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Parents 'should check insurance covers expensive gadgets'

05/10/06

Expensive gadgets bought by parents for their children should be accounted for under home insurance policies, according to a home insurance company.
 
Direct Line Home Insurance indicates that the average children's bedroom is worth £1,498, meaning that the UK's parents are splashing out over £20 billion on their offspring's variety of gadgets.
 
Some of the objects that need to be checked to ensure that they are covered under home insurance policies include DVD players, laptops and games consoles, Direct Line suggests.
 
The home insurance company's research also shows that the worth of a child's bedroom today is four times more than the overall worth of their parent's rooms at the equivalent age; this could be interpreted as another reason to check home insurance policies.
 
Direct Line Home Insurance spokesperson Andrew Lowe says: "As parents know all too well, kids need to have the latest electronic goods in order to keep up with their mates.
 
"The rising cost of kids' rooms isn't just driven by peer pressure though, as in many cases electronic equipment such as computers and software are essential for a child's educational development."
 
He added: "In any case, it is important that parents keep track of any expensive purchases that they make for their children and ensure that they are accounted for under their home insurance policy."
 
Further findings from Direct Line show that 20 per cent of parents are putting their own lives on hold to provide for their children.