The nation's dream house revealed

4 min read
  • Top 10 include: Downtown Abbey, Monica’s apartment (Friends) and Wayne Manor*
  • Iron Man’s penthouse takes the top spot
  • Thunderbird’s Tracey Island is the most expensive fictional home to insure
  • The ideal home is on a beach front with pools, secret cinema and a wine cellar 
  • Direct Line Home Insurance launches Fast Response**
     

More than one in ten (12 per cent) would describe Tony Stark’s penthouse as their dream house – whilst a staggering 65 per cent of millennials (24-38 year olds) are prevented from buying their perfect pad due to the cost, according to new research.

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 per cent 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 per cent selecting this as one of the features they’d most like), giant hot tub (22 per cent), fully equipped gym (21 per cent) and sauna (15 per cent).

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 eight per cent 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 per cent)
  2. It doesn’t exist (16 per cent)
  3. It would cost too much to insure (13 per cent)
  4. Don’t know if it is possible to exist (10 per cent)
  5. Still living with parents (9 per cent)
  6. I prefer to rent (6 per cent) – this figure rises to 8 per cent 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.”
 

The Nation’s Dream House – FICTIONAL 

  1. Tony Stark’s penthouse
  2. Kevin’s house from Home Alone
  3. Downtown Abbey
  4. Wayne Manor (Batman)
  5. Uncle Phil's mansion, from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  6. Thunderbird's Tracey Island
  7. Monica's apartment from Friends
  8. Bag End, from Lord of The Rings
  9. 221b Baker Street, from Sherlock Holmes
  10. Carrie's Apartment, From Sex and the City
  11. The Burrow from Harry Potter
  12. Pemberley from Pride and Prejudice
  13. Dracula's Castle
  14. Barbie's Dreamhouse
  15. Casterly Rock, from Game of Thrones
  16. Simpson's House (742 Evergreen Terrace)
  17. Wallace and Gromit's home
  18. Burns Manor from The Simpsons
  19. Pineapple Under the Sea, from Spongebob Square Pants
  20. The Gingerbread House, from Hansel and Gretel
  21. The Spice Bus, from Spice World
     

The Nation’s Dream Home – LOCATION 

  1. Beach Front
  2. Private Caribbean Island
  3. Cliff overlooking the sea
  4. Forrest
  5. Town
  6. Capital city
  7. Mountains
  8. Disneyland
  9. Lapland
  10. Floating at sea
     

The Nation’s Dream Home – FEATURES  

  1. Infinity pool
  2. Giant hot tub
  3. Fully equipped gym
  4. Hidden door leading to a Secret cinema
  5. Sauna
  6. Secret passages
  7. Endless wine cellar
  8. All technology to be controlled by artificial intelligence
  9. Waterfall
  10. Steam room
  11. Bowling Alley
  12. Indoor rainforest
  13. Un-floodable bathroom
  14. Giant Slide in place of doors
  15. Giant water fountain
  16. Moat
  17. Lake filled with dolphins
  18. Drawbridge
  19. Waterbed
  20. Rollercoaster in the garden
  21. Helipad
  22. Shark Tank
     

Calculating the Cost of insuring Fictional Homes:

  1. Thunderbird's Tracey Island £100,000 – An entire island with cover for the home, and all vehicles including underwater and space travel.     
  2. Downtown Abbey £100,000 – A Grade 1 listed building with domestic staff, excellent collection of antiques and fine art. Due to the size of the sums insured at risk it is likely this would be fairly expensive to insure.   
  3. Burns Manor from The Simpsons £80,000 – A manor with all of the finest paintings and technology and wine collection which will all need covering.
  4. Dracula's Castle £75,000 – A Gothic castle, though a Bat infestation could be costly due to bat protection laws and not always covered
  5. Wayne Manor (Batman) £60,000 - Wayne Manor is the most beautiful presented 11 bed-property and, whilst it is located in the notoriously crime ridden Gotham, it has a complex security system complete with an in-house superhero.
  6. Casterly Rock, from Game of Thrones £50,000 – This property needs to be covered for Coastal erosion, normally excluded
  7. Xanadu (Citizen Kane) £40,000 – A large manor with cover for the Winter Sports Equipment (Sledge) while on a winter sports holiday.
  8. Tony Stark's penthouse, from Iron Man £25,000 – The ultimate connected home with voice assistant and monitoring of who has accessed the property
  9. Uncle Phil's mansion, from Fresh Prince of Belair £10,000 – A bell air mansion with a live-in butler
  10. The Burrow from Harry Potter £5,000 – This property is held up with magic! So an increased price due to the foundations
  11. Monica's apartment from Friends £3,000 – While the flat itself is not that large, Rachel’s wardrobe will increase the cover required for contents, and the door is never locked!
  12. Bag End, from Lord of the Rings £3,000 – This property has a modern Sedum roof, so is taken into account when looking at the construction of the property.
  13. Kevin's house, from Home Alone £2,500 – But a 25 per cent discount if Kevin is home to keep the burglars out, plus the increased cover for religious festivals
  14. Teletubbies' Tubbietronic Superdome £2,500 – A Modern property with a Sedum roof and technology inside
  15. Carrie's Apartment, from Sex and the City £1,800 – A small studio apartment, Carrie’s wardrobe will increase the cover required for contents. Unlikely to be entertaining guests due to recent issues with colleagues.
  16. The Spice Bus, from Spice World £1,700 – The ultimate mobile home, though slightly dated and the technology will need an update, Includes European breakdown cover!
  17. The Gingerbread House, from Hansel and Gretel £1,000 – A house that is decorated in iced gems, (Cheaper than real Gems) no cover for mysterious disappearance (i.e. fixtures being eaten).
  18. Wallace and Gromit's home £1,000 – A modern UK home with state of the art technology and a never ending train set, plus Pet Insurance for Gromit.
  19. Barbie's Dreamhouse £800 – This is only a small property, however Barbie accessories will need to be covered.
  20. 221b Baker Street, from Sherlock Holmes £500 – This is a very small London flat, Sherlock’s Violin being the most valuable item within the flat.
  21. Pineapple Under the Sea, from Spongebob Square Pants £500 – A small quirkily designed house, built to never flood.
  22. Simpson's House (742 Evergreen Terrace) £500 – A standard American house, however the sofa has not been changed for over 20 years, a claim here would mean this would be replaced new for old
     

- ENDS -
 

Notes to Editors

For further information please contact:
 

Joe Satari

Joe@talkertaillor.com

07715 690 330
 

Alex Pearse

alex@talkertailor.com

07795 812 670
 

* Research conducted by Censuswide in February 2018 with 2,005 respondents
 

** How will Fast Response work?

Home insurer Direct Line promises to get to work within 24 hours after a severe leak so you will get back on track.

The technician will review the damage to your property in its entirety and make use of video technology to report back to the office, speeding your claim up

The technician will leave the customer with clear next steps on who will make contact, when and what action they are recommending.

Where appropriate to do so, they will also clean or remove waste from the property to help get things started or prevent further damage by installing drying equipment, moving items away from damaged areas or taking moisture readings.
 

Fast Response stages

  • Initial visit includes same day drying/cleaning
  • Immediate decisions on site made
  • Minimise customer disruption
  • Claims evidence capture and video streaming to speed up process
     

Work Direct Line will do immediately

  • Reinstate electrics
  • Remove standing water/items damaged beyond repair and sodden carpets
  • Install dehumidifiers to start the drying process
  • Take moisture readings
  • Clean/sanitise areas
  • Capture damage on camera
  • Identify potential asbestos cases for onward appointment of relevant experts
     

Terms and conditions for Fast Response

Excludes Highlands and Islands

Extreme weather conditions may extend response time

£350 escape of water excess applies

Underwritten by UK Insurance Limited
 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
 

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/home-cover