More than 6 million British households are risking a bill of £20,000 on their properties by putting off simple tasks around the house.

The cost of home maintenance has risen by 3.5 percent in the last year alone, with a typical British home now needing to spend £2,900 each year to keep everything working effectively, research has found.

As a result, demand for boiler servicing (-2 percent), chimney sweeping (-3 percent) and drain clearance (-10 percent) have fallen due to inflation and the…