As violent crime rates continue to rise in cities across the United States, wealthy homeowners are turning to a new trend to protect themselves and their families.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans were scared not only of the virus but also of the rise in violent crimes. In response to the devastating pandemic and a surge in burglaries and home invasions, more and more people are building “panic rooms” inside their homes.
These safe spaces act as a secure place to hide in case of an armed attack or intrusion and are becoming a popular feature in high-end homes. However, these luxury panic rooms come with a hefty price tag, some costing over a million dollars. Despite the cost, homeowners are willing to pay for the added security and peace of mind.
According to one construction firm told The Hollywood Reporter, the demand for panic rooms has surged in the last few months, with some luxury panic rooms costing over a million dollars. A real estate agent even predicted that panic rooms would become a standard feature in high-end homes.
“Panic rooms are just going to be one of those amenities that gets tacked on to every list of, ‘OK, every new home moving forward above price point must have this.”
Unfortunately, burglars and thieves have been targeting the ultra-rich for their break-ins and thefts. Celebrities have even been murdered during these luxury home invasions. In February, an intruder broke into Kat Von D’s $15 million Hancock Park residence while she and her son were asleep.
In January, music producer Clarence Avant’s wife, Jacqueline Avant, was brutally murdered in her $7 million Beverly Hills home when an intruder armed with an AR-15 assault rifle broke in and shot her. The man was a convicted robber. While disgraced Hallmark actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli had reported a break-in to police a month earlier.
“We once had a property, and an appraiser came and was measuring the home, and they could not figure out why there was this kind of dead space, and we weren’t allowed to tell them what it was. They just had to assume it was dead space when in fact, behind a secret panel was a safe room,” Holcomb said.
Panic rooms have been around for a while, with one company specializing in building them for the past 25 years. Some panic rooms are hidden behind secret panels, and real estate agents must keep their locations secret until the buyer has signed all the paperwork and closed on the house. This is to prevent potential burglars from casing the house and discovering the panic room’s location.
Jon Grauman of the Agency a luxury real estate firm in Los Angeles, said, “You never know who’s potentially casing a house. The last thing you want to do is show them, ‘Here’s the panic room, and here’s how you access it.”
Overall, panic rooms have become a necessary addition to the homes of the wealthy as crime rates continue to rise. As one real estate agent said, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Sources: AWM, DailyMail, Hollywoodreporter
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