11 Weird & Wonderful House Facts

1. Who Ya Gonna Call?

Haunted houses have been recorded since at least 1 AD. The politician/writer/lawyer Pliny The Younger wrote of spectral visits at his home from an old man with a long white beard.

2. No Really… Call!

In some US states it is illegal to sell a home you suspect is haunted without letting the buyer know. Failure to do so can result in the transaction being reversed.

And our American cousins takes their ghosts seriously, in a poll by Cinch Home Services 1 in 10 Americans admitted to having ‘sold their home due to a paranormal experience’.

3. Taxman

Taxation, it’s as old as houses. Land/property taxes have been traced back as far as 5,000 B.C. in ancient Egypt.

4. A Bit Brit-culiar

Houses in the UK are different to our continental cousins in many ways. Most UK power sockets have on/off switches, worldwide, most power sockets have no switch. Our windows open outwards. Across much of Europe, windows open inwards, this means shutters can remain closed for security, while air can circulate. It’s also easier to clean inward-opening windows.

5. How Do UK Homes Measure Up?

Average European home sizes based on total floor area. *

• Cyprus 4m
• Belgium 3m2
• Switzerland 1m2
• Netherlands 7m2
• Sweden 3m2
• Spain 1m2
• UK 0m2
• Germany 3m2
• France 7m2
• Italy 6m2
• Ireland 8m2
• Poland 2m2
• Romania 9m2

6. Home vs Forest

UK housing covers nearly as much land as forests.

Land use/coverage*

• Agriculture, fishing & hunting 52%
• Forestry 7.1%
• Residential 5.1%
• Commercial & community services 4.1%
• Heavy industry 3.5%
• Mostly unused 26.4%

Buildings cover an estimated 2.4% of UK land.

7. Planted

Not only can house plants help reduce humidity, plants like bromeliads, can remove over 80% of impurities from the air.

8. Tree-mendous
   A study by Lancaster University found mature trees in gardens by busy roads can reduce air pollution by up to 50% and deaden road noise by 6-10 decibels. Trees have also been found to reduce stress, increase positivity and help speed recovery from illness.

9. Ultimate D.I.Y.

Between 1908 to 1940, the famous Sears mail-order catalogue in the US, sold around 75,000 kit build homes. The homes would arrive in pieces and the owner construct their own house.

10. Minnie House

Measuring just 182cm wide (5ft 9in), 304cm deep and 312cm (10ft 2in) high, the UK’s smallest house, which is still standing, was built in Conwy, Wales in the 16th century. The little house’s last occupant was 6ft 3in fisherman Robert Jones.

11. Minnier House

But that’s huge compared to Warsaw’s Keret House. The world’s thinnest house, it varies between 92cm – 152cm still manages to pack in a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and dining area.

* Source; National House Building Council NHBCfoundation.org