It’s Friday the 13th – and Britain’s homebuyers appear unwilling to tempt fate when it comes to moving house.
New research from Rightmove reveals that Friday the 13th attracts fewer property completions than any other Friday.
That’s despite Friday normally being the busiest day of the week for moving home.
Rightmove examined Land Registry records dating back to 1995. The findings suggest an age-old superstition still influences the housing market.
And the apparent curse doesn’t end there.
The 13th also records fewer completions than any other date of the month, regardless of the day of the week.
Number 13? No thanks!
It seems some buyers are equally wary of an unlucky house number.
Rightmove found 43% more homes numbered 14 than 13. The figures suggest developers have frequently skipped the supposedly unlucky number.
And living at No.13 comes with another potentially unwelcome statistic.
The average estimated value of a No.13 property stands at £329,005. That’s around £3,400 below the £332,447 average across house numbers one to 100.
By contrast, No.1 properties top the valuation table at £356,747.
That’s a difference of more than £27,700.
Of course, the figures don’t prove superstition reduces property values. Location, property type and other factors also influence prices.
When superstition kills a sale
Mary Beeton, head of sales at Hamptons, says some buyers will walk away from their dream home over an unlucky number.
“We’ve seen a buyer walk away from a property they loved because of its number,” she said.
“Some developers choose to skip No.13 altogether, while cultural and personal beliefs around other numbers can have an even stronger influence.”
She added: “When you’re making one of life’s biggest purchases, it seems even the less superstitious among us might welcome a little extra luck.”
Brave enough to complete today?
Not everyone fears Friday the 13th.
Rebecca, a buyer from Redhill, plans to collect the keys to her new home today. However, she admits the date initially gave her second thoughts.
“When I realised that the day we were getting our keys was Friday 13th I seriously considered waiting until Monday to move,” she said.
“But we’ve already had quite a bumpy journey to get here and probably can’t have any more bad luck.”
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, believes superstition still plays a part in some moving decisions.
“Friday is normally the busiest moving day, but the 13th appears to be the exception,” she said.
“The fact that there are also significantly fewer homes numbered 13 than 14 shows how deeply rooted this superstition is in British property.”
For estate agents, it’s another reminder that buyers don’t always make decisions based on bricks, mortar and mortgage rates.
Sometimes, a perfectly good property simply has the wrong number on its front door.
And if you’ve got a completion lined up today?
Keep your fingers crossed that the only thing going bump is the removal van pulling into the driveway.
