the key to a happy home is regular meals together, more than one tablet computer and a netflix account, a new study has revealed research into the  lives of 2,000 british families found that traditional values such as regular heart to hearts, hugs and knowing when to say sorry were still important factors for domestic bliss but the study also revealed that modern families believed that having modern technology and gadgets such as a netflix account, fast wi fi and sky tv were also key to harmonious home life a new study has found that one of the keys to domestic bliss is having more than one tablet computer per household (picture posed by models) monthly trips to the cinema, a good coffee machine for mum and dad and at least three televisions were also deemed necessities for happiness the research, commissioned by british manufacturer origin, found the highest rated tips for domestic bliss included eating together regularly, laughing a lot and keeping the home tidy despite the importance of eating together proving the most popular source for a happy family, a third said they rarely find time to do this a quarter of families also felt they haven't got a good work/life balance with the average family getting less than 12 hours a week together andrew halsall, managing director at origin, said: 'the list of things that people attribute to happiness at home is an interesting mix of traditional processes, efforts to create a warm environment blended with the presence of technology and modern comforts the whole family regularly eating together topped the list of things that helped create a harmonious family life  'it's nice to see that eating together is still seen as the biggest sign of family bonding and a significant part of what people say makes a happy home 'modern life can be so hectic that families can struggle to get time together or ensure they appreciate their home life fully people and their lifestyles change over time and homes need to be able to change with them 'whether it's through physical changes like extending or developing the property, or through making a conscious effort to do things together more, building that home environment clearly leads to happiness after all, an englishman's home is his castle' the study also revealed that keeping the place tidy, cooking with the children and having in jokes makes all the difference in fuelling a great home environment unsurprisingly, a dishwasher helped to avoid arguments about who is going to do the washing up, while a netflix account was seen as an important factor in keeping the peace  despite items such as fast wi fi, sky tv and everyone having their own smartphone or tablet, old fashioned bonding such as hugs and eating together were in the top five ways to keep a happy home  while a lock on the bathroom door, movie nights and well lit rooms were also important factors to a house being free of doom and gloom a good stack of board games, a comfortable sofa everyone can pile on and picking up clothes from the floor also goes a long way narrowly missing out on the top 50 elements for family happiness was the ability to share the remote control, having blinds to keep out nosy neighbours and a set of bi fold doors opening out to the garden also help more than two thirds of the families studied also felt that they were in definite need of more space at home but children had other ideas when it came to essentials for a happy home with a tree house the most wished for item, followed by a swimming pool in the garden and a bigger playroom andrew halsall added: 'space plays such a big part in creating a happy home environment'lack of adequate space for a household has also been shown to have significant impact on health, educational attainment and family relationships' 1 all eating together  2 laughing a lot  3 keeping the home tidy  4 feeling safe and secure  5 hugs  6 enough sofas for everyone to sit on  7 making time for each other  8 regular family trips out  9 knowing when to say sorry  10 a family pet  11 nice neighbours  12 not rowing in front of the kids  13 a big garden  14 cooking with the children  15 helping the kids with their homework  16 not having secrets  17 movie nights  18 playing board games together  19 putting the kids' paintings on the walls  20 sharing chores  21 everyone picking their clothes up off of the floor  22 having lots of photos together around the house  23 knowing when someone wants to be left alone  24 having a treat cupboard  25 having a play room for the kids  26 having a big tv in the lounge  27 having fast wi fi  28 having 'in' jokes  29 a large kitchen  30 having regular heart to hearts  31 privacy from the outside world  32 having a takeaway night every few weeks  33 having a dishwasher  34 plenty of music  35 a weekly walk  36 nice views  37 a lock on the bathroom door  38 having sky tv  39 well lit rooms  40 having designated days where we spend time together  41 double glazing to reduce noise  42 everyone having their own tablet or smartphone  43 everyone having their own set of keys  44 having grandparents nearby to look after the kids  45 a spacious kitchen  46 a netflix account  47 having a tumble drier  48 big windows  49 having several bathrooms  50 separate cupboard space in the bedroom 
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research into lives of 2,000 families revealed the top tips for a happy home  heart to hearts, hugs and knowing when to say sorry were all important  but having modern technology like fast wi fi and sky tv also rated highly 