Haunted houses are a staple of spooky Halloween stories. Horror movies are filled with tales of unsuspecting families who move into the wrong house and pay the ultimate price.

Movies aside, most home-buyers don’t give much thought to whether actual ghosts might inhabit their dream home, but the folklore of various countries, ancient and modern, is full of advice to pick a place that will bring good fortune, and ensure it stays that way. If you’re in the market a new home, you might be interested to know what some cultures believe brings good luck to a house.

Finding the Right Place

  • According to the Chinese philosophical system of feng shui, a house must have windows the east side to face the sunrise, or it’s bad luck.The Chinese also believe that moving into a home that sits on a curved road or faces a “T” intersection will bring bad fortune.Also in China, home buyers are warned to avoid homes with the number four in the address, because the word for “four” sounds like the word for death in both Cantonese and Mandarin.

Buying It

  • Look for homes that have the number eight somewhere in the list price. In China, this is said to be good luck.In the Philippines, the date a property is transferred matters. To ensure that things keep looking up for you, make sure the closing date includes a number that, when written, ends with the pen stroke pointing toward the top of the page rather than the bottom, such as 0, 3, 5, or 8.

Moving in

  • In India, it is said to be bad luck to move into a new house on a Friday or Saturday, or on a rainy day. Thursday is considered the luckiest day to move in.Always buy a new broom for a new house. According to popular belief, bringing an old broom to a new home will bring along all of the bad luck you want to leave behind, whereas a new broom signifies a fresh start.In addition to your new broom, be sure to bring bread and salt with you when you first enter your new home. Sprinkling some of the salt in front of the door is said to keep evil spirits away.Never carry a hoe into the house. It’s considered bad luck. If you accidentally do so, immediately walk backwards through the same door to reverse the bad luck.Stuffing fennel into your keyhole or hanging it over the door is said to protect your home from witches.A southern legend claims that painting your front porch blue will ward off ghosts. The ghosts, which can’t cross water, mistake the blue porch for water and stay away.The ancient Norse believed that placing an acorn on a windowsill would protect the house from being struck by lightning.In the Philippines, it is believed that scattering coins around the living room of a new home will ensure financial prosperity.Nailing an evergreen branch to the rafters of a new home is said to bring good luck.Hanging up an empty hornets’ nest is also said to attract good luck.

Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.

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