Monday Market Update: The Makings of a Happy Home

August is here; did you know that it is ‘Happiness Happens Month’?! Since 2000, Happiness Happens Month has been focused on encouraging people to see happiness as a choice – a lifelong journey and not a destination. It does not mean being problem free, it means finding moments of joy and acknowledging the things that DO make you happy. And like most things – happiness starts at home! 

There is actually a great deal of data surrounding what makes a happy home and how your home environment shapes how you feel! Check it out: 

The 6 Ingredients To A Happy Home: One of the most widely published and circulated scientific studies on home and happiness was conducted by the architectural studio, Resi. The study was performed and published in an effort to advocate for homes that support our happiness and well-being as the foundation of society and a defining goal for years to come. Resi identified the six qualities of a happy home as: secure, nourishing, adaptable, relaxed, connected and reflective of ourselves (having mirrors). 

Another largely cited survey from Houzz revealed that 74% of those who have remodeled or redecorated their home in the last two years are now happier at home. Over 70% of respondents stated that big windows and comfortable furniture impacted them most positively. In terms of happiest rooms in the house, 42% of those surveyed said they were happiest in the living room/family room and 15% noted the kitchen as their happy place (we were surprised that number wasn’t higher!). 72% of homeowners also agreed that they are happiest when their home is clean and organized. 

More interestingly, the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark found that how happy feel in their homes is most linked to their happiness in life – even more so than health, income & job satisfaction! Their Good Home Report explained that 73% of people who are happy with their home are also happy in life. The strongest indicators of home happiness in this study turned out to be a sense of pride in one’s home, independence and the ability to make improvements, rooms that offer flexibility, feelings of spaciousness regardless of size and spaces that encourage gathering and connection. No surprise there. 

Do any of these features of a happy home stand out to you? What part of your home makes you feel happiest? Feel free to share,

Cheers to a month of finding the good & the happy,

Bobbi 

Bobbi Decker
DRE#00607999

Broker Associate, Bobbi Decker & Associates
650.346.5352 cell
650.577.3127 efax
www.bobbidecker.com
NAR Instructor….“Designations Create Distinctions”
CIPS, SRS, ABR, CRS, SRES, GRI, CLHMS, REI, AHWD, RSPS, MSLG

Bobbi Decker & Associates fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. For more information, please visit: http://portal.hud.gov/