Homeowners 'putting off repair work'

Homeowners are putting off carrying out vital repair work to their properties for as long as possible in order to save money.

That is the view of Aspect Maintenance, which has suggested that the recession is forcing people to take poorer care of their homes.

The repairs firm has called for sensible decisions in this area, as problems such as leaks will only get worse and more expensive to fix if they are not addressed straight away.

This is especially important for landlords, as properties need to be in good condition in order to attract new tenants.

William Davies, managing director at Aspect Maintenance, said: "The credit crunch will have inevitably had an impact though, and fewer people will have been able to make improvements to their property.

"This will often lead to increased costs in the long-term, as failing to repair quickly can result in permanent damage and therefore a replacement cost."

Landlords and owners of flats spend around £419 million annually on repairs, according to HomeServe research.

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