Hated hand-me downs worth £50 million
Brits are hoarding hated hand-me-downs and inherited items worth a whopping £50 million, according to home insurance provider Abbey. Some 12 per cent of people admit to living in homes cluttered up by inherited items, with the average person owning 12 such items, worth an estimated £9,466 per person. Over half (53 per cent) hide the heirlooms around the house, while one-in-five (20 per cent) sell them on and 15 per cent have choose to be martyrs and display the item even though they dislike it. Ornaments, jewellery, furniture and collectables or memorabilia, like a stamp collection, all feature on the list of hated items, although over half (52 per cent) admit to keeping the items because they feel a sentimental attachment to them. Prasad Shastri, head of insurance marketing at Abbey, explained that these items could be an insurance risk: "Many people don't want to pay to insure these unwanted items separately, however should something happen to your home and you only have a limited sum policy you may end up not recovering the full value of the items in your home. "With an unlimited sum insured policy you will be less likely to be underinsured."
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