Do rude street names actually raise house prices (and when should you change them)?

Upon examining hundreds of rude road names across the UK, SellHouseFast found that the property average on these roads increased the value of your home by £44,460.20 on average.

The naughtiest road name with the highest added value is one of America’s favourite swear words – ‘jackass’. ‘Jackass Lane’ has an average selling value of £869,866.50 and is the most popular in both London and the South East of England.

Gardening friendly, ‘hoe’, came in with an average value increase of £205,298.31 and is the most popular in the South East of England, making the South East of England home to some of the naughtiest street names.

With a whopping 84 rude streets, the top five in the South East were as follows: Butt (19), Beaver (18), Bush (11), Hoe (11), and Bottom (8). In second place was the East of England with 68 rude streets across the region, with Butt (21), Bush (14), Cock (14), Hoe (7), and Bottom (5) coming in as the top five naughty roads.

SellHouseFast found that most popular ‘rude’ street name across the UK is ‘Butt’. It makes an appearance in 151 different road names and increases property value by £30,076.53 on average.

Coming in second, with the possible need for a haircut, is the road name ‘Bush’, mentioned 79 times across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. ‘Bush’ is closely followed by ‘Beaver’ which is found in 57 roads in the UK.

However, there are circumstances where an unusual street name might cause a few problems.

Robby Du Toit, managing director of SellHouseFast said:

“It can be off putting to purchase a home on a road that sounds rude, so when looking into the data collected, we did find government guidelines and tips on how residents can change their street name, as not everyone finds Bush Lane as comical as others.

“Different cities and counties across the UK will have different rules as to how you can change your street name. Yet, there are some general tips and procedures.

“The council will consider requests from residents, but there must be a good reason. A handful of council guidelines state that one good reason includes a group of residents being unhappy with the street name. For example, the locals in Rowley Regis of Bell End Street voiced their concerns after children living on the road were bullied at school for living there. This is a very time-consuming process so it can be difficult to get this change approved, as it isn’t just the council’s decision. For instance, Royal Mail are also asked whether they agree it is necessary.

“You must also ensure you obtain permission from most residents on your street, so gathering enough signatures is essential.”