New research, commissioned by Checkatrade, has revealed that 6.4m British households are risking a bill of £20,000 on their properties. The tradesperson platform stated that they could have saved this money had they not put off simple tasks around the house.
The cost of home maintenance has risen by 3.5% in the last year alone, with a typical British home now needing to spend £2,900 each year to keep everything working effectively. As a result, demands for house chores have fallen due to inflation and the associated rising costs. For instance, demands for boiler servicing is down by 2%, chimney sweeping is down by 3%, and drain clearance is down by 10%.
This has unsurprisingly led to some homeowners leaving it longer before they sort out a small problem, with one in three people admitting they have put off jobs in order to save money in the short term. Checkatrade has stated that it is urging them to act now, ahead of the bank holiday weekend, as delays often lead to more work needing to be done further down the line at major costs of up to £20,000 extra a year.
The research also found that the top jobs that homeowners postpone are cleaning drains and gutters, 27%, deep cleaning, 24%, and calling someone in to inspect the roof, 23%.
Checkatrade has launched its Beginners’ Guide to Home Maintenance, a handbook on the cost of key tasks and supporting advice. The guide will also be key to explaining tasks that some homeowners aren’t comfortable with, after 19% of those surveyed put it down to a lack of understanding of basic tasks.