St. Ives, the happiest place to live in Great Britain

- Wed 25 Nov 2020

The Cornish town of St. Ives has been crowned the number one place to live in Great Britain after placing 1st in Rightmove’s 2020 Happy at Home Index. Rightmove asked residents in areas all over the UK how they feel about where they live based on 10 happiness factors.

The studies proved that the Lockdown has led people to appreciate where they live more, 36% of people said they like their local area more now than before the pandemic. Many people have been able to reconnect with what is on their doorstep, spending more time here and in their community has led to a positive effect on how they feel about where they live.

Towns and villages nearer to green space and with greater access to nature are in high demand with people living in rural and coastal areas being the most content with where they live. The trends also showed that people are looking to live in smaller communities which is very fitting with St. Ives taking the top spot!

On top of winning the happiest place to live, people in St. Ives also rated their neighbours as the friendliest in Great Britain! The average asking price of property in St. ives is up 5% on this time last year and up 19% from five years ago. Demand for property in St. Ives has also increased 120% compared to this time last year!

Our senior negotiator at our Bradleys St. Ives office, Jessie Wright featured in this week’s Daily Mail, commenting on how we are not surprised by the findings:"I think there are a number of reasons why people are so happy living down here, but we’ve all definitely become more appreciative of our hometown over the lockdown period. "

The freedom to go for a swim in the sea or a run along the beach when we were only allowed one hour of outdoor exercise made lots of people realise that we have so much space to enjoy, coupled with wonderful countryside scenery and stunning beaches.'

Read the Daily Mail article here

If you are considering relocating to St. Ives or similar small towns in the South West, Bradleys have offices across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. Contact us to register your search and see how we can get you moving to your happy place!

Take a look at our most recent properties for sale in St. Ives here

St. Ives, the happiest place to live in Great Britain

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