Father and son in bid to create UK’s ‘spookiest Halloween house’
They start stocking up on sweets months in advance
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A Halloween-obsessed father and son have spent over £1,000 transforming their house into a landmark which draws families from miles around.
Toby Whittle, 27, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, a customer service supervisor at Manchester Airport, and his father, Andy, 55, a parts manager at a BMW garage, have transformed their semi-detached house into a Halloween spectacle every year since 2017.
The duo have already spent £100 on creepy decorations and £75 on sweets this year for the hundreds of people who will flock to their front door on October 31, some of whom are willing to drive more than 30 miles.
They are now so invested in the tradition that Toby, who recently bought his own house in nearby Congleton with his partner Hannah, has obtained a Costco membership card to bulk buy treats and spends weeks making decorations, including a giant five-foot spider.
The DIY haunted garden features skeletons resting in deckchairs, ‘limbs’ scattered across the driveway and flashing pumpkins, and Toby even plays a soundtrack of growling wolves and cackling witches through a large speaker outside.
Last year, Toby posted videos of his father’s Halloween home on social media, one of which has had more than 12,000 views, and viewers have already confirmed their attendance this year.
“When you’ve got the kids there, the drive’s full of people and the whole community is there, stood watching, it’s nice to see,” Toby told PA Real Life.
“We do this out of our own pockets and we would never ask for any money because we’re not bothered about it.
“For us, it’s one of Britain’s spookiest houses.”
The first time Toby and his father Andy decided to decorate their family home was in 2017.
“Prior to that, we had never really done outdoor decorations,” explained Toby.
“My dad came up with idea originally. He wanted to do something for the kids in the neighbourhood.”
What “started off small” with just a few decorations has grown year-on-year, as Toby and Andy continue to expand their creepy decoration collection.
Some of the most impressive features include a giant homemade spider by the entrance – made using a balloon, an exercise ball, expanding foam, pipes and wires – skeleton dogs and flashing pumpkins.
Before visitors can reach the boarded-up front door, they are confronted by flashing demons inside the Mercedes and Mini parked on the drive.
“The giant spider that I built is my number one,” said Toby.
“That was a few weeks of work and trying to get the balloon and ball to stay still was tricky.”
Toby estimates that around 500 people turned up outside their house last Halloween and anticipates there will be more this year.
“Last year several hundred people came by. There was a bit of a queue on the driveway,” said Toby.
“It’s mostly locals, however, I had some parents talking to me one year, saying that they had driven a good 30 minutes.”
Toby and his father purchased most of the decorations from stores including Home Bargains, B&M, The Range, Tesco and Asda.
Despite bargain hunting, the two estimate having spent around £1,000 on decorations and sweets over the seven years since they started.
“I haven’t got an exact number in mind, but if you added it all together, you would be like, crikey,” said Toby.
“One year we probably spent £75 on just pumpkins to carve.
“I always try shopping online after Halloween to buy things that are reduced.”
Toby now finds himself hunting for Halloween decorations year round, in particular at car boot sales during the summer.
“It’s something that’s always on my mind,” he said.
Making sure they have enough sweets to dish out is a top priority for Toby and his father, who begin stocking up a month in advance.
“There’s a lot of money spent on sweets alone … probably around 50 quid,” Toby added.
“We start buying them in September when the multi-bags and Christmas tubs come out.
“I got a Costco membership about two years ago, so I’ve started going there now.”
This year Toby is hoping to add a smoke machine if the weather allows and plans to start decorating the house a week in advance.
Occasionally, Toby said, children are too afraid to approach the house without their parents, but he usually keeps watch to make sure no decorations blow away.
“It can be quite intimidating,” Toby said.
“We have noise as well! I found an hour-long playlist of scary Halloween sounds … and I basically put that on shuffle and connect my phone to a big speaker.”
While Toby said they are determined to continue growing their Halloween arsenal, they are fast running out of space.
“If you are looking to have the fright of your life and some sweets, come and pay us a visit,” Toby said.
“People are welcome to copy what we’ve done, and I’m happy to share my homemade decorations.
“I think the more people who decorate their houses this Halloween, the better.”
To find out more about Toby and Andy’s Halloween house, follow @ourhomejourney23 on TikTok.