The New Year is a chance at a fresh start for everyone and a time where most Australians declare the one thing they’d like to resolve over the course of the coming 12 months.

Resolutions vary from anything like taking an overseas trip to buying a new car but how does buying a property rate on the revolution scale?

A realestate.com.au survey has found that 54 per cent of Australians surveyed are keen to enter the property market in 2011 via either their first home or investment property, with debt consolidation and weight loss also high on the agenda.

“Many people are gearing up for the buying and selling season which kicks off again in earnest in late January, still holding on to that tangible dream of home ownership in 2011,’’ realestate.com.au spokesperson Henry Ruiz explained.

“Interestingly 57 per cent of those already with a home loan indicated they are keen to tip extra money onto the mortgage and over a third (36 per cent) of those surveyed wanted to upgrade to a bigger home with more living space.’’

In other results, 31 per cent said they want to ditch the credit card and consolidate their personal debt due to Christmas overspending and at a broader level, living a healthy lifestyle was important to 60 per cent of respondents.

Nearly a third (28 per cent) of those surveyed were eager to quit smoking in the new year and 27 per cent of twitter and facebook addicts wanted to tone down their social media addictions.

The environment also ranked extremely high, with 51 per cent of Aussies indicating a willingness to install energy efficient light globes – 39 per cent of respondents were also keen to make their garden drought resistant by installing hardy plants.

The realestate.com.au New Year’s resolution survey was conducted online with 2,949 people taking part.

Story by Curtis Cooper, realestate.com.au