There is a convention of numbering houses all over the world. It is done for the identification of a particular house or building. However, every country has a separate set of rules to number their houses. Here are some of the top rules pertaining to house numbers  you did not know:-

• A street in the United Kingdom has even-numbered buildings on one side of the road while odd-numbered houses sit on the other side.

• Buildings that are used to house vehicles and private garages should never be ordered.

• All houses including those situated on corner sites should have a number based on the street. Numbering manipulation to get a distinct address is not accepted legally.

• Numerical sequence should be correct for numbering a street. An exception of any kind is not acceptable in this.

• When a building or a house has its entrances in multiple streets and it has multiple occupants and every entrance opens to a different occupier, each of them should be numbered based on the road they are opening to. However, there can be exemptions based on certain scenarios, such as when a building is separated into apartments.

• A building with a name should not have multiple numbers in a street.

• When a residential building has a block with up to 6 stories, a specific street number is assigned to it. However, if the stories exceed six, then a number, as well as, a name should be assigned to the building in the street.

• Numbers should not be used within a street or a buildings’ name.

• Punctuation should not be used but exceptions include St. which is an abbreviation of Saint.

• Using figures followed by alphabets is allowed in the building name in the United Kingdom. It is done when a big ancient house in a street has to be destroyed. A number of smaller houses then replace the original building.

The system of house numbering can be slightly baffling for people who are particularly from outside the country. To start with, there is a legal requirement that all buildings and roads should have a different name, sign, or number. In case you want to remove an existing house number to replace it with a new name, speaking to the local council is important.

There is a reason why house numbers UK are on one side and even-numbered buildings are on the other side of the road. A postman delivering letters can complete all the deliveries to all odd-numbered houses and then do the same for even-numbered houses or vice-versa. This way, he or she does not have to cross the road multiple times.