People easily spooked when buying a house

People buying a house are as likely to be put off by its number as by a small kitchen [photo:Pixmedia]

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Friday, 13, May 2005 09:17

More than one Briton in three would not buy a house on Friday the 13th, new research has revealed, but this is just one of the many fears that prospective buyers carry around with them.

New research from Lloyds TSB has found out that one person in four would not buy a home with the number 13, another 50 per cent would be put off if the property overlooked a cemetery, while the idea of a ghost in the house would put off 47 per cent of prospective buyers.

Somewhat more irrationally, two Britons in five would be worried if they discovered someone had died in a house - even though this would rule out a huge proportion of the country's older housing stock.

"When we think of buying houses we tend to focus on the hard facts involved - the location, number and size of rooms, the price, getting a good mortgage deal etc. But it is now apparent that purchasers are also swayed by their instincts, superstition and a general aversion to houses they consider 'unlucky'," said Jon Pain, managing director of mortgages at Lloyds TSB.

And sellers should take note, with one in three buyers saying they would notice an open umbrella in a property, and almost as many believing new shoes should never be put on a table.

Broken mirrors should only be mentioned if they are more than seven years in the past - as 45 per cent believe this is unlucky - and one prospective buyer in four thinks an upside down horseshoe draws bad luck.

"This really underlines the truly individual nature of each house purchase and why it is so important for the professionals involved to understand the fears, concerns and motivation of each house buyer," Mr Pain asserted.

But this superstitious bent is not only negative, as 29 per cent of the population think a blessing brings good luck, or gets rid of bad luck, one in five believe in feng shui, and the same number think that pets can influence luck.

And for those living at 13 Cemetery Drive (with an upside down horseshoe over a cracked looking-glass in the hall), one Brit in six thinks an exorcism can change luck for the better.