Superstitions, stigmas and the supernatural - these are perfect if you could just bring them out on October 31 but when you are talking about the sale of your home, whether you believe in them or not, they can have an impact on how long it takes to sell your home and the price that someone is willing to pay.
Was your home once the scene of a murder?
Although this sounds like something from CSI, occasionally homes come up for sale that were once the crime scene. Whether it was during your ownership or before I think most people would agree that living in a house where someone was murdered is on the creepy side, and it can certainly be enough to send potential buyers elsewhere.
Is your home haunted?
We have a relative who lives in what was once three old terrace houses that has since been converted into one big house, down in Devon in the UK. They have a little child ghost living with them and has done for years and years. Completely harmless but whether your believe in ghosts or not, would you want to buy that house knowing that a ghost lives there too?
In both the above cases, buyers need to beware. You, as the seller, have no legal obligation to disclose stigmas. Concerned house hunters should be proactive about asking questions, doing their research and asking neighbours.
Feng Shui
The principles of Feng Shui derive from Chinese culture, and focus on the arrangement of your environment to allow for a gentle flow of energy. Good Feng Shui is thought to promote good health and fortune. Bad Feng Shui in a home can create stress and conflict. Bad Feng Shui includes direct alignment of the front door and back door, a staircase facing the front door, a bathroom door facing the front door, master bedroom over the garage and so much more (I find this facsinating so will be including a separate blog post on this topic in the near future). Suffice to say that if your home displays many of the Feng Shui flaws, they are not easy fixes, moving bathrooms, stairs and bedrooms so ultimately this may put some people off of your home.
Unlucky Numbers
Do you have a lucky or unlucky number? In western culture, the number 13 is synonymous with bad luck. It's considered unlucky to have 13 guests at a dinner party, many buildings don't have a 13th floor and most people avoid getting married or buying a house on a day marked by this dreaded number.
For the Chinese number 14 is considered to be the worst number among all the unlucky numbers. The '1' in the number 14 does not represent loneliness; instead it means 'guaranteed'. Therefore, the number would interpret 'guaranteed death' and for the same reason the number 4 is an unlucky number in Japan and Korea because it sounds like shi (死 – death).
Some people swear by numerology while others have illogical reasons behind their inclination toward – or against – certain numbers. So much so, that a number can take some houses on the market, out of the running.
So as a Seller, just be aware that there may be some factors that are preventing potential buyers from loving your home. There really is nothing much you can do to make your home more appealing to buyers who are superstitious or afraid of ghosts. Bottom line, not everyone will love your home, but someone will take one look at your house, even though you live at #13 Seasme Street (a legit street name in Scarborough) full of Feng Shui flaws, with a black cat living next door and a family of ghosts living in the basement, and just know that its their new forever home.
I guess this raises the question, would the street name put off potential buyers? Would the street name put you off living in a particular street?
- Justin
