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Unlucky 13 as houses with this number are valued the lowest

Unlucky 13 as houses with this number are valued the lowest
Your Money
Written By:
Your Money
Posted:
16/10/2023
Updated:
16/10/2023

For the superstitious, Friday 13th is unlucky and when it comes to housing, these door numbers yield the lowest average sale value, analysis of millions of properties reveals.

Homes with the number 13 have an average valuation of £354,793, more than £5,000 lower than the average £360,126 recorded, according to Rightmove.

The property website analysed 10 million homes from number one to 100 to reveal the number 13 commands a lower sale price.

It said its findings suggest superstitious buyers are put off by acquiring a house with a number associated with misfortune.

On the flip side, homes with the number one had the highest valuation of £393,690. That’s nearly £40,000 (11%) higher than homes numbered 13.

Lucky number 7 also had an average valuation of £365,590, 3% more than homes with the number 13.

Elsewhere, Rightmove found there are almost double the number of houses in the UK numbered 14 compared to 13, as many streets skip past the unlucky figure.

But it does mean that if you’re not superstitious, you could pick up a bargain house with a number 13 door.

Lucky or unlucky number 13?

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “The majority of buyers are unlikely to be put off being the owner of a number 13 home, but it’s interesting to see from such a large data set that there does appear to be pockets of Great Britain that are more on the superstitious side.

“Owners of number 13 properties may find that it adds a unique aspect to their home given there are not as many around, and it could even be a conversation starter with the next owner when the time comes to sell.”

Edward Thomson, director for Strutt & Parker Sloane Street, added: “In Britain the number 13 is famously ‘lucky for some’, although unfortunate for others.

“It’s common for new developments to skip it, going straight from 12 to 14, to remove the element of superstition.

“While thankfully it is only a very small minority of buyers that are disaffected in this way, there will always be those who avoid 13, never walk under ladders, and salute every magpie.

“If living at number 13 doesn’t faze you it is possible you could find yourself buying against a smaller proportion of the market and therefore do a better deal, but only if you’re lucky of course.”