Outdoor Home Maintenance ‘Not A Priority For Homeowners’

• June 19, 2016|
• News|
• Darren Clarke

It’s important for you to ensure that the outside of your house looks as good as the inside, especially if you want to sell your property and move on elsewhere. It’s often said that prospective buyers know before they even set foot in a house whether they’ll buy it or not – so keeping your outdoor spaces presentable would certainly be wise.

However, it seems that some are happy to let standards slip when it comes to outdoor home maintenance. New figures from Lloyds Bank Insurance show that the average annual spend on home interiors is £3,579, but under £250 each year is used on the exteriors.

The most common problems that homeowners have identified where their local neighbourhoods are concerned were buildings in disrepair, untidy gardens and outdoor spaces, and outside areas being used as dumping grounds.

“Homeowners place a high value on their outdoor spaces, yet there is a significant lack of investment in the upkeep of these spaces. It is important that homeowners take care of their properties, not just for aesthetic reasons, but also to prevent the risk of maintenance problems such as damp, leaking roofs, and poor guttering,” senior claims manager with Lloyds Bank Insurance Tim Downes said.

Further research from Lloyds Bank this month (June 6th) showed that DIY spending grew by 13 per cent last year, with overall home maintenance expenditure reaching almost £8 billion (the highest it’s been since 2008). Perhaps it would be wise to start using some of this cash to focus on the outside of the house as well as the inside. You could have new uPVC windows installed, for example!