Home Buying Superstitions

Beliefs based on the ideas that certain things or particular circumstances can bring about specific outcomes, be they good or bad, are as old as the planet. Superstitions are deeply rooted in cultural folklore, numerology, astrology and religion. Of course most people are very familiar with the idea that black cats, the number 13, breaking a mirror or walking under a ladder could bring bad luck. We’re also prone to feel relief when we encounter a four-leaf clover, the number 7, or see a rainbow. 

It should come as no surprise that there are also numerous superstitions that have to do with home, sweet home. Many individuals are guided by influences that dictate the purchase of a residence, how it is to be entered and exited, how it is to be decorated and even landscaped. Here’s a look at some of those long held beliefs: 

Blue Paint

In the South, painting your porch floor blue is thought to keep away ghosts, because they’ll think it’s water, which they can not (for some reason) cross. 

The Number 4

In China, prospective home buyers avoid purchasing properties that contain the number 4 in the street address. That is due to the fact that the Cantonese and Mandarin word for death closely resembles the word for 4. 

Hornet Nests

If you can get your hands on an empty hornet’s nest, (good luck figuring that one out) hang it up for good luck. 

Acorns

Norwegian homeowners place acorns on windowsills because they believe that will keep lightning from striking the house. 

A New Broom

In many countries, including Germany, Sweden, France, and Ireland, newlyweds and new homeowners are often given a new broom for a house-warming gift. The new broom represents a clean start and bringing an old one in will bring bad luck that should be left behind. 

Bread & Salt

Bringing salt and bread is a tradition from Russia and Ukraine. The bread represents fullness and wealth. Sprinkling salt at the threshold of the home is thought to keep away evil spirits.  

Special Objects

Good luck is also thought to be inclined when a variety of objects are hung inside the home, and especially over doorways: crucifixes, evergreen boughs, four-leaf clover plaques, horseshoes, and hamsas, which are the Middle Eastern symbol of protection. (an open right hand with an eye in the palm) 

Positioning

Chinese house hunters avoid buying homes that face a “T”-shaped intersection or sit along a curved road. They also prefer homes that are consistent with positive “feng shui” principals, such as-it is bad luck not to have windows that face the east and the sunrise.

The Number 8

Many Asian cultures believe that a real estate listing that contains the number 8 in the price is a lucky one. 

Penstroke

Closing on a home in the Philippines? Make sure to do it on a day that “…includes a number that, when written, ends with the pen stroke pointing toward the top of the page rather than the bottom, such as 0, 3, 5, or 8.” 

Fennel

Worried about witches coming in to your place? Just hang some fresh fennel above the doorways – they don’t like it one bit! 

Gardening Tools

If you’ve been out gardening, take care not to enter the home with a hose in your hand; this is another source of bad luck. Should this happen, a reverse mojo of walking backwards back outside should do the trick. 

Days of the Week

City dwellers in Bombay, New Delhi and other Indian towns avoid moving into a new home on rainy days, Fridays or Saturdays. They know that Thursday is the best day for a move. 

St. Joseph

A Catholic tradition purports that the patron saint of home and family, St. Joseph, can make real estate transactions better. Statuettes of St. Joseph are often buried on the properties of homes in hopes they will sell more quickly and fetch the best price. In fact, you can even purchase a St. Joseph Home Selling Kit on Amazon. Several different choices are available and come with detailed instructions and a prayer card.

According to a recent article on Zillow.com, sales of Saint Joseph Statues tend to skyrocket whenever home sales are down. Between 2009-2010, when home prices were “stagnant,” sales of St. Joseph figurines more than doubled at Catholic Supply of St. Louis, Inc. Once home prices began to increase, sales of the saintly figurine declined.

Planting Trees

A good time to plant trees at your new place is May 25^th. Don’t, however, plant any weeping willow trees, because they bring bad luck! 

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