Cost of living - can't afford to maintain home?

[DanteThunderstone]

Just thinking aloud really. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat of money being so tight now, and/or the fear of money being so tight in the immediate future, that you're unable or unwilling to pay for necessary maintenance jobs on your home?

As an example, we really need new windows - the ones we have are old and leaky and half don't even open properly and they do nothing to keep the heat in and their seals are all mouldy. But whereas in different circumstances we might be looking at taking out a loan to get them replaced, now money is so tight and we're so scared about the cost of living and rising fuel costs that we're going to just live with them.

Equally two of our radiators don't work but the couple of hundred quid it would cost to get a plumber to come and diagnose and maybe fix them is being hoarded. It feels too reckless to spend anything now.

A friend can't afford to replace her jammed front door so doesn't use it anymore even though it's a fire exit. Another has a bay window that's leaking through its flat roof and weakening the whole wall but again just can't spend hundreds of pounds. My auntie has a toilet leaking into her floorboards but can't afford to get it sorted. My mum's bannister needs patching up.

And if there are significant numbers of people mike me and my friends who aren't putting even relatively small amounts of money in the pocket of local trades and companies, presumably that's going to have an effect on the tradespeople's budgets and families?

Is anyone else holding back on, or just unable to, keep their homes maintained in a way that a year or so ago wouldn't have been such a critical problem, or am I unusual in knowing so many people putting up with deteriorating conditions cos we're terrified of rising prices?

Is your back door able to be secured?

There are jobs that can be put off for better times, but i think having savings but not carrying out really essential repairs is the wrong way round. Essential repairs is what savings are for and I see the point about credit cards.

Mouldy seals can be cleaned and using excluder would help with the windows a lot. It wouldnt help them open but maybe thats for another year.

We do have minor things we dont have funds to tackle.

Thanks

AntlerRose, when I say savings I mean approx 200 quid I want to keep to buy the DC and my nephews Christmas presents.

We are just finishing our renovation project, DH would have a go at fixing most of those jobs. To be honest the way inflation is going I would rather put our money in saving and investments vs cash.

Caulk and sealant OP around the frames?

For some reason I misread the post as you putting money by each month to prepare for price rises. Im not sure why i got that idea as you dont say that at all. But yes, its very costly maintaining a house and scary.

For the render you just stuff fresh tender into the gaps. Biggest issue is getting up there.

Afterlife, have you looked into whether having a disabled family member entitles you to a free boiler? www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation/

I'm sort of the opposite, I took the plunge last year and had bathroom, kitchen, boiler, radiators and internal doors done last year. Which is great and at least I know they will last for the foreseeable future. However, I took out a £20k loan for it, which at the time and expecting a rise in prices following covid I could afford, the extra rise in bills is a real issue. I'm a single parent and whilst all my bills are paid and I've got enough money for a basic shop my disposable income is about £150 a month now if that. Last month it was wiped out as DD needed new glasses, this month she needs a new blazer, school shoes and a couple of bits for school, next month it's her birthday, car insurance the month after etc.

A side window in my bedroom has a seal that's gone and is starting to collect water, DD suggested I get a goldfish and make it a feature 🙄

Thanks for the windows tips.

Yes. We currently have a boiler and a washing machine that are on their last legs, but we are making do for as long as we can, because our car also needs to be repaired so that is taking priority at the moment. The cost to fix all 3 at the same time is beyond our means so we are just trying to make do.

Aren’t you supposed to clear the gutters regularly. Ask to borrow ladders on Olio, maybe.

The problem is op, the longer and your loved ones leave those issues, the more it will cost to fix in the long run because the damage will be more extensive or widespread. Better to swallow the cost now if it's at all doable before it becomes a bigger and more expensive headache in the future! I know that's far easier said than done mind.

Anything that can be left I would leave for now and find a cheaper alternative like draught excluders etc as PPs have suggested and I would continue to save up for these repairs as you normally do.

The ones that need to be done soon I think you should do by getting a loan, credit card etc.
Some things can’t wait.

I would write a list of everything that needs doing and work out what the priorities are.

Look for cheaper alternatives or DIY if possible so you can move on to the next one and if not pay a professional to do it.

I don't think you are alone in this, although it will of course be impacting your winter bills. Such a catch 22.

Could you start saving (again, easier said than done) & reassess after the next hike in fuel bills come October?

I'm sorry so many of us find themselves in this position.

Lots of areas have odd job people who will do jobs for a flat rate (day or half day) check out your local FB pages.

Dh and I have done a fair few bits around the house by using youtube know how videos - tiling, fitted a shower, built furniture, all our own decorating.

It's a false economy heating your home for it to simply escape through your windows and doors 🤷‍♀️

"Essential repairs" are just that. You could always get a 0% Interest purchase credit card and pay the minimum until times improve?

It always amazes me that you can buy 4/5 years old kitchens on ebay if you can collect and fit yourself. (I've been watching one that's just sold for £55!!!)

You can buy sealant and even whole double glazed units to replace dodgy ones.

@bellac11
"What would make you think that from the OP, the home is rented?"

I don't know what the OP's situation is - hence the question. Do you have a problem with someone asking for more info in order to give a measured response ??

Neither me or my partner can get up a ladder that high

The render (if thats what its called) is falling off though, there is a massive bit that looks like its just about to fall off the front. How do you put 'fresh stuff' on that. Is render concrete?

Thank you, yes we’ve enquired - they can’t offer us anything unfortunately. All the boiler schemes have now been stopped and we already have the other things (cavity wall insulation etc). We did enquire a while back about a boiler under eons scheme but they said because at that time the pressure didn’t need topping up more than twice a week we weren’t eligible… the criteria is really difficult to meet.

People in rented homes dont replace their own windows (although no doubt someone will come along with an irrelevant exception to the rule)

Its obvious what OPs situation is

Our house is dropping to bits!
We have replaced a couple of windows but it really needs them all done plus new doors and other repairs. Our boiler is from 1970…

Haven't got a penny to sort it though sadly so it’s bodge jobs for us.

Yep, I need...
A new front door
New Fascia boards
A new sofa
The leak in my shower fixing
A new boiler
The holes in my kitchen and living room re-plastering.
That's before any cosmetic work that needs doing. I can't scrape together enough money for big things so we just limp along without them. I feel sick when I think about it because I'm probably storing up bigger problems down the line but what can you do!?

presumably that's going to have an effect on the tradespeople's budgets and families?

I honestly don’t know? Post Covid there seemed to be far too high a demand and low a supply for trades people. I had some work needing doing last summer, tried about 10 companies, some never got back or got back saying they had a 6 months waiting list… the ones that came out to quote never actually provided a quote, we ended up doing the job ourselves.
I have friends who were trying to do a major renovation - 100k+ - and couldn’t find anyone to do it at all.

Obviously demand will be lower now. People won’t want to dog into savings and they won’t want to take out additional borrowings but whether that pushes demand down into a more realistic arena or leads to trades people not having enough work and cutting their prices etc I don’t know?

Yep. Our oven stopped working a couple of months ago.. and I'm prob not going to even get it fixed for another couple.