Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady bought a 12th-floor apartment in New York City because it represents the sports star's lucky number.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

The 36-year-old fashion model and the New England Patriots quarterback originally signed a contract on a $20 million 11th-floor apartment in the Big Apple, but Tom had a last-minute change of heart and the Patriots' iconic No. 12 instead insisted on an apartment on the floor above.

A source told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "Perhaps Tom is superstitious, or perhaps in honour of his Super Bowl win, or the recent return of his stolen Super Bowl jerseys, he decided he had to be on the 12th floor."

As a result, the celebrity duo are now set to splash as much as $32 million on a five-bedroom, 5 1/2-bath residence, which also features a 1,900-square-foot terrace.

A source explained that Gisele and Tom - who tied the knot in 2009 - were attracted to the building in Manhattan on account of the privacy it offers.

Meanwhile, Tom said last year he's "blessed" to have Gisele in his life - although he admitted their marriage hasn't always been plain sailing.

The NFL star shared: "I'm blessed to find this life partner that we all kind of seek at different times in our life.

"We found each other at the right time. We've been through a lot of ups and downs together, and in so many ways, that's kind of built our relationship so strong."

He revealed, too, that he's always been able to rely on his wife during the difficult moments in his personal and professional life.

Tom said: "We all have our challenges that we face in our life. And it's great to have that rock that you can always lean on that can support you in different ways that you need to."