Kid-asters: Kids cost Brits £14 billion* on home repairs

• 57% of parents say their child has damaged something at home
• Drawing on walls (67%), breaking appliances (47%) and toilet chaos (43%) top the list – for parents who have experienced a ‘Kid-aster’
• The average 'Kid-aster' costs £265 to repair – and the summer holidays could bring even more mayhem

From porridge in the PlayStation to bubble bath in the washing machine, kids are leaving their mark on UK homes, and not in the way their parents want.

New research from home assistance provider HomeServe reveals that two-thirds (67%) of homeowners say a child under 12 in their care has caused damage at home, sparking chaos that costs an average of £265 a time to fix.

The findings land just in time for the school summer holidays. Top of the mishap list is drawing on walls, furniture or appliances (67%), followed by damaging household appliances (47%) and flushing the wrong things down the loo (43%).

But the destruction doesn’t stop there. Four in ten (40%) said substances had been poured where they shouldn’t, from food in speakers to shampoo in the dishwasher. Another 42% said their child had left taps running, causing sinks or baths to overflow, and a further 20% reported tampering with the home’s heating or radiators.

Cleaning up after a ‘Kid-aster’ doesn’t come cheap. On average, parents are shelling out £265 each time something goes wrong, whether that’s calling in a professional (36%), roping in a friend or family member to help (12%), or even making an insurance claim (8%).

Liam Sharkey, Home Expert at HomeServe, said “From flooded bathrooms to broken appliances, these everyday mishaps are more common than you’d think, and they often catch parents off guard. It only takes a moment for a small accident to turn into a costly repair. That’s why we’re here: to help families stay protected and get things sorted quickly when the unexpected happens at home.”

Most common 'kid-asters'

According to HomeServe’s research, the most common ‘kid-asters’ faced by parents are:

1. Drawing on walls, furniture or appliances (67%)

2. Damaging appliances (47%)

3. Flushing items down the toilet (43%)

4. Leaving taps running or overflowing sinks (42%)

5. Pouring substances where they shouldn’t go – like food in speakers or bubble bath in the washing machine (40%)

6. “Helping” with DIY or painting – and making it worse (33%)

7. Tampering with heating or radiators (20%)

8. Causing electrical issues (e.g. yanking wires, using water near sockets) (17%)

9. Other – including jumping on furniture, breaking windows or flooding the garden (7%)

About the research

Unless otherwise stated, data is based on OnePoll commissioned research amongst 2,000 UK adults (18+) in July 2025.

*According to nationally representative research by OnePoll amongst 2,000 UK adults (18+) - UK adults who have a child 12 or under cause damage at home, have lost on average £264.68. According to the latest ONS stats, there are 53,646,829 UK adults (18+), so the total loss amongst UK adults equates to £14,199,242,699.72 or c. £14 billion.