£20bn of unwanted gadgets

According to Direct Line, the average child’s room is worth £1,498, mostly due to electronic goods, yet many of these are rarely used.

“As parents know all too well, kids need to have the latest electronic goods in order to keep up with their mates,” said Direct Line home insurance spokesman Andrew Lowe.

DVD players topped the list with nearly half of all rooms having one, followed by games consoles at 36 per cent and laptops at 28 per cent.

Teenagers’ rooms were worth even more at £2,127, even though the average child only spends 14 waking hours per week in their room, the report said.

While the survey shows the need for parents to consider a debt management plan when making large purchases, not all items were mere gadgets.

“The rising costs 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,” added Mr Lowe.