Home, SAD home

9th November 2006

Cold, dark and gloomy – it’s not just people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), as new research shows that the country’s housing is hit by the condition.

Direct Line Home Response 24 research reveals that half (49 per cent) of the country’s homeowners claim that their property suffers during the winter months, with one in 10 (13 per cent) saying that their home is apparently affected SAD conditions because of the lack of daylight in winter.*

Household repairs during the autumn and winter months have cost British homeowners more than £1.7 billion each year – with problems such as broken heating (24 per cent), loss of hot water (10 per cent) and electrical faults (seven per cent) among the most common complaints.**

But it’s not just breakdowns and repairs that are testing homeowners’ pockets. The Direct Line HR24 research also revealed that the mood of the nation’s properties suffers in the winter months, with homeowners finding them cold (12 per cent), gloomy (10 per cent) and drab (eight per cent), and as a result half (48 per cent) of homeowners do not enjoy being indoors.

British homeowners who have looked to raise their homes’ spirits have spent an average of £368 over the last five years – equivalent to more than £949 million a year.***

As well as redecorating (15 per cent) and purging their houses of old possessions (27 per cent), Brits are also treating their homes to light therapy (26 per cent), aromatherapy (31 per cent) and feng shui (16 per cent).****

Andrew Lowe, head of Home Insurance, Direct Line, commented:

“People have been concerned about sick building syndrome for some years, and now it seems that there are similar concerns about seasonal affective disorder.

“The winter can take its toll on our homes, and as well as doing little things to make them feel brighter and happier, we would recommend that people carry out an MOT on their house before the cold weather really takes hold. By ensuring things like their central heating system is in working order now, homeowners can help avoid breakdowns when they’re really needed.”

For more information, log on to www.directline.com/homeresponse24.

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Carmel McCarthy / Direct Line Press Office
0208 256 2178 / carmel.mccarthy@directline.com

Notes to Editors:

Research was carried out online by YouGov Plc who interviewed a representative sample of 2,359 GB adults between 18 and 20 October 2006. Results are weighted to be representative of the GB adult population. YouGov is a member of the British Polling Council. The core sample was of 1,064 homeowners whose tenure is of five years or longer.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, is a form of depression that occurs during autumn and winter, due to the decreasing amounts of daylight. Symptoms among people can include tiredness, fatigue, depression, irritability, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleep, and overeating.

* Twenty-eight per cent of homeowners in the core sample believe that homes can suffer from a form of SAD, of whom 45 per cent believed their own home suffers from the condition. 0.45 x 0.28 = 13 per cent of the core sample.

** There are 44.2 million adults in GB (ONS), of whom 66 per cent are homeowners (YouGov). Sixty-nine per cent of these have been homeowners for five years or more, of whom 44 per cent have had to carry out repairs in autumn and winter in the last five years, with the average spend £999. Therefore: 44,200,000 x 0.66 x 0.69 x 0.44 x 999 = £8,847,762,580 over five years, or £1,769,552,516 per year.

*** There are 44.2 million adults in GB (ONS), of whom 66 per cent are homeowners (YouGov). Sixty-nine per cent of these have been homeowners for five years or more, of whom 64 per cent have taken measures to improve the mood of their homes over the last five years, with an average spend of £368. Therefore: 44,200,000 x 0.66 x 0.69 x 0.64 x 368 / 5 = £4,740,706,713.60 over five years, or £948,141,342.72 per year.

**** Twenty-six per cent of the core sample try to raise their home’s mood with candles, 31 per cent through buying air fresheners, pot pourri, oil burners and other scented products, and 16 per cent through re-arranging their home’s layout.

Direct Line Insurance plc, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded. Conditions apply.