Women say ‘photos' are the most precious item in their home
Homeowners have revealed to Confused.com that their most financially valuable possessions are not the ones which are the most precious to them. Computers and jewellery top the list of the most expensive items owned, but 74% of homeowners tell us that sentimental items such as photos, letters and drawings their child has done are more precious than their most costly items.
In a survey of 2,000 homeowners, Confused.com discovered:
74% of people say that the most financially valuable item they own is not the most precious item they possess.
Photos top the list of the most precious or sentimental items owned by UK homeowners, with 41% of people identifying them at the top of their lists. Items which have been inherited from a relative, achieve second place in the poll (13%) followed by letters which are most precious belonging of 12% of the homeowners polled. Jewellery is the most sentimental item for 10% of homeowners while 7% prize drawings from their child as the most precious item they own.
More men (29%) than women (23%) say that the most financially valuable items they own are also the most precious to them.
47% of women (compared to 34% of men) tell us that photos are the most precious/sentimental items they own. The second most popular ‘sentimental' item for women is jewellery and the second most popular for men is letters
Older people (over 55s) are more likely to say that items inherited from a relative are among their most precious items but photos are letters are consistently precious across all age groups
When it comes to insuring possessions, Londoners are most likely to take the gamble and fail to take out a home contents insurance policy: only 64% of Londoners who own their home tell us they actually have home insurance, compared to a national average of 80%. When it comes to 18-24 year-old homeowners, 16% of these do not even know if they have home contents insurance or not. 30% of 18-24 year-old homeowners say they don't have a policy.
Despite such a large proportion of homeowners telling us that they do not bother with home insurance, 20% admit that they have been burgled in the past. Jewellery is the top item stolen by burglars, followed by items of sentimental value.
Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: "Home insurance and a good awareness of home security can help to keep property safe. Sadly, burglary is a fact of life that one in five of homeowners who we surveyed have already experienced. While insurance cannot replace items such as photos, it is possible to name precious items (that have a value of more than £1,000) on your home insurance policy. This helps ensure that possessions such as jewellery or antiques or expensive technology can be replaced or compensated for in the event of a burglary.
"Installing a safe is not a bad idea, as long as it is not easy to pick up and remove. When on holiday using a safe becomes second nature but it has yet to become ‘the norm' back at home. Securing items of financial and sentimental value inside a safe could help prevent them being taken by opportunistic thieves."