Burying A St. Joseph Statue Is Just The Start To Selling Your House

Emma Tomsich

4 - Minute Read

UPDATED: Apr 27, 2023

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You don’t need to be Catholic, or even religious, to know about the tradition of St. Joseph helping houses sell.

But how did this home seller tradition start? Why do some people believe burying a state of St. Joseph can help them sell their home? Let’s find out!

When Did St. Joseph Start Selling Houses?

St. Joseph is a biblical figure recognized in many Christian sects as the husband of Mary and corporeal father of Jesus Christ.

In the Catholic tradition, St. Joseph is known to be the patron saint of home and family. Over the years, this role has evolved to also include home sales and real estate. It is said that Joseph protected Mary and Jesus from danger, which often involved bad real estate sales.

Some homeowners believe that St. Joseph oversees the real estate market, guiding sellers through the home selling process from start to finish. Sellers trust St. Joseph to make the process easier for them, by alleviating the stresses that come along the way.

All a seller needs to do to catch St. Joseph’s attention is say a little prayer and bury a statue of the saint.

Yes, you read that correctly.

For years, sellers have been burying small St. Joseph statues upside down near the for-sale sign in their yards.

While no one knows who exactly started this tradition, it is said that the original intention behind burying the St. Joseph statue upside down in the dirt was to incentivize the saint to sell the home in order to return him right side up.

Now, years after this tradition began, sellers are still burying St. Joseph statues to increase their luck.

In modern times, real estate marketers have begun to capitalize on this ritual, making it more popular and emphasizing the power of real estate agents. 

If you’re struggling to sell your home, consider some reasons why your home isn’t selling. If you’re interested in testing this theory, read on to learn the proper way to bury a St. Joseph statue.

How To Bury A St. Joseph Statue To Sell Your House

First things first: Where do you get a small statue of St. Joseph? They can be purchased at Christian stores, on Amazon or on websites that specialize in selling St. Joseph statues with kits that include instructions and prayers.

Now when it comes to the proper way to bury your St. Joseph statue, there are several opinions. While the steps aren’t crystal clear, some general recommendations are:

  • Bury your St. Joseph statue near your For Sale sign.
  • Make sure the statue is upside down.
  • Make sure his placement signifies that you’ll be leaving the house soon. Sources recommend burying him close to and facing the road or near the back of the house or backyard flowers to represent that you’ll be leaving the house soon.
  • Try to bury the statue 12 inches deep, if possible.
  • If you’re selling an apartment or condo, you can bury your statue in a flowerpot, with or without plants, and place it on a deck or windowsill.
  • If you want to avoid burying a saint statue, you can place him on a windowsill in your home in view of your For Sale sign.
  • Once your St. Joseph statue is in proper placement, say your prayers to the saint at the statue’s burial, and continue your prayers every day until the house is sold.
  • When your house sells, sources say to reclaim your statue from the ground and take it with you. Some warn that leaving the statue can curse the house with a constant sale-and-purchase loop.

Help A Saint Out With These Helpful Tips To Selling Your Home

While you’re waiting for St. Joseph to work his magic, consider some other ways you can sell your home. Here are some concrete ways you can increase interest in your house while appealing to St. Joseph:

  • Fix up the lawn where the statue is buried to boost curb appeal and send good vibes underground to St. Joseph.
  • Consider painting your front door red, in honor of St. Joseph.
  • Pray to St. Joseph while reviewing the steps of the home buying process and reading more tips about how to sell your home.
  • When it comes time to show your house to potential buyers, say an extra special prayer to St. Joseph, and check out these tips for getting your home ready to sell.

Remember that there are professionals with experience selling homes! If you’ve continuously struggled with selling your home and are feeling ready to give up, it might be time to consider hiring a new real estate agent.

The Bottom Line: St. Joseph Helps Those Who Help Themselves

If you feel called to try out the St. Joseph trick, give it a shot! Just remember that praying to St. Joseph is just one tool of many to sell homes. As you follow through with the St. Joseph ritual, make sure to also make other efforts to sell your home – like selling with a qualified real estate agent, making your team of two a team of three!

Headshot of Victoria Araj, journalist and section editor for Rocket Mortgage

Emma Tomsich

Emma Tomsich is a student at Marquette University studying Corporate Communications, Marketing and Public Relations. She has a passion for writing, and hopes to one day own her own business. In her free time, Emma likes to travel, shop, run and drink coffee.