Minor house repairs that can save you up to £32k
By keeping up with house maintenance and changing a few habits, savings of up to £32,000 can be made, a new study has revealed.
Tiny household flaws tackled early could save you a small fortune as the following experts’ tips show ...
1 Broken gutters can lead to £12,500 worth of repairs. Once water backs up in gutters this can cause a leak through the roof, then to structural damage in the walls, chimney, even the foundations, and can be very expensive to fix, costing £12,500 on average. Heavy rain and snow increase a risk of ice dams on the roof, especially when gutters aren’t working, which can lead to a roof repair costing £3,000.
2 Cracked sealant can lead to £2,000 worth of damage. Sealant around shower and tub areas, and tile grout, need regular maintenance or cracks develop, allowing moisture to seep to ceilings.
A bathroom leak caused by worn sealant is unlikely to be covered by home insurance, and a leak from a bathroom to the ceiling below can cost £2,000 to repair. To avoid this, reseal shower and bath areas every year or two, and seal grout on high-traffic areas each year.
3 Blocked air bricks cost £16,000 to £400 in repairs. Air bricks are designed with holes to allow air to flow underneath buildings with suspended timber floors.
Air bricks become blocked with debris, so moisture and gasses from the ground can’t escape. This causes condensation and leads to rising damp, which even treated quickly can cost £400. If left untreated, expect to pay up to £16,000.
4 Dirty fridge coils cost Brits £441. These coils at the back of the fridge can become clogged with dust and pet hair, making your fridge work harder, so you pay an extra £56 a year in electricity.
Clogged coils overload the compressor which can result in a hefty £385 repair. Turn off the fridge and vacuum coils once a year.
5 A dripping tap costs homeowners £300. Taps that constantly trickle can
use over 450 litres a day, or
175,000 litres of water in a year. That costs the average homeowner £300 extra on water bills. And, if it’s a hot water tap you have hundreds of pounds added to your gas bill. A leaky tap is an easy fix. Often, a tap washer change is all that’s required.
6 Running toilets add up to £300 wasted a year. A toilet that constantly leaks from the cistern into the pan can accumulate to 400 litres a day - enough to fill five baths. If left unfixed for a year this can add up to £300 extra on your water bill. Some toilets can leak 8,000 litres a day, costing over £6,000 a year.
7 An inefficient showerhead costs nearly £100 annually and could use more water in a few minutes than a bath. By switching to an efficient showerhead, a family of four could save £40 off gas bills and around £55 off water bills – a total £95 saved.
8 Not installing a water
meter adds up to an extra £71. Without a meter your bill will be based on your home’s rateable value and is irrelevant to water usage. The average unmetered property costs an additional £71 annually in water bills.
9 A running tap while washing dishes costs £25 a year. Ten minutes of rinsing dishes can waste enough water to fill a bath (100 litres). Using a washing up bowl can save £25 a year.
10 Storing cold water in the fridge can save you £17. Running the tap before grabbing a drink is about one litre of water wasted per drink. For an average household, this costs £17 a year. To save, keep a water jug in the fridge.
For more about the research by Tap Warehouse visit https://www. tapwarehouse.com/blog/ latest-news/small-houseflaws-that-can-cost-you-afortune site.