Britons have amassed some £50 million worth of hand-me-downs and inherited items that they do not actually like or want, according to
home insurance firm Abbey.
Ornaments, jewellery and furniture are the most unloved of all unwanted heirlooms, but they are kept due to their sentimental value (52 per cent) or the sense of guilt that consumers would feel should they sell them (36 per cent).
The average person owns 12 such items, with an estimated value of £9,466.
Prasad Shastri, head of insurance marketing at the firm, explained that many people do not wish to insure such unwelcome items.
"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," he added.
Recent research by insurer esure suggested that unused gadgets now take up a quarter of storage space in UK homes.
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