Prudential research has revealed the importance of the family home with millions of childhood bedrooms preserved.

New research conducted for Prudential shows that more than 4.6 million UK adults have their former bedrooms preserved by parents who cannot quite let go of earlier memories of their children.

A staggering 42% of UK adults (around 4.6 million people) whose parents still live in the family home say their former bedroom is still decorated as it was when they were a child, with 44% sleeping in their childhood bedroom when they return to see their parents.

It is not just the parents who hang onto those childhood memories, almost half (46%) of UK adults whose parents still live in the family home say they still regard their childhood bedroom as their room despite moving out.

However, much more than just the decoration remains unchanged. A third (33%) of UK adults whose parents still live in the family home say they sleep surrounded by childhood photographs, 27% with old school books and folders and 20% with their childhood toys when they visit their parents.

The research from Prudential also showed that a further 10% face the dubious retro-pleasure of childhood posters and 22% say their former childhood bedroom still contains trophies, awards and certificates from their formative years.

Keith Haggart, director of Prudential Lifetime Mortgage said: "The connection with the family home remains strong throughout our lives and our research has shown that around a third of UK adults say the home they grew up in is still lived in by their parents, so it is understandable that many people are loathe to sell the family home even if it means having to struggle to make ends meet, especially in retirement.

"But there are other options available and equity release can provide a good way for people to get hold of the money they have tied up in property equity without having to sell their family homes and downsize."

In addition to preserving their childhood bedroom, 60% of UK adults whose parents still live in the family home say their parents store a range of belongings for them, with eight per cent having left letters from former boyfriends or girlfriends at their parents home, four per cent having left animals and pets with their parents and eight per cent using their parents house to store bicycles.

The most popular items to store at parental homes were school books and folders (left by 34% of UK adults), with photographs (32%), books (31%) and clothes (20%) all scoring highly.

About Prudential
Established in 1848, today Prudential plc is an international financial services company with a product range which extends from personal banking, insurance, pensions and retail investments, to institutional fund management and property investments.

In the UK Prudential is a leading life and pensions provider with around seven million customers.

Source: Prudential (pru.co.uk)

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