As one of the world’s most multicultural cities London is a melting pot. So it is quite likely that someone of a different culture will purchase your home or compete with you to buy a property.
Online home-moving service provider, reallymoving.com takes a look at 13 of the most prevalent house-selling superstitions from all around the world.
1 The number 13
The number 13 has long been associated with bad fortune and it appears that a great many people don’t buy houses that are number 13. Last year reallymoving.com analysed sales of all ‘number 13 properties’, which according to The Land Registry amounted to 2,240,575 transactions in 31 months. There should have been over 15,000 number 13 sales. In fact, there were approximately 10,000. Many property developers of high-rise apartments avoid listing the thirteenth floor entirely, whilst others choose to give a property a name, rather than numbering it 13.
2 Brooms old and new
In both the UK and America, it is popular belief (or superstition!) that when you move house, you need to leave your broom behind. Any old mops and brooms you have used in your old home are believed to carry the ‘dirt’ of the place into your new house should you decide to take it with you.
3 New shoes on a table
Ever heard this old wives’ tale? Traditionally the saying warns of bad luck because new shoes were often put on the dead before they were laid to rest on a table.
4 Breaking mirrors
We all know you get 7 years bad luck for breaking a mirror, which means you need to be extra careful when moving house! This superstition originated from the Romans who believed that breaking a mirror would bring 7 years of misfortune because the soul of the person who broke the mirror would be trapped inside.
5 Feng Shui
Not so much a superstition as the art of optimising energy and luck, this ancient Chinese practice harmonises the environment to create a peaceful living space.
6 Burning sage
Cleanse the energy in your new home by ‘smudging Sage,’ an ancient Native American ceremony that many still believe. Burning Sage for protection is meant to purify the energy for your future life.
7 The lucky number 8
Regarded by the Chinese as the luckiest number, 8 is pronounced, ‘Ba,’ which sounds a lot like ‘Fa,’ meaning wealth, or fortune.
8 The unlucky number 4
Number 4 is generally considered as unlucky in Chinese culture as the number 13 is in the Western world. This is because 4 is pronounce ‘Si’ which means death, or to die, in Chinese.
9 Exit the same door you entered
According to this old Irish tradition, the first time you enter your new home has to be the same door in which you leave, otherwise you’ll receive a wealth of bad luck. This seems easy enough considering how many times you’ll be walking over the threshold as you unpack your belongings.
10 Walking under ladders
Many people avoid walking under ladders, believing it to be unlucky. One origin of this superstition dates back to medieval times when ladders were connected to the symbol of the gallows and to walk under a ladder would tempt the same unfortunate fate.
11 Don’t open an umbrella inside
According to the Ancient Egyptians; opening an umbrella inside would offend the God of the Sun as umbrellas protected people from the heat.
12 Moving on a Friday, Saturday or rainy day
Although Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular days of the week for removals, they are considered unlucky. According to Indian tradition, the luckiest day to move to your new property is Thursday.
13 Bury a statue of St Joseph in the garden
Feeling a little out of luck if your property has been on the market for a while? Try burying a statue of St Joseph in the garden, a superstition believed by many to help sell property. Once your house is sold, dig up the statue and find a place for it in your new home.
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