With spooky season in full swing and Halloween mere days away, many might be busy decorating the outside of their houses with pumpkins, spiders and fake skeletons.
But for those who live on a street with a Halloween-themed name, there’s even more ghostly magic to be found – as they could be sitting on a gold mine without even knowing it.
According to new research, these spooky-sounding streets can increase a property’s value by up to 24.8% – to the tune of £70,000.
Live on a street with the word ‘Howl’ in? You’re in luck, because the average sale price for houses on this street, according to research from Chartered Surveyors Stokemont, is £352,581.
Meanwhile, properties in the same area went for £282,576 – almost 25% less.
Elsewhere, Shadow came in second place with an average property sale price of £485,198, marking an increase of 22.2%, while Dark went for £368,831 (11.5%).
Feeling spooky? Houses on streets with ‘creeping’ (unique, we know) in the name went for £437,650, marking an increase of 7.9% as the typical price in the area was £405,592.
Gallow experienced an increase of 3.6%, selling for £413,707 compared to an average market price of £399,524, while Cackle underwent a positive change of 0.4% (£519,673 versus £517,609).
However, these aren’t the only street names with a spooky-sounding story. Black Cat Drive in Northampton is said to be haunted by black cats, while Bleeding Heart Yard, a cul-de-sac in Holborn in central London, is said to be connected to the centuries-old murder case of Lady Elizabeth Hatton, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Denmark.
Elsewhere, there’s the likes of Blood Hill in Ipswich, Broomstick Lane in Chesham, and Devil’s Dyke Road in Brighton – none of which seem to have a spooky backstory, but evoke images of Halloween by nature.
So, how might a street name influence the value of a house, particularly when tied to the spookiest season of them all?
As Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, tells , those with a fascination for Halloween might end up going out of their way to acquire a house on a street with a particularly spooky name.
‘While our fascination with Halloween isn’t quite as strong as our neighbours across the pond, there are certainly those who take pleasure in the paranormal and such like, which could see them pay above the odds for a Halloween-themed street name,’ Marc explains.
‘The reality is that buyers tend to work on a property first approach, so they are unlikely to purchase a property that doesn’t fit the bill simply because they like the name of the street.
‘However, should fate see them find their perfect property on a street name that has a personal connection of some sort, then they may well go above and beyond to secure it in the form of an above-asking price offer.
‘Of course, this is unlikely to happen on streets that hold mundane names but it could certainly be the case across those with a stronger association to something such as Halloween.’
The Halloween streets increasing in property value the most, according to Chartered Surveyors Stokemont
- Halloween keyword in street name: Howl (average sale price: £352,581, price increase: 24.8%)
- Shadow (£485,198, 22.5%)
- Dark (£368,831, 11.5%)
- Creeping (£437,650, 7.9%)
- Gallow (£413,707, 3.6%)
- Cackle (£519,673, 0.4%)
- Night (£655,043, 0.4%).
Number 13 homeowners are selling their properties for £36,000 less this Halloween, according to Benham and Reeves
Halloween isn’t just having an impact on street value: number 13 homeowners are also selling their properties for £36,000 less this spooky season, according to research.
According to research from Benham and Reeves, the number 13 is bringing bad luck for those looking to sell their homes this Halloween, as the average price paid for a number 13 home comes in at £36,000 below the market average.
Across England and Wales, homes with the number 13 have sold for an average of £260,000 so far in 2024, which is 12.2% lower than the average market price, revealing a difference of £36,203.
This trend is particularly prevalent in the North East, where superstitious buyers are seemingly having an impact as the average price for a number 13 property comes in at 22.1% below the average.
Meanwhile, across Yorkshire and the Humber and Wales, the average price paid is more than 20% below the average paid price, at 21.3% and 20.8% respectively.
But on the other hand, there are two regions where a number 13 property will actually see buyers pay a premium, as in the South East, the average came in marginally above the market average (0.8%). In London, this spooky house price comes in at 1.2%.
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