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California mom purchased ‘Poltergeist’ house for $1.28M
Nestled in a sleepy, suburban subdivision, 4267 Roxbury St. looks like any other home on its Simi Valley, California, block.
But the 2,373-square-foot house, with a manicured lawn and red brick walkway, has an infamous Hollywood past: It’s the family home featured in the 1982 horror blockbuster “Poltergeist,” directed by Tobe Hooper.
Rachel Powers purchased the home on 4267 Roxbury St. in October 2024.
Steve Sieren
Rachel Powers, a tech worker and mother of three, purchased the nearly 50-year-old home for $1.28 million in October 2024. Since February, she has spent months and close to $200,000 restoring select rooms to match their appearance in the movie, she tells CNBC Make It.
“To me this house still has another story to tell,” says Powers, who lives in the home about half the year and rents it out to short-term visitors the rest of the time for anywhere from $600 to $1,200 a night, according to the home’s website.
A ‘serendipitous’ purchase
Powers says she had always known of the home featured in “Poltergeist,” just two miles from her sister’s home, but she thought the house had sold a month before she started her home search. Regardless, she says she was looking for a smaller home in a lower price range.
Then, her sister showed her the Zillow listing.
The kitchen, including a cookbook and ceramic jars found in the background of the movie.
Steve Sieren
In a matter of hours, Powers says she was on the phone with her real estate agent and pre-approved for a mortgage. A few days later, she was under contract to purchase the home for about $105,000 over its initial asking price, she says.
“It was a little surreal,” Powers says of the “serendipitous” turn of events. She initially didn’t think she would get the house because there were multiple offers, she says. But ultimately, “it kind of felt like it was meant to be.”
Remodeling the home to look like the movie
Powers got the keys to the house in November and after the winter holidays and some delays due to wildfires in the area, she got to work revamping it, she says.
Powers, a former digital designer for Disney and Apple, scoured thrift shops, eBay and Facebook Marketplace to source the perfect items for the home.
One bedroom features some toys found in the movie as well as a clown.
Steve Sieren
Fans around the world helped as well. After posting a video to TikTok, Powers says a follower reached out with a link to buy a print that appears above the TV in the movie. Another follower on the East Coast sent Powers a robot toy they found in a local thrift store, she says.
“I’ve poured a lot of love into the house,” Powers says. “The community has been overwhelmingly supportive, which has been a lot of fun. I’ve been meeting people from all over the world.”
Not every space in the four-bedroom home is renovated to look like the movie, some are modern as well, Powers says.
Steve Sieren
The kitchen, living room and one bedroom of the house are styled to look like the movie, but not every room is “Poltergeist” themed. Guests have the option to watch the movie on VHS in the living room, where many of the film’s iconic scenes take place, Powers says.
Sharing a home with the world
Despite widespread speculation that the house would be turned into an Airbnb after news broke of the sale last year, Powers says it wasn’t her first intention when she bought the house.
The extra income is nice as a “backup” and the house can be rented through Airbnb, Powers says. However, it’s not intended to be a short-term rental akin to a hotel. She shares her home because it’s a “bucket list item” for many fans to experience the movie in real life.
“There are plenty of hotels if you just want a place to stay,” says Powers, who packs a bag and stays at her sister’s house whenever the house is rented out.
Powers says she’s hosted anyone from older millennials who have an emotional attachment to the movie to younger content creators who are interested in creating videos around the haunted allure of the home. She even provides a content creation kit for guests upon request, she says.
The house also has a back patio and pool guests can use.
Steve Sieren
Guests often share their story with the movie when they make a booking online: how old they were when they watched it, how scared they were and what the movie meant to them. Some even bring their own clowns, she says.
“The smiles I see on people’s faces when they go and put their hands on the TV, it’s just awesome, and that’s why I do it,” Powers says. “It’s not just special to me, it’s special to so many people from around the globe.”
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