This year’s Happy at Home Index has seen St Ives crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain by its residents, overtaking Hexham to claim the top spot, having alternated with the market town for first place since 2019.
The residents of St Ives scored the area highly for its sense of community spirit, the sense of belonging the residents have, and how comfortable residents feel to be themselves.
A sense of belonging in an area is the number one factor which contributes to someone feeling happy where they live.
Since the pandemic started, demand for homes has greatly outstripped supply in many coastal areas like St Ives. Though this has eased during 2022, enquiries to buy a home in Cornwall are still 9% higher than 2019.
This has contributed to rising prices in the area. The average asking price for a home in St Ives is £523,731, which is 6% higher than last year when it was £492,870. This is higher than the current national average asking price of £366,999.
Galashiels in the Scottish Borders is second in this year’s list, which is the first time an area from Scotland has been ranked in the top three since 2016, and the market town of Woodbridge in Suffolk is third.
Residents of Galashiels scored it particularly highly on the friendliness and politeness of the people, and it came top in this area across Great Britain.
Anglesey is the happiest place to live in Wales, and Richmond upon Thames is once again the happiest place to live in London, coming top for the eighth year in a row.
Richmond topped the list for its access to sports and recreational activities and scored the highest out of any London area for its access to nature and green spaces.
This year’s study was carried out as the cost-of-living squeeze rises, which was reflected in the survey results.
22% of renters said they planned to move in the next 12 months to get better value for money in their area, along with 16% of buyers. 11% of renters said they were moving to reduce energy costs, rising to 12% for buyers.
When considering what was most important about the property they might move to, a garden is most important to buyers (29%), however, renters are more concerned about the energy costs of the property (20%).
While there are undoubted challenges facing both buyers and renters the survey found first-time buyers are still determined to get onto the ladder, cutting back on going out and using less gas and electricity to help them to still be able to save up for a deposit.
Meanwhile, working from home or hybrid working has become a more permanent part of life this year as the survey found 65% of people said they were able to work from home.
Rightmove data shows both buyers and renters have become more flexible in their search for a new home, increasing the radius of the location that they are enquiring about to sales and letting agents, with the ability to work from home a likely contributor to this.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Science comments: “This year’s Happy at Home survey really shows that the things that make people happy to live in their area are not so much the physical aspects of that area but more the personal aspects, such as our sense of belonging, the community and the people. The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness.”
Local Views
Paul Le Bas, Sales Business Development Manager at Millerson in St Ives said: “St Ives has a vibrant and active local community that during the winter months enjoy all the local clubs and leisure facilities.
“During the summer months, we get to enjoy the three award-winning beaches and great surf at Porthmeor whilst joining in with the holidaymakers. All year round we are able to visit amazing restaurants and café bars most of which are highly rated in the national press. The coastal walks are second to none. From Porthminster round to Clodgy the views are stunning as you look out over the turquoise seas. As the seasons' change, so does the town. The sea shows its power with its Northly swells pounding the beaches and the town becomes a winter wonderland of festive lights for Xmas. Even Father Christmas arrives on the Lifeboat!”
Alice Brown, Valuer at Rettie & Co. Borders said: “It is no surprise that Galashiels is so loved by its residents. It is the largest of the Border towns, with a population of circa 15,000. Its central placement in the Borders makes it a popular location for families, giving a relaxed way of life while being within a commutable distance of Edinburgh via either the Borders Railway, bus or car.
“Steeped in history, Galashiels has a wide variety of housing from classic period properties to new builds, offering something for every type of buyer. The countryside surrounding Galashiels also has much to offer, especially for those with an interest in rural pursuits such as walking, trail running, biking, wild swimming, etc.
“In terms of entertainment, a variety of amenities are on the doorstep, including a cinema, gyms, a swimming pool, supermarkets, independent shops, cafes, a retail park, restaurants and well-regarded schools. The recently established Heartland Market brings together the town and local businesses.”
