What Makes a Homeowner Happy?
Every home buyer has their own wish list, and no one’s ‘must have’ amenities are precisely the same as anyone else’s. A home seller might view a certain improvement as the home’s best feature, while the buyer may determine that the very same thing must go. The feature that a home buyer has at the top of their list is just as likely to wind up at the bottom after they’ve viewed a few available listings. There is very little predicting going on in the real estate industry, but there are a few subjects that keep coming up over and over when talking with either buyers or sellers.
What exactly is it that makes a homeowner happy? A safe community? A short commute? What about walkability?
The answer is all of the above, according to HomeAdvisor.com’s recently released Homeowner Happiness Index, an industry indicator ranking the happiest cities in the nation.
“A homeowner’s quality of life is more likely to be dependent on their community and access to important attractions and services than it is on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in their home,” said Dr. Karen Ruskin, HomeAdvisor’s happiness expert, in a statement.
Square footage is indeed less of a factor in determining a homeowner’s happiness, the Index shows. Natural light, on the other hand, is an important consideration—naturally-lit homes tend to appear more spacious.
The Index also reveals a happiness trend among empty-nesters and married couples without children, who reported feeling satisfied more so than other homeowners.
“Empty-nester homeowners feel most connected with their neighborhoods and are most satisfied with the condition of their homes,” Ruskin said. “They have likely settled in a community they enjoy and in which they plan to stay—and they generally have the most economic stability and time available to make their houses happy homes.”
Homeowners in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, St. Louis and Seattle are among the happiest, according to the Index.
“Our research shows that homeowners are happiest in urban cities with good weather, an active culture, arts scene and higher income levels,” said Ruskin.
Homeowners outside of these areas don’t have to capture happiness in a bottle to feel a higher sense of satisfaction. Simple improvements, such as outfitting the home for entertaining, can make a world of difference.
To find out where your city ranks on HomeAdvisor’s Happiness Index, visit HomeAdvisor.com/survey.
Source: HomeAdvisor.com Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.
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