Safe rooms – also known as panic rooms – are popping up in upscale Long Island homes.
They are designed to give homeowners peace of mind in case of a home invasion or some other type of emergency.
News 12’s Andrew Ehinger was at John Mastroianni's Huntington Station home that was equipped with two panic rooms. The homeowner says it helps him sleep at night to know there is an added level of security in his home. Mastroianni says his last home was violently broken into so when he moved here he wanted a greater peace of mind.
Christopher Cosban of Covert Interiors installed Mastroianni's panic room and other luxury panic rooms on the Island, including several in the Hamptons. He says they cost anywhere from $5,000 to more than $200,000.
"It can all depend on how safe you want the room, whether it's bulletproof, ballistic glass, Kevlar sheets, steel we use ... It all depends on what the person is looking for in their security," says Cosban.
The panic rooms can become a selling point for homes and increase their resale value.
"They put that as an added perk or amenity in the home and there is a big buzz about that right now," says Cosban.