More than 12 million homes in need of a home health check this winter

From boilers on their last legs in need of a boiler repair, to taps that won’t stop dripping, small issues left unchecked add up to big bills. In fact, neglected homes could leave UK households facing a £42 billion repair bill, alongside the knock-on effects on comfort, health and wellbeing.

We wouldn’t ignore warning signs in our own bodies, so why do we overlook them in the place where we spend most of our lives?

When did you last check your home’s health?

One in five of us (20 %) admit we’ve never taken stock of our home’s health – that’s seven million households skipping a simple check that could prevent major problems later.

While data shows that almost 13 million of us - that’s around a quarter (23 %) of all adults - would wait for problems in the home to become obvious before dealing with them, where it’s then usually more expensive and harder to fix.

Most common unwell home symptoms ranked

Of those that have experienced an unwell home, here’s what they ranked as the most common symptoms:

1. Slow-draining sinks or baths
2. Dripping taps
3. Damp patches on walls or ceilings
4. Weak water pressure
5. Musty smells in rooms
6. Radiators that are cold at the top (poor circulation)
7. Loud banging or knocking from pipes
8. Unusual boiler pressure readings
9. Gurgling or unusual noises from your boiler
10. Thermostat not responding properly

To shine a light on how our home’s health is just as important to consider with our own, we’ve enlisted the help of TV’s Dr Ranj Singh to help raise awareness of the importance of a Home Health Check.

Our home’s health and our own

In our research, we found that almost a third of adults (29 %) have experienced stress or anxiety as a result of a home health issue - that’s 16.6 million people! Gen X (44-59 y/o) finds it the most stressful, with 35 % of them feeling the strain.

On average, female homeowners are 33 % more likely to experience an impact on their mental health as a result of home health issues.

Across all the home hiccups in our research, they are 32 % more likely to experience stress or anxiety than males, 58 % more likely to feel the pressure of financial worries and 78 % more likely to experience feelings of helplessness.

This is perhaps due in part to the diagnosis. As female homeowners are 16 % more likely to diagnose a home in poor health, more often noticing damp patches, musty smells and cold radiators.

Dr Ranj Singh said:

“Just like our bodies, homes show symptoms when something is wrong. If you ignore them, they can quickly turn into something much more serious. Taking action now could save you a lot of stress and money when the cold weather hits.

“As a doctor, I know how small health concerns can escalate if left untreated. The same goes for our homes. A dripping tap, a musty smell or a radiator that is not heating properly might feel easy to brush off, but these are warning signs that something bigger could be coming. The sooner we act, the healthier and happier our homes will be.”

Owning vs renting home health challenges

We help thousands of landlords take better care of their rental properties, so we know how much they care.

However, our research shows some landlords struggle to keep up with property repairs, meaning renters are much more likely to experience home health issues than homeowners.

Staggeringly, renters are on average 114 % more likely to experience a home in poor health than a homeowner. They experience damp patches on the walls or ceilings 133 % more than homeowners, are 166 % more likely to live with musty smells and have 43 % more chance of living with radiators that have cold patches.

So, what can we do to ensure the health of our homes?

13 million adults (23 %) in the UK wouldn’t know how to fix a small issue in the home, with almost a third of all millennials (28-43 y/o) not knowing what to do when faced with one.

17 % of Gen Z (18-27 y/o) would turn to Dad when noticing a challenge in the home, but if Dad’s not available, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve launched a Home Health Check self-assessment you can take below to diagnose any symptoms you may be experiencing in your home. Below is a list of red flags by category, count how many you have in your home to complete your home health check.

Take your home health check assessment now

If you answer yes to even one of these, it’s time to act. Small problems rarely stay small...

Plumbing

• Dripping taps
• Slow drains
• Banging or gurgling pipes

Heating

• Radiators with cold spots
• Boiler making strange noises
• Thermostat not responding

Damp and air

• Musty smells in rooms
• Damp patches on walls or ceilings
• Condensation building up regularly

Safety

• Boiler not serviced in the past 12 months
• Alarms not checked recently
• Flickering lights or loose sockets

What your answers mean

• 0 red flags: You’re in good shape – keep doing regular checks.
• 1+ red flag: Don’t wait. Book a service, repair, or inspection.
• 3+ red flags: Your home is likely “unwell” and needs urgent attention.

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Methodology

Our home health check research was conducted by Opinium, via an online survey of 2,000 adults, between 29th August 2025 and 2nd September 2025.