The amount of money being spent by businesses and homeowners on property maintenance has declined over the last year, it has been suggested.

William Davies, managing director of Aspect Maintenance, a company that oversees repairs across the domestic and commercial sectors, said people are generally less inclined to spend money at present.

However, he noted that failing to carry out repair work when it is needed can be a false economy as it will have to be done at some point and may get worse as time goes on.

"For example, when the cold snap starts, I believe we will see a real increase in the number of boilers needing to be repaired and replaced," Mr Davies added.

In other property news, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors revealed earlier this week that the number of first-time buyers enquiring about buying homes is on the increase.

Those carrying out maintenance work can keep their belongings safe by using self storage facilities.

Written by Susannah Smithson