Sarah Michelle Gellar Recalls Buying First House at Age 20 That Became Her ‘Sanctuary’ (Exclusive)

The actress opened up about the first home she ever owned while chatting with PEOPLE about her “Haunted Homes Hotline” partnership with Thumbtack

When Sarah Michelle Gellar bought her first house at just 20 years old, it became a refuge for her amid her growing stardom, she tells PEOPLE.

During an exclusive interview for her new Thumbtack partnership, the Buffy the Vampire alum, 46, opened up about what it felt like to find home.

“Initially, it's just the excitement. The idea that I have a home that is mine and that when you close those doors, that's your sanctuary, that's your peace away from everything,” Gellar says.

But she soon discovered a house itself can be a source of stress. "The realities hit you, especially at 20 years old, of what you're responsible for with a house," she says.

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The actress adds that moving into a house was quite a change for her after growing up in New York City.

“Being responsible for a house — especially for me, who grew up in an apartment building that had a maintenance person — you don't realize how overwhelming it really is.”

While Gellar, who was in the middle of filming Scream 2 when she bought the property, admits that being a first-time homeowner was not easy, it was also a huge milestone for her at the time.

“It’s crazy because I was the first person in my family to ever own an apartment, a house, anything,” Gellar tells PEOPLE.

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The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star says she wished something like Thumbtack — a home care website that connects homeowners with local service professionals — existed when she bought her first abode.

Gellar has teamed up with the service and will be answering calls for Thumbtack’s new “Haunted Homes Hotline” campaign to help callers determine whether their home is actually haunted or just needs a little love from a Thumbtack professional. 

Homeowners can call 628-212-8881 to get advice from specialists from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Two lucky callers will have a chance to discuss their home horrors with Gellar and some will have a chance to win $50 off their next home project.

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From I Know What You Did Last Summer to Scooby-Doo, Gellar is no stranger to spooky happenings — in fact, she loves them. Halloween is a “big thing” at her house, she says, especially when it comes to decorating, however she does think that scary noises heard in a home could have to do more with it settling than paranormal activity.

“Houses, they have noises all on their own. I think I hear my kids walking in the hallways at night, and I'll go out to go catch them and see which one of them it is, but there's never anyone there,” the Wolf Pack producer explains.

Gellar shares two children, daughter Charlotte and son Rocky, with her husband of 21 years, Freddie Prinze Jr.

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For more information about Gellar’s partnership with Thumbtack, visit thumbtack.com.

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Read the original article on People.