The number 4

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  1. #1

    The number 4

    Hi everyone,

    I've recently started looking for an apartment to buy..
    A real estate asked me to look at a place, the address is #4 XXXXX Road.

    I remember first coming to HK being told about elevators having no 4th floor and other such superstitions involving the number 4, just would like to have the help of you guys to form my own opinion.

    Would this stop you from buying a place ??
    Do you think it might decrease the land value ??

    Any comments much appreciated !


  2. #2

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    personally, i find it just as silly as not having a 13th floor...the thing is, of course there is a 4th floor.... they just call it the 5th floor.

    if i was buying for myself to live in, no it wouldn't stop me from buying.


  3. #3

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    one of the developments out my way has a blocks 1, 2, 3, 3a, 5, 6, 7, 8 lol...and of course you'll also see no 14, 24, 34, 44, 54th floor etc...yet there is a 40-49th floor...

    and i actively seek out former flats of jumpers/at home deaths, or those with a lovely view of a cemetery, both value reducers (we're buying for the Loooooong term)...my wife will have NONE of it tho

    Last edited by timklip; 20-06-2009 at 10:50 PM.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by timklip:
    ...yet there is a 40-49th floor...
    That's because the 4 isn't the last number.

  5. #5

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    yeah I figured that out lol...


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by ozziebattler:
    Do you think it might decrease the land value ??!
    If you are planning on buying the property for an investment, you will later have difficulty finding a buyer. The number 4 is avoided since the word sounds similiar to death in chinese.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Raccon:
    That's because the 4 isn't the last number.
    Okay, that explains it for me! If it is 49 it is okay but not 4 or 94?

    A friend of mine did not sell his nice home in BC for some 6 months and this was when we sold our house ourselves in two weeks as the market was hot. But with Asian buyers who were dominating the market pre-97 there, his address with a bunch of 4s was screwing him.

    He got the city to change his corner home address to the street beside him and he took my sign, put his cell number on it and sold it himself in about a week saving himself some nice commission!

    In BC in a number of communities like this one where Asian buying is very strong they will if they can allow an address change.

    When you sell a home in Coquitlam near Vancouver, it is now not uncommon for even the non-Asian realtors to provide advice to sellers as to what to do if there are feng shui issues that can be easily solved. If the listing agent doesn't know, they bring in someone from their office as part of their evaluation of home and their recommended pricing.

    I am not recommending DIY selling as I got lucky in a hot market. I never did that again and we later sold another house via agents.
    Last edited by Football16; 21-06-2009 at 12:23 PM.

  8. #8

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    that's already number 8.... number 9 is long life.... or have i gotten them mixed up?


  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Football16:
    Okay, that explains it for me! If it is 49 it is okay but not 4 or 94?
    That's right - 4 and the end means you are at the end (= death).

  10. #10

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    if you are buying then defintely avoid 4s, or flats with bad feng shui because that will affect the resale value.

    i never cared too much for feng shui before, but when i was flat hunting i learnt alot about what is good and not e.g. facing the elevator, the direction, the layout etc etc.

    you don't have to be obsessive, but if there are things which are very obvious like numbered 4, then try to avoid.


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