When we think about real estate and homeownership today, the first things that cross our mind may be family holidays, a white picket fence, building wealth, and the home sweet home nostalgic feeling. What we probably aren’t thinking about is where the term “real estate” came from, when the first home was built, the size of the world’s smallest house, or what color to paint your front door to increase your home value.
There are so many fun and interesting (and even weird!) facts when it comes to the world of real estate and homeownership. For example, did you know that the world’s largest treehouse was over 100 feet tall, and over 10,000 sqft in size? It has now since burned down, but this massive 10-story home was located in Crossville, Tennessee and took 15 years to build using all natural materials. Yep, pretty neat!
And, we have a lot more where that came from!
Check out our list below for 10 more interesting facts about real estate and homeownership:
- In the United States, there are more single female homeowners than there are single male homeowners.
- Painting your front door dark grey or black has been proven to increase your home’s value. Dark colors like slate blue also work well.
- Buckingham Palace is the most expensive residence in the world, estimated to be worth about $1.55 billion.
- Staged homes sell faster than empty homes, according to a survey by Wise Living.
- According to a Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University study, over 17 million Americans spend half of what they make on rent.
- Brass doorknobs and home fixtures clean themselves, due to antibacterial properties in the metal.
- In a survey by the National Association of Realtors, about 50% of buyers think that buying a home is a smarter investment than buying stocks.
- The White House only received its famous name in 1901, and is painted every 6 years to keep the bright white color.
- On average, a person will move 12 times in their lifetime.
- 1/3 of sellers try FSBO (for sale by owner) before listing with a professional.
While some of these may seem like common knowledge, we had no idea that Americans are spending SO MUCH money on rent each year. Which one of these facts surprised you the most?