Households: Paying More for the Same Home‑Space
(and trying to stay sane)
According to a fresh look at the latest ONS data, mums and dads across the country are spending less overall, but a lot more of that money is going straight into the sockets and seams of their living‑spaces.
Main Take‑aways
- Average yearly household spend: £27,498 (all items, not just the house)
- Total spend is down by 4.6 % over the last five years – because everyone’s tightening the belt.
- Bedroom & kitchen bills now make up 25 % of that total – up from 21 % five years ago.
Core Home Outgoings – the real cost bite
Right now, families drop about £6,994 per year on mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and insurance ― a 14.1 % rise, or £863 extra each year.
Where the extra money goes
- Council tax & water: up 22.1 %, adding £343 annually.
- Home improvements: 17.9 % jump, costing an extra £244 each year. 27.8 % of that boost is from hiring professionals.
- Maintenance & repairs: the third tallest climb at 14.1 %.
- Mortgage costs: up 8 %, still the biggest line at ~£2,730 per year.
- Household insurance: a modest 4.2 % rise, but appliances insurance exploded by 300 %.
Quotable from the MD of RIFT, Bradley Post
“Even though inflation is easing, folks are still feeling the squeeze. We’ve seen household spending drop by 4.6 % over five years as they try to keep the lights on, but the cost of running a home has surged 14.1 %. That’s an extra £863 annually, mainly from council tax and water.
So it’s no surprise that many families keep scraping the corners of their budgets while their homes keep demanding a little more. That’s the real drama.”
