Aviva issues warning as majority of homeowners choose to repair broken belongings

Aviva has urged homeowners to check whether they can claim for repairs to their belongings as more adults look to fix their possessions rather than replace them.

In new research published earlier this week (23 August 2023), the insurer revealed that more than half (57%) of UK adults were interested in repairing items to save money amid cost of living pressures.

And just under 7 in 10 UK adults (69%) would rather fix an item in their home if it was damaged or broken, rather than buy a new one.

Kelly Whittington, property claims director at Aviva, said that it was “fantastic to see the enthusiasm for Brits repairing goods themselves”.

However, she urged people “to only tackle repairs they are confident they can do safely”.

“We also encourage Brits to check whether they can claim for repair with their home insurers who, like Aviva, will often have professional repair teams on hand for items that are more difficult to mend or professional cleaning teams for items that need professional cleaning,” she added.

Sustainability 

Aviva obtained the figures from a survey of 2,000 UK adults.

The insurer also found that more than two fifths (43%) of people were recycling or up-cycling existing items, while 40% of homeowners said they were buying pre-owned items instead of new.

Aviva said that while cost of living pressures was having an impact on buying and repairing habits, more than a quarter (26%) of people said they were changing to be more sustainable.

“Our research suggests people are becoming more inclined to repair, renovate and recycle as they look to live sustainably as well as save cash,” Whittington said.

“For Aviva, being able to repair items such as phones and jewellery is a huge win for our customers as these items often have a sentimental value – so when they make a claim, we can consider repairs as well as replacements.

”Repairs also contribute to global sustainability efforts by reducing waste and items going to landfill and reducing the consumption of precious metals and stones.”