Swanky house numbering has emerged as a tell-tale sign of a neighborhood changed in character by wealthier people moving in and improving the area, otherwise known as "gentrification.” There’s even a “gentrification font,” inspired by Chip and Joanna Gaines and their house makeovers. Some homeowners are shelling out big bucks to upgrade their entryways, and a font called “Neutraface” has proven the most popular. Beyond function, the house numbers add personality. While most people wouldn’t have given their house number a second thought a few years ago, the latest home improvement fixation seems to have been fueled by the pandemic. As restrictions kept homeowners inside, fine tuning their property with landscaping, fancy doorways, and lighting grew in importance — a new niche often referred to as “curb appeal.” While replacing a door might be an expensive project to take on, you might think that upgrading a house number is a relatively inexpensive undertaking, but you would be wrong. House numbers on Wayfair can set you back a whopping $257 per number. That can get pretty expensive if you decide to spell out your number in letters to be unique. The numbering craze has even led some developers to build an entire extra wall outside some properties, with the sole intention of showing off a new fashionable house number. It’s not just that numbers no longer live on the mailbox, they sometimes have their own wall.
