Repairs to UK property cost Britons more than any other unexpected household bills over the past 12 months, according to research from Abbey Savings.

Around 79% of Brits were hit with an unexpected expense over the last year, with 36% of respondents to a poll admitting that they had been forced to fork out more than £1,000 each time. Unexpected house repairs cost £19.2bn last year in the UK, an average of £1,206 for each of the 15.9m people affected.
Many Britons used credit cards and overdrafts to pay for unexpected bills and expenses.

Repairs can add to house prices, but those that are poorly executed can push them down dramatically.