Have an Aga, vinyl records or a playroom? You're officially beyond middle-class

If you're reading this in your children's playroom - or your walk-in wardrobe - you could be better off than you think.
Your vinyl record collection could say more about you than you thoughtYour vinyl record collection could say more about you than you thought
Your vinyl record collection could say more about you than you thought

A wine fridge, children’s playroom or range cooker also qualifies you for entry to the elite “beyond middle-class”.

A new report says increases in disposable incomes have meant we have ploughed more money into valuable items scattered around our homes, spawning a new generation of “mid-net-worth” households.

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The report, from insurer LV=, says the sharp increases in UK house prices has also led to people spending more on their existing properties.

Whether it’s a treasured collection of vinyl records, a top-of-the range cooker or a state-of-the art music system, we may not even realise how the value of what we have in our home all adds up.

Among these ‘mass affluent’ households, the key displays of having “made it” financially nowadays tend to be more subtle than the sparkle of a blingy chandelier or a mirrored ceiling. In TV series terms, think more Doctor Foster than Footballers’ Wives.

While more than one in three (37%) people surveyed have a home office, nearly one in five (18%) have vinyl collections.

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One in seven (13%) have a children’s playroom in the house while 11% have a walk-in wardrobe.

Collections of artwork were also popular indicators, with 18% of those surveyed being the proud owners of limited edition art.

Under-floor heating was also popular, as was luxury paint, with many people having Farrow and Ball-ed their walls.

Meanwhile, 13% of people have a high-tech music system and 12% have a nutrient extractor, such as a NutriBullet.

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One in 10 have a range cooker, such as an Aga or a Rangemaster.

The households in the survey were also asked about the features of a property that they are most impressed by, or would like to own themselves.

Top of the list, if money were no object, was a grand piano, followed by a games room.

Delving deeper into the research, there are some interesting differences between the sexes when it comes to the household symbols of affluence that we’d be impressed by when visiting the home of a friend, a work colleague, a family member or another acquaintance.

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While 36% of women would be impressed to find a games room in someone else’s property, men were more likely to be impressed, with 43% saying so.

A walk-in wardrobe would impress 39% of women, compared with only 28% of men.

Women were more likely than men to be bowled over by a range cooker, a pizza oven, a Belfast sink, an outdoor kitchen, limited edition art or bi-folding doors,

Meanwhile, men were more likely to be impressed by a home bar, a music delivery system, a home office, vinyl collections or a wet room.

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