Recent analyses of the British property market have unveiled an unexpected factor influencing property prices: the house number itself.
While traditional considerations such as property size, condition and location remain primary determinants, data indicates that a home’s assigned number can also materially affect its market value.
Industry specialists have highlighted that house numbers may exert a surprising influence on market prices, with UK Land Registry data suggesting that larger house numbers are linked to significantly higher sale prices.
These findings challenge the conventional belief that lower house numbers inherently attract greater desirability, instead suggesting that unconventional numeric factors subtly sway market valuations.
The house numbers with the highest value
A study conducted by Topps Tiles has highlighted remarkable value surges tied to particular house numbers over the past decade.
House number 281 was identified as outperforming others, with a 512% rise in average property value, soaring from £237,567 in 2014 to above £1.45 million in 2024.
Similarly, numbers 331 and 457 recorded substantial growth of 471% and 291%, respectively.
These extraordinary increases are likely due to properties bearing these numbers being prime developments or undergoing significant renovations, thereby enhancing their market appeal and price positioning.
Conversely, lower house numbers, generally ranging from one to 10, retain a prestigious image in various residential markets.
This premium is often linked to these homes occupying prime positions — including older, established properties, corner plots or end terraces — which traditionally enjoy higher demand and desirability.
If you live at this house number, your property could be ‘cursed’
Despite low house numbers often enjoying higher demand, there is a downside to living in such homes.
Those living at number one might find they have had more visitors than they anticipated, accommodating various deliveries and lost Deliveroo drivers.
Because who needs a concierge when you could just press the first buzzer?
One frustrated Reddit user wrote: ‘It never occurs to them, never, to try anyone else. You are going to be buzzed several times a day, have people peek through your windows, and basically [be] asked to drop everything to solve whatever their problem is.’
The house numbers with the lowest value
Cultural perceptions of house numbers also demonstrably affect property values, most notably regarding the number 13, which is often considered unlucky.
Analysis by Rightmove, encompassing more than 10 million UK properties, found that homes numbered 13 typically sold for approximately £354,793, which was around £5,000 less than the overall average price of £360,126.
The extent of this effect exhibits regional variation. For instance, estate agents Benham and Reeves report that in the North East, properties numbered 13 are priced approximately 22.1% below market average, whereas in London, such homes occasionally sell at slightly higher prices.
Cultural factors affect other numbers too, notably within Chinese communities, where certain numbers such as four, 14, and 24 — due to their phonetic similarities to the word ‘death’ — may deter buyers.
Meanwhile, the research by Topps Tiles found that the home numbers that saw their value decrease the most over the past 10 years are 697, 945 and 527, which have dropped in price by 83%, 76% and 75% respectively.
This is put down to dramatic drops in the value of individual properties with those numbers, which could be brought about by neglect or damage, increased risk of flooding and destructive species like Japanese knotweed.
Would you consider living at house number 13?
Opportunities for buyers and sellers
For buyers unbound by superstition or cultural taboos, properties bearing the number 13 could represent investment opportunities at comparatively lower prices.
While house number effects are ancillary to major pricing drivers like size, amenities and location desirability, the evidence highlights that this factor contributes measurable value differences and merits consideration in property evaluations.
And as the UK housing market adapts to ongoing economic challenges and shifting buyer preferences, the influence of house numbers adds an intriguing dimension to property valuations.
This insight invites both buyers and sellers to widen their perspective when assessing property value drivers beyond conventional criteria.
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