbon monoxide poisoning" is shared by residents of six states.
New Yorkers are most afraid of "fall prevention" while Californians are (understandably) concerned about whether or not their homes are strong enough to withstand an earthquake.
Others of note:
- Florida: Hurricane prep
- Indiana: Signs of bed bugs
- Alabama: Foreclosure
- Hawaii: Cockroaches
- Mississippi: Sex offenders in my neighborhood
- Nevada: Eviction
Check out the full list here.
What's your adulting nightmare? What's the household fear that sends a chill down your spine? Do you agree with D.C.'s most googled household fear? Tell us in the comments below!
