A new study of 2,005 Brits by Direct Line Home Insurance has revealed the extent of the gap between our dream home and the reality facing many, especially the younger generation.
According to the report, 12% of respondents described the Iron Man-sion as their dream house. Tony Stark’s New York retreat boasts stunning views, a tech lab and a Hall of Armour featuring all the iterations of the famous super suit.
It is not all about modern technology and artificial intelligence homes though as Downtown Abbey, Kevin’s house from Home Alone and Uncle Phil’s Bel-Air mansion also made the top five.
There is bad news for Iron Man; a history of destruction, idiosyncratic toys and weapons and an owner with a long line of enemies has also driven the cost of insuring the property through the sky-scraper-high roof.
In response to the findings, Direct Line’s valuation experts calculated the cost of securing home insurance for a full list of fictional homes with Thunderbird’s Tracey Island revealed as the most expensive to protect due to its size, vehicles and the potential dangers associated with space travel.
The study also revealed what features the perfect modern dream house should have. The ideal abode was found to be a beach front property featuring an infinity pool (22% selecting this as one of the features they’d most like), giant hot tub (22%), fully equipped gym (21%) and sauna (15%).
This was also analysed by Direct Line’s underwriters and they concluded that home insurance for this property would be £2,500 per year. This takes into account the fact that it is a decent size and the increased risk of being on a beach (flood and storm) and all the internal plumbing which could increase the escape of water risk.
Only 8% of respondents said that they do currently own their dream house.
The top main reasons Brits do not already own their dream home are:
1: It costs too much (56%)
2: It doesn’t exist (16%)
3: It would cost too much to insure (13%)
4: Don’t know if it is possible to exist (10%)
5: Still living with parents (9%)
6: I prefer to rent (6%) – this figure rises to 8% for Gen Z (16-23 year olds)
The study was conducted to celebrate the launch of Direct Line’s Fast Response. The insurer will be at a customer’s home within 24 hours to make immediate decisions to get their life back on track if their home has been severely damaged by a water leak.
Dan Simson, head of Direct Line home insurance, said: “Whilst the nation’s dream home may be fictional, what we do for our customers is very real: We will be at your property within 24 hours after a severe leak to get to work straight away and we will have a plan of action to restore your home and get your life back on track. Direct Line Fast Response would certainly have come in handy for Kevin McAlister’s mum the day after she returned home to find the water and destruction that he had caused to protect his house.”
