A quarter admit they’d be put off buying a house with the number 13 in the address
With Friday the 13th fast approaching, new research from Go.Compare suggests superstition around ‘unlucky’ numbers may be affecting house sales: just over a quarter of people (26%) admit they would be put off buying or renting a property with number 13 in the address. *
Mistrust for the number 13 is well-baked into British society, with some hotels and apartment blocks renaming the 13th floor to 12A or skipping it entirely. Now, a new survey of 2,000 Brits has found that property owners looking to sell or rent their number 13 home could be facing a challenge.
Of the people who wouldn’t want to buy or rent a number 13 property:
- 58% admitted this is because they are superstitious**
- 42% said they weren’t superstitious, but would still be put off
An additional 10% of people said they’re ‘not sure’ whether the property address ‘13’ would put them off purchasing/renting a property.
The research also found that women may be more superstitious than men, with 17% of women admitting they would be put off buying or renting a number 13 property out of superstition, compared to only 14% of men.
Superstitious Cities
Regionally, the city with the most anti-number 13 superstition is Southampton, at 21%, with Plymouth (19%) and Nottingham (19%) not far behind.
Meanwhile, only 10% of those in Liverpool admitted to being superstitious about the number 13 – the lowest across the UK.
Nathan Blackler, Go.Compare home insurance spokesperson, said: “While there’s really no solid, proven reason we should avoid the number 13, it’s clear many of us are going to do so anyway. It’s hard to shake certain superstitions, and our research shows that whether or not the number 13 is unlucky, it could spell difficulty for home sellers and landlords.
“Strokes of bad luck can happen in any home, no matter your house number. And it’s important to remember that while superstition might not save you, having a good home insurance policy could. So, make sure to compare your options online and select the right level of cover to suit your house and belongings.”
For cost-saving tips on how to get cheaper home insurance, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/guide/top-tips-for-cheaper-home-insurance/.
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers. The data was collected between 10.02.2026 - 12.02.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. Censuswide adheres to the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles.
‘Just over a quarter of people (26%) admit they would be put off wouldn’t want to buying or renting a property with number 13 in the address’ combines ‘Yes, because I am superstitious about the number 13’ and ‘Yes, but not because I am superstitious’ options
**Percentage calculated from combined ‘Yes, because I am superstitious about the number 13’ and ‘Yes, but not because I am superstitious’ percentage total
For further information please contact: Go.Compare@fdcomms.co.uk
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.