Like a self-build episode of QI, here’s a spare room full of house facts to impress/bore neighbours, family, friends or anyone else you want to be less popular with.
The ions in brass and copper mean they have antibacterial properties that can kill germs.
Houses on brightly coloured streets can sell for anywhere between 2% and 65% more than less colourful homes in the same street/area, according to HomeOwners Alliance. Research carried out in East Sussex, Scotland, Cornwall and London and other UK property hotspots, found that a bright coloured house or street can be a positive selling point.
The average distance of a UK house move is 9 miles. The average British garden is 15-metres long and the average home has 2.3 members. On average we spend 104 hours a year redecorating and 493 hours a year cleaning.
45% of UK homeowners consider their home a “work in progress”, while only 22% are happy with their home the way it is. 47% of women have the final say in home décor compared to just 37% of men. 15% of homeowners give at least one room a lick of paint every year, 10% of people are in less of a rush, leaving it ten years between redecorating. 28% of us admit to pinching design ideas from a friend’s house.
A study by Lancaster University found mature trees beside roads can reduce air pollution by up to 50%. Trees have also been shown to reduce stress, increase positivity and even increase recovery from illness. A row of mature trees can also block and deaden road noise by 6 – 10 decibels.
Other home studies revealed that homes with mature trees can sell for up to 18-25 percent more than similar houses without trees. Properties close to trees or on tree lined avenues also commanded a higher price.
In recent study, the RAC estimated that of the 11,000,000 UK garages, less than half are used to store a car.
The famous Sears & Roebuck mail order catalogues in the US once sold mail order houses. Between 1908-40 roughly 70,000 self-assembly house kits were delivered to soon-to-be homeowners, some even came with the modern conveniences of the day.
The world’s largest treehouse was built in Crossville, Tennessee in 1993, supported by 6 oak trees, consisting of 10 floors it covered 3,000 square metres and took builder Horace Burgess over 14 years to build. It even had a penthouse and basketball court! In 2012 local fire marshals closed it down as the solely wooden structure posed a fire hazard.
Located in Conwy, Wales, Britain’s smallest house measures a meagre 182cm wide (5’9”), 304cm deep and 312cm (10’2”) high, despite covering two storeys. Y Tŷ Lleiaf ym Mhrydain Fawr, or the Quay House was built in the 16th century was home to a number of families until it became a tourist attraction in 1900 when it’s last occupant, fisherman Robert Jones, moved out. He was a surprising 6’3”.
Plants like bromeliads can remove over 80% of impurities from the air. Plants can also create a sense of well-being and have even been shown to aid recovering from illness. And yes, talking to your plants really does help them grow. Studies have found that vibrations (like your old Led Zeppelin albums) can boost plant growth.
Garden gnomes were introduced to England by Sir Charles Isham in 1847. Having spotted them in Germany, where it was believed the cheeky ornaments might attract real gnomes to gardens.
Garden size is one of the 10 most common factors given for wanting to move home.
Got any house facts we should know? Email us and we’ll post the best.
