Bills warning as Britons told to be on lookout for these totally 'avoidable' costs

More than 6 million British households are risking a bill of £20,000 on their properties by putting off simple tasks around the house.

The cost of home maintenance has risen by 3.5 percent in the last year alone, with a typical British home now needing to spend £2,900 each year to keep everything working effectively, research has found.

As a result, demand for boiler servicing (-2 percent), chimney sweeping (-3 percent) and drain clearance (-10 percent) have fallen due to inflation and the associated rising costs.

This has led to one in three homeowners admitting they have put off jobs in order to save money in the short term.  

But tradesperson platform Checkatrade 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.  

Checkatrade’s research reveals the top jobs that homeowners postpone are cleaning drains and gutters (27 percent), deep cleaning (24 percent) and calling someone in to inspect the roof (23 percent).

Checkatrade has complied a Beginners’ Guide to Home Maintenance which walks Brits looking to save on these household costs through the easiest and safest options.

The guide aims to explain tasks that some homeowners aren’t comfortable with, as 19 percent of Brits put their reticence to finish these jobs down to a lack of understanding of basic tasks.

Being proactive and taking care of these issues around the house could save Brits up to £20,000 in the long term by stopping them getting to the point of no return.

Checkatrade’s Beginners’ Guide to Home Maintenance reveals the cost of the most common home maintenance jobs and the cost of delaying them: