Half of UK homeowners say their home needs repairs

• Half of homeowners (7 million) admit their home is in need of some repairs
• The most common problems include broken fences, mould/damp and overgrown gardens
• But more than half of people who need repairs can’t afford the necessary work

7 million homeowners say their home is in need of some repairs, according to new research for mortgage and loans broker Ocean Finance – but with money still tight for many people across the recession-hit UK, more than half can’t afford the necessary repair work.

In a survey of UK homeowners, around 49 per cent said their home could do with some repair work. Of those, 32 per cent said they needed to fix fences and boundaries around the home, while 30 per cent need to repaint the building. Worryingly, one in four (26 per cent) have problems with damp or mould, which could pose a risk to their health.

But of those who said their home needs repairs, over half (54 per cent) simply can’t afford it – meaning their home could fall into further disrepair until they can afford to do something about it.

On the other hand, 40 per cent said that they either haven’t had time or haven’t got round to it, while 24 per cent need to find someone else to do the work.

Most common household repairs

Ian Williams of Ocean Finance said: “It’s easy to let small repair jobs mount up, and before you know it you have several different jobs that are going to cost a lot to fix. For that reason it’s usually worth taking care of problems as and when they come up.

“Keeping on top of maintenance around the home is vital to protect the value of your property.”