Englishmen Love Their Home Entertainment Centre

Greenbee - the company offering financial and leisure services from the John Lewis Partnership - reveals almost a third (31 per cent) felt their home was an entertainment centre, with one in five (20 per cent) saying it was a place where they socialise and entertain friends and family. Those in East England are most likely to invite guests over for a friendly get together (28 per cent), compared to just 12 per cent of those in Wales.

However those thinking of hosting a ‘night in’ are being urged to consider their home insurance, as Greenbee.com warns that many people may well be left disappointed if they have to make a claim for accidental mishaps when entertaining at home. Just 28 out of 259 home contents products currently on offer (11 per cent) include accidental damage - such as a red wine spillage on the sofa - as standard. With approximately eight out of 10 people believed to be under-insured by around 80 per cent, and four in 10 claims on Greenbee Home insurance being for accidental damage/accidental loss ((based on claims on Greenbee Home insurance as of end January 2008.), it is vital people are aware of what level of protection they actually have.

Further analysis of the GfK Roper Reports Worldwide research has also shown that the look of the home is of the utmost importance, with 38 per cent of respondents believing it to be an expression of themselves. One in eight (13 per cent) felt their home was a ‘gallery’ where they can show off the things they’ve collected over the years. Those in East Midlands and South West are most likely to take pride in their possessions, with 19 per cent considering their home a place where they can exhibit their prized belongings, compared to just 7 per cent of those living in the South East.

However it appears that for some, the home has less sentimental value. Twenty nine per cent of respondents feel the home is simply a house, a place for sleeping and eating, rising to 39 per cent of people in their twenties. One in eight (13 per cent) feel their home is an office, a place where they do work - with those in the South East most likely to take work home (23 per cent), almost double that of their London neighbours (12 per cent), and 3 per cent of people in Wales.

It’s no surprise that people see their home as a place where they feel safe and secure and want to protect it and in turn their precious belongings, whether it be valuable and prized objects to display or important equipment necessary to do some work.

However research from Greenbee has shown that the majority of UK adults believe mishaps - such as an unfortunate party accident during an evening’s entertaining - will be covered as standard, when more often than not, this won’t be the case. It is vital therefore that people ensure the things they care about are covered by their household insurance, otherwise they may well be left disappointed in the event of a claim.”