Key to happiness is a contagious boom

A STUDY has found the key to happiness, and the good news is it’s part of a housing boom that could be contagious.

Getting to your happy place might be as simple as finding that your property has sold for more than you expected, in this case the highest level of satisfaction seen in two years, according to ratings firm RateMyAgent.

Research involving a survey of 40,000 Australians, found a boom in satisfaction among those selling their homes in the country – with the happiness level doubling from 20 per cent of those surveyed in December 2018 to 41 per cent in December 2019.

“Aussies across the country are rising in happiness, as seller satisfaction doubles nationwide – indicative of a steady upturn in the property market,” the report revealed.

The study’s price expectation report asked those who had sold their homes during July to December last year if the sale price was above, below or in line with their expectations.

“Results showed a significant increase in overall national satisfaction with net happiness doubling,” according to RateMyAgent chief executive Mark Armstrong.

He said the study showed there were “plenty of reasons for optimism”.

The happiest place in Queensland was up north in Townsville, the report found, but the southeast corridor continued to dominate the top-10 list in the state.

The report found the happiest state was Victoria (55 per cent), which had overtaken Tasmania (51 per cent), followed by New South Wales (50 per cent), Australian Capital Territory (48 per cent), South Australia (42 per cent), Queensland (38 per cent) and Western Australia (33 per cent).