New study reveals the UK’s happiest homeowners

Do you love your home? If not, what don’t you like about it? Is it too small, too dark, too cluttered, too dated? It probably comes as no surprise to learn that the UK’s least happy homeowners are in London, as revealed by a new study, while those in Bristol are most content.

Londoners were the most dissatisfied with their homes. Image: Pixabay

The study surveyed towns across the UK, and asked homeowners to rate their homes based on factors such as property size, garden and view. The top ten results were as follows:

  1. Bristol – 65% of homeowners were happy with their homes
  2. Liverpool – 63%
  3. Southampton & Norwich – 62%
  4. Cardiff – 61%
  5. Manchester – 60%
  6. Nottingham – 58%
  7. Leeds – 57%
  8. Birmingham – 52%
  9. Brighton – 48%
  10. London – 38%

Homeowners in Bristol topped the survey for satisfaction. Image: Pixabay

The study, which included over 2,000 respondents, was carried out independently on behalf of aluminium glazing specialists Express Bi-folding Doors. As you might expect, people over 55 tended to be happier with their homes while those in the 25 to 34 age range were unhappiest.

Over half of respondents (54%) said that their perceived lack of space was down to clutter, but only about a third used any lighting or storage tricks to try to combat the problem.

Considering that the UK is popularly a nation of gardeners, outdoor space rated surprisingly low with only 15% of those surveyed saying they wished they had a bigger garden. A small proportion (3%) said they could do with less outdoor space!

Residents in Plymouth were happiest with their views. Image: Pixabay

The most divisive issue of all was the view from a property. Over three quarters (79%) respondents in Plymouth were pleased with their surroundings, with the majority of homes offering picturesque views or overlooking countryside. The Devon city was followed by homeowners in Edinburgh (74%) and Newcastle (73%). At the other end of the scale were London again, with only 48% happy with their view, followed by Liverpool (42%) and Belfast (41%).

How to fall back in love with your home

Sometimes a house just isn’t right for you, and then the only solution is to keep an eye for other homes in your budget. Often, though, there was a very good reason you bought your current house in the first place and it’s just become a little tired. To help you fall back in love with your home, try giving it a makeover. This can be as dramatic or simple as you like, depending on your budget.

  1. Sort that storage. We’ve got lots of tips on storage solutions, including ideas for children’s toys, coats and shoes, odds and ends, garden clutter and more. You can also take the opportunity to have a good sort out and declutter – it’s amazing how therapeutic it is, and you might even be able to make some money setting items at car boot sales or online to raise money for your home project.
  2. Go into space. There are plenty of things you can do to make a small space feel bigger, including clever use of lighting and mirrors. Take a look at some of our ideas for inspiration.
  3. Lofty ideas. It’s possible you might be able to find some extra space in your current home if you have a suitable loft area. If you need more living space, you could consider converting a garage, building an outdoor workshop or home office or re-purposing a cellar.
  4. Let there be light. If your main quibbles are lack of light and lack of living space, then one solution might be to add a conservatory. If you take down a solid wall and build the conservatory onto your existing kitchen or living room, then you’ll let a lot more light into those areas as well as giving yourself an extra room. If you don’t have room for a conservatory, you could consider installing French doors, bifold doors or picture windows instead, and landscaping a small area of the garden to give you an outdoor seating area.

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