Happiness is a wide, open-ended and above all subjective area of study among the academics involved in this topic. One thing that can be said of happiness without prejudice is that different aspects of living in a house make different people happy – and in different ways.
The purchase of a home is the biggest investment of the average Briton. When looking at the home as a source of one’s happiness, it becomes apparent that not all dwellings will suit all inhabitants. Finding the right home is a definitive contributor to the overall enjoyment of life. Gartoo, an online property search engine in the UK, recently carried out a poll asking over 500 people from around the UK to rate which factors they felt provided the most happiness in their house. The results were rather interesting…
Overall, the people living in a house were the biggest factor for happiness.
However, what’s more interesting is that this pie chart suggests that there is very little correlation between the happiness provided by a house and the price tag.
However, when broken down by gender, age, and region we began to spot some very interesting trends highlighting that when it comes to what makes a home a happy place, there is certainly a degree of disagreement between men and women, youngsters and adults, and northerners and southerners.
Men vs. Women
While both sexes agreed that it’s the people that make a home a happy place, our research suggests men are far more interested in what you can do in a house and where it’s located, opposed to women, who appear to be more concerned with the social environment of a house and the safety it provides.
What makes a home a happy place factors split by male vs. female
The Young vs. The Old
Our research suggests that as British people get older they become less concerned about the colour, design and what is done in the house, and increasingly concerned by the location and safety of the house when it comes to providing happiness.
Northerners vs. Southerners
When it comes to happiness, it appears that those living in the north of England are more interested in the people and safety, whereas those living in the south are more concerned with the design, colour, and location of the house.
How to Engineer Your Happiness by Choosing the Right House
For the tangible bricks and mortar of a house to become a truly happy home that fulfils the inhabitants’ lifestyle, it is imperative that it follows the contours of what the owner holds as intrinsic to their individual preferences. For example, the golf enthusiast who finds a central source of their satisfaction on the suburban golf course will undoubtedly enjoy in a suburban town with a golf course. Yet the keen city-lover, who enjoys the hustle and bustle of the sleek and efficient urban environment, would likely find such a location far from fulfilling. In this case, a modern city apartment with a view of the beautiful London skyline at night would be far better suited.
In short, a happy home cannot be narrowed down to one particular formula that every person would find enjoyable. Naturally, an assumption could be made that anyone would be happy and enjoy living in a large town house in Central London, with all luxury that could ever be asked for. However, strip away the glossy facade and it becomes clear that such a property may not match what it is that makes you truly happy as an individual.
Investing in the right property ultimately involves the understanding of oneself before a reasoned decision can be reached. Does the house in question cater for your children? Are you living close enough to the people you hold dear in your life? Will your commute to work impede your sense of happiness? All these questions – and many more alike – will affect the choices you make in finding the perfect home. Yet it is very important to remember that once the search for the perfect property is over, it is the filling of its walls with the stories and memories of a life well lived that will bring true happiness to your home.
Buying a home is not simply an investment, but a basic necessity. Remember to take into account what it is that makes you happy when choosing a home and to not compromise on those needs because of market value and financial prospects.
Research data source: here
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