Britain is a nation of lounge-lovers, with over half (56%) (2) of homeowners saying the living room is their favourite room at home, well in excess of any other room, according to new findings from Sainsbury’s Home Insurance. Somewhat surprisingly kitchens only score 6%, putting to bed the myth that the kitchen is the heart of the home.
A similar pattern emerged when asking people where they spend most of their waking hours at home, with 54% saying it was their living room, far ahead of the next most used room, the kitchen (10%) or study/home office (8%).
‘Peace and quiet’ is what people seek in their favourite room, with 41% of respondents making that claim, while conversely 24% enjoy the ‘noise and bustle’ of their preferred room.
But having a favourite room doesn’t affect how much money people spend on it, according to the survey. Indeed, only 19% of people invest more money in their favourite room than the rest of the house.
With people spending money throughout their homes, rather than on a specific room, Sainsbury’s Home Insurance urges people to keep tabs on their purchases and receipts so that they can alter their level of sum insured contents cover should they need to. Proof of purchase can also help in the event of needing to make a claim.
Tom Thomson of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance said: “We truly are a nation of lounge-lovers, with our living rooms voted an outright winner as our favourite room, and the place where we spend most of our waking hours.
“When adding to your favourite rooms or any part of the home, ensure you have sufficient contents cover so that you’re not left underinsured in the event of needing to claim.”
The unpredictable British weather may be to blame for only 3% of people calling the garden their favourite space, although 7% say that their garden room or conservatory is their favourite, suggesting that Britons like to enjoy their gardens from a warmer vantage point.
Sainsbury’s Home Insurance notes a generational variation however, with the outdoor lifestyle seemingly more appealing to the younger generation. 18-34 year-olds are more than three times as likely to spend the most time in their gardens (6%), compared to 2% of the population. This age group is also more than twice as likely to list their bedroom as their favourite room (10%) compared to the overall population at 5%.
Source (By Sainsburys, 23rd June 2015)
http://sainsburysbankmedia.co.uk/lounge-lover-nation/
(2) Research commissioned by Sainsbury’s Bank and carried out by Opinium Research, interviewing 2,002 UK adults online between 28-30th April 2015.