7 knowledgeable tricks to deal with your property repairs and ease your psychological load

More than two-thirds of thirds have up to 10 home maintenance issues they are currently putting off – here’s how to reduce your mental load and tackle them

The most frequent household repair ‘blind spots’ are flaking paint, mouldy sealant and clogged gutters, research has revealed. Over two thirds (63%) of adults have up to 10 problems in their properties that they are presently postponing addressing and repairing. Fractured grout, a leaking tap and a creaky floorboard were also amongst the top 20 items many admitted they are ignoring.

In the survey of 2,000 adults, a third stated issues are neglected due to lack of drive. Meanwhile a fifth have too many other matters to consider, or feel overwhelmed.

However, unresolved tasks can leave many people feeling worse. ore than half look at their list of problems around the house at least once a week, and two thirds admit their to-list occupies their mind on a regular basis.

This can leave nearly three quarters of people feeling swamped, and a quarter experiencing guilt. Many others worry that the issues will only get worse the longer they leave them.

Yet, more than half (54%) acknowledge that the jobs are far easier than expected when they eventually get around to addressing them, and they feel a sense of relief once they’re finished.

The research was commissioned by Smart Energy GB, which is urging households to arrange their smart meter replacement appointment as soon as they are contacted by their energy supplier.

TV property expert Scarlette Douglas, who has developed a set of practical tips to help tackle the domestic to-do list, said: “It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of running a household.

“When our minds are full, it’s easy for less urgent tasks to slip down the list, adding to the invisible mental load we all carry.

“One way to manage this is to tackle small tasks as soon as you can – even simple actions, like booking an appointment, can give a sense of relief and make you feel lighter mentally once it’s done.

“That’s why, when your supplier contacts you about switching out your older smart meter hardware for new kit, it’s worth acting straight away.

“One quick engineer visit will ensure you keep your automated readings, accurate bills, and access to flexible schemes and tariffs.”

A Smart Energy GB spokesperson said: “It’s natural to have lots of things to touch up or repair in your home, but as the list gets longer it can become overwhelming.

“Once we begin chipping away at our tasks we often feel lighter, and as our research shows, it’s often easier than we expect.”

SCARLETTE DOUGLAS’ TOP 7 WAYS TO TACKLE YOUR DOMESTIC TO-DO LIST:

1. Write it down – getting tasks out of your head and onto paper instantly makes things feel more manageable.
2. Tackle the quick jobs – if it only takes a few minutes, do it straight away and enjoy the mental relief.
3. Face the jobs you keep delaying – the longer you put things off, the bigger they feel, so getting them done early can prevent stress building up.
4. Share the responsibility – running a home isn’t a one person job, so share the load
5. Let tech help you – tools like smart meters and mobile phone apps exist to make life easier.
6. Act when you’re contacted – booking appointments for household services as soon as you’re contacted helps keep your to do list under control.
7. Be gentle with yourself – you don’t need to do everything at once; small wins still count.

TOP 20 ‘BLIND SPOTS’ BRITS ARE PUTTING OFF FIXING IN THEIR HOME:

1. Peeling paint
2. Mouldy bathroom sealant
3. Cleaning/unblocking the gutters
4. A carpet stain
5. A dripping or leaky tap
6. Cracked grout
7. A loose door handle
8. A squeaky floorboard
9. A stiff window
10. Radiators need bleeding
11. Draughty windows need sealing
12. A missing bit of skirting board / chipped skirting boards
13. A flickering lightbulb
14. Blocked drains need to be cleaned
15. A dodgy plug socket
16. A kitchen drawer that sticks
17. Broken roof tiles need repairing/replacing
18. Replacing smoke alarm batteries
19. A sagging curtain rail
20. A shower that never keeps the same temperature