Real Estate News

There’s no place like home, for sweatpants and family

Canadians define “home” using their hearts and humour, survey reveals

Familiar holiday anthems ring out about warmth, comfort, and love, themes that mirror Canadians’ definition of “home” according to a CENTURY 21 Canada survey. Although much real estate news fixates on finances, when asked to describe what home means to them residents sang a different tune.

The top 10 ways Canadians define home:

  1. Family
  2. Comfort
  3. Safe
  4. Place
  5. Love
  6. Live
  7. Warmth
  8. Relaxing
  9. Peace
  10. Happiness

“The personal value of a house is embedded in Canadian culture, which is clearly seen in our high ownership rate,” said Brian Rushton, executive vice president, CENTURY 21 Canada. “Home is truly the centrepiece of the holidays from coast to coast, as shown in residents’ heartfelt responses.”

In fact, the entire country was overwhelmingly united in their top home definitions. British Columbians added a social aspect to their list, as the only province to include “friend” in their top 10. Quebec was the only region to list the practical term “investment” in their top 10, actually ranking it third. The title of most creative region goes to Ontario, where residents used nearly 90 unique terms to define home.

It wouldn’t be a Canadian survey without room for humour. Some entertaining and brutally honest home definitions included:

  • An escape from people
  • Sweatpants
  • Kitty
  • No strata fees
  • Awesome

The festive season celebrates ideas of home: peace, happiness, and sometimes a bit of much needed solitude. As the classic song goes “there’s no place like home for the holidays,” and no time like the holidays to evoke the Canadian definition of home.

The CENTURY 21 Canada survey was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights. The above responses were given to the question “In about five describing words or less, what does “home” mean to you?”