A Grown Up Room

Cinemas were de rigueur last year, this year it’s playrooms for grown ups. Apparently we all need sporting dens. These extra curriculum rooms include tennis courts, bowling alleys and in some cases a shooting range.

The deluxe home market is way ahead at present, and as with most things the rich and famous have, the rest of us follow fast.

In the deep dark recesses of the country’s most lavish homes, you’ll find incredible in-home sporting arenas. You can see squash courts, climbing walls as well as the much needed swimming pool.

I have heard of one home in the Hyde Park area that actually has an indoor ten-pin bowling alley, another ‘palace’ actually has a go-kart track in the basement.

Big news at present are mini golf courses, no need to bother yourself with a trip to the Glen Eagles Estate, now you can play in the comfort of your own home in front of a computerised image of a course. The rooms are leather padded to avoid any mishaps; play takes place on your very own faux grass.

A London Estate agent has just sold a ‘roomy’ four bed roomed property near Harrods complete with a golf simulator, space-age garage and they even have a bar in their cinema room. The asking price for this is approx £10.5 million.

These super rich ‘must haves’ are creeping there way down the ladder. Your average four bed roomed property may well have a fully fitted gym in the basement. As a nation we are becoming more health conscious and couple that with working longer hours, it makes sense to have a gym in your own home.

The best equipment can cost up to and indeed in excess of £30,000, but with current interest levels rising there are other options. Some companies lease equipment, others have a hire purchase system in place. A starter kit can be purchased for approximately £1,000.

A starter kit could include a set of free weights, balance-training bosu ball, bench and resistance tubing, a Swiss ball and two pieces of good quality cardio equipment, which could be a cross trainer and treadmill.

Having a golf simulation room in your basement may not be as pricey as you think. They are becoming extremely popular, they used to cost £40,000 minimum but now £13,000 will buy you golfing time in your home.

£13,000 buys you the computer program, a 10ft x16ft projection screen that can also be your home cinema, the enclosure you hit the balls into, the green and a hitting area.

Whilst the basic cost is not cheap, membership to a Golf club is not either; it can cost several thousand pounds a year.

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