Number 13 - Unlucky for some, but could save you £4,000
13th May 2011
- Number 13 houses cost £3,924 less on average than neighbouring properties
- Unlucky number 13 houses are rare with 28% of UK streets built without one
Being superstitious comes with a hefty price tag, according to new research from property website Zoopla.co.uk. The data shows that ‘unlucky’ number 13 homes are worth £3,924 less on average than their identical neighbours.
Zoopla.co.uk, which provides free instant value estimates for every UK home reveals that the average value of homes in the UK with number 13 as the address currently stands at £205,085 compared to an average of £209,009 for the surrounding numbers 11, 12, 14 and 15. The data also shows that numbers 1 and 2 are the most valuable addresses typically occupying corner or end of terrace locations and that house prices gradually decrease as address number increases.
Figure 1: Average Zoopla.co.uk house price value estimate by UK house number, May 2011 (Source: Zoopla.co.uk)
While property triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13) may be bad news for some who won’t be able to sleep well despite the massive savings, it is good news for bargain-hunters not bothered by such superstition. However, those seeking such bargains may struggle to find them as over one quarter (28%) of streets in the UK don’t have a number 13 address making them both scarce (see chart below) and a bargain (see chart above), which is highly unusual. Some local councils including Lewes District Council and Herefordshire County Council have banned the use of number 13 in new housing developments while others such as King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council insist the number is always used.
Figure 2: Relative scarcity of number 13 addresses in UK, May 2011 (Source: Zoopla.co.uk)
And new streets can be built without a number 13, changing or removing the number from an existing property is against the law – a blow to any number 13 residents hoping to make a quick boost to their property value.
Some home-owners, however, have embraced the number 13 wholeheartedly. For example, This Morning presenter and celebrity mum Holly Willoughby, who currently has her home on the market, not only lives in a number 13 house but also resides in the SW13 postcode area.
Nicholas Leeming of Zoopla.co.uk, commented:: "Brave souls can secure a great bargain by purchasing a number 13 house. And buying something identical to next door (with the exception of the house number) for 2% less and saving almost £4,000 on average is like having your stamp duty and legal fees paid for you – a prospect even the most superstitious of people may find hard to pass up.”
Unlucky 13 Facts
- Triskaidekaphobia – the fear of the number 13 – originated in medieval times
- It most likely took hold as a reaction to a number of unfortunate events in which the number seemed to play an important role – Judas was the 13th person to sit at the last supper and the
- Knights Templar were arrested on Friday 13th October 1307
- Old lunisolar calendars which had to include strange 13th months every few years to keep the moon and the sun in rhythm may also have been to blame
- In nineteenth century America, ‘Thirteen Clubs’ in which 13 diners would meet on Friday the 13ths to share dinner, walk under ladders and smash mirrors produced no less than five US Presidents
- As well as that, many Sikhs and Italians go so far as to consider number thirteen to be lucky
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For further information, please contact PR Team on pr@zoopla.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3873 8770.
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