A home that's easy to clean and reduce germs and dust. I prefer a home with no wall to wall carpet, since dust mites love to hide in it, and chemicals from manufacturing contribute to indoor pollution. I prefer tiles, since I can use my steam mop on them, killing germs without chemicals and fumes. I prefer washable fabrics wherever fabrics are used - comforter covers, draperies, cushion covers, etc.

All of the above.

Neighbourhood safety first, then green products in building practices followed by usable outdoor space. The rest is all achievable in due time.

A house is not a home unless you are surrounded by family and friends. #BeSeenBeSafe

A good sanitary sewer system, whether that be a community connection (preferable) or an on site treatment system. And a house that has proper plumbing and venting! Further, a water system that provides potable water. The aforementioned are extremely important for advancing the health and well being of the occupants. Lastly, no wall to wall carpets because they are harbourage for far too many nuisance particles and micro-organisms.

Good CROSS VENTILATION

I voted Other because its all of the above. Clean, safe, stress free, green... Home should be a retreat from all things ugly in the world.

I voted family and friends. Sitting in a sterile house with no family and friends can be very lonely.

I voted family and friends by accident. Didn't know how this works... :( A truly "healthy home" is one with the least chemicals possible ~ hard to do right now. Even harder than knowing how to vote! :)

A family that is strong and supports each other and is emotionally close is priority 1. Building strong character and the ability to relate to others in a kind and loving way is the foundation to a great community.

Clean eating with an active lifestyle together. Of course cleaning your house helps ;)

Organized, clean, free of environmental irritants. Sadly, opening windows these days isn't what it used to be, even out in the middle of nowhere. High pollen counts, pollution from fireplace smoke, yard burning, sprayed chemicals, vehicle pollution, etc., etc. all prevent opening windows on a daily basis to air out the house. I've had to invest in high quality air purifiers to get me through much of the year. And I live in a place deemed "best air quality county"--what a lie!

All of the choices are necessary; you're asking us to compare apples and oranges, and grapes........

No drapes or carpets in which allergens can hide. Open windows, great natural light.

For me, no cats anywhere near (severe asthma trigger.) Sorry to the many cat lovers for whom good health is a furry friend on one's lap!

No mold! Air quality is soooooo important to a healthy home. Grew up in FL with mold in AC ducts following Hurricane Andrew. AC constantly runs in hot, humid Miami. "Ate" antihistamines daily for much of my childhood. Never had a problem with allergies in the 25 years since I left home until our AC went at the beginning of summer. We live in a condo in MI now so opening the windows isn't a good option--too hot, too cold, too dirty and too noisy, and smell of trash dump, even though it is miles away. My ducts are mold free, but small amounts of mold grew in the evaporator while outside unit was down. It has catapulted me back 25 years and I've suffered horrible allergies all summer as the AC ran. The evaporator was cleaned, but only from the outside since rust won't allow access to the inside. I have kept my home dust free, dusting vacuuming and washing surfaces weekly in the 10 years we have lived here and rarely sneezed until this mold formed in the AC. Heat season is here so I hope it kills the little that may remain, but mold is the biggest threat to a healthy home!

A healthy home is one whose design actively enhances the occupants life. Durable enough to withstand many decades of life and is easy to repair and maintain (cheaper total cost of ownership, better for the environment, develops character and patina instead of waste, should outlive it's builder's children). Built efficiently so that it is as small as possible while still meeting the occupants needs (easier to clean, lower impact, maybe room for an actual garden). Uses real aesthetics instead of design fads to create calm and beauty for all the occupants to come. Is designed to be easy to clean and maintain, but can still be charming if it gets a bit rough around the edges (if it has to look like a magazine all the time it will drive you mad). And is should have one sunny spot somewhere to plant something edible in, even if it's basil in a window.

A pretty house is nice, but a home that feels like your greatest tool and ally in the midst of life's chaos is the healthiest thing one can have for the mind and body.

All of the above! :)

Walkability. I'm a lot healthier when I can walk places, rather than always getting in the car.

I am sensitive to chemicals and electromagnetic fields (headaches, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, etc), so when we renovated our home recently we used the book Prescriptions for a Healthy House (by Baker-Laporte) to guide us and choose non-toxic options for everything we could: paint, grout, sealers, adhesives, insulation (denim), floor finish, kitchen cabinets, etc. Everything zero VOC and no formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.

To reduce the electromagnetic fields we... ran ethernet cables to plug in the laptop instead of WIFI, wired phone jacks to several locations instead of having cordless/DECT phones, regular switches instead of dimmers, ran MC (metal clad) cables throughout the house, and choose appliances with no wireless devices built in.

It was definitely worth going the extra step. This is the healthiest and most serene and beautiful home I have ever lived in...

A healthy home should be built with non-toxic, low VOC materials that are FSC and ECO certified. Interiors should be furnished with natural materials that do not outgas, such as wools, organic cottons etc. Walls should be painted with zero VOC paints. Water lines should not outgas. A whole-house water filtration system should be added to water coming into the home for drinking and bathing, and should address contaminants addressed in your local water quality report. Windows with screens should be opened as much as possible to exchange air in the home. A solar attic fan can help. A Analog power meter should be installed on the home, not a "smart meter"!!! All Landscaping should accommodate the sun in the winter and shade in the summer and there should be enough food grown in your own landscape to feed your family!

This is quite a thought-provoking poll. While I was thinking about the choices that were listed I noticed that I passed over the things I already enjoy, like a safe neighbourhood, and being surrounded by family and friends. Then I realized that if I didn`t already live in a safe place, that alone would be my all-consuming wish. I don`t think I would be healthy or happy if I didn`t feel safe.

It`s our thanksgiving weekend and the poll made me realize (again) how much I have to be grateful for. Living in peace and serenity pretty much trumps everything else for me.

I'm not going to nail it down to just one factor, but a husband and wife who love each other is a good start.

so nice welldone

My home, whether in the middle of projects, or completely finished, is MY happy space.

Negative people and energy are not welcome. When you hit my proch steps....keep it happy & positive, or go home. You're not welcome.

I've lived in over 20 different homes in my life, some with other people and some entirely alone and 2 of the listed items are what have kept my abode and I very healthy. My homes are always very clean and organized, 1 of my "mottos" has always been "a clean home is a happy home", the 2nd is supporting healthy nutrition and exercise, as long as I have at least a hot plate and can get or grow good natural foods I'm set; and daily exercise is essential for a healthy life and it's free.

A healthy home is about creating a good environment where people can thrive. For a healthy home, having a space that's physically healthy (clean and fresh), mentally healthy (uncluttered and open but interesting), and emotionally healthy (happy and socialization with friends and family) are important!

Mold around a chimney caused by condensation is the only factor that has negatively affected my health in the past 4 placed I've lived in. It was a rented house in Finland, my wife and I developed sores in our noses from August to February within 2 weeks of moving into the place. No visible mold but then a mushroom type thing started growing on the wall, the wall was opened and the mold was everywhere in the structure around the chimney so we moved out immediately and within 2 weeks our nose sores were gone. Prior to this I thought of mold as something only complainers and crazy people talked about, now I think of it very seriously and would live in a tent before another moldy home.

Looking at the history of building and insulation techniques in Finland which is currently ahead of the USA in energy efficiency I believe the northern parts of the US are currently building a group of houses that will develop mold problems due to the ever lowering air infiltration limits and no HRV / ERV equipment. Finland already went through this exact problem in the 80's

Currently we're building a house in NH. It'll have a full ventilation system and mold free construction methods. The VOC and off gassing priority is lower since fresh air is exchanged constantly by the HRV / ERV equipment. The site has been dowsed for Geopathic stress. Read on the work of Hartmann and Curry lines. Geopathic stress negatively affects health in many ways and the lines and intersections should be avoided especially in sleeping areas. I'll also make an effort to reduce the EMF without wifi, and cordless phones but am unsure if I'll do a fully shielded electrical system. I've thought about putting some grounding leads into all the tile floor for the health benefits of grounding especially in the winter months when I can't go outside barefoot.

"Healthy home," to us, means a low drama sanctuary.

Its meant for one reason someone needs that option !

A sense of community and belonging creates the healthiest homes.

All of the above!

Never thought of it like that yep I agree with Susan !

Ideally, a mix of all that's listed. Within the house, things and surfaces must be easy to clean. I like everything well organized and accessible. I'm not always successful and, in this case, close is good enough.

I am curious to those who have been concerned about indoor air quality and/or EMFs...did you choose a gas or induction cooktop (or I suppose electric is also a less common option)?

A healthy home should have a safe environment. One that is free of toxins and chemicals in
every part of the house. This includes
what you eat to where you sleep.