House Beautiful's Built to Last campaign results

Trying to keep your homes up to scratch is driving you to distraction. The situation is serious - four out of five householders have already broken the law or would consider doing so in order to carry out basic repairs and maintenance work.

That's the worrying finding of our recent reader survey to discover how the current rate of VAT on building and maintenance work affects your homes. Recently reduced from 17.5 to 15 per cent, it‘s still high, and since last April we've been lobbying to lower the rate to a more affordable five per cent. Now your views lend strong support to our campaign.

One disturbing consequence of the current high level of taxation is that some homeowners feel the only way they can afford repairs or improvement work is by employing non-VAT registered workmen, who therefore don't have the industry safeguards offered by properly registered builders. In our survey, 37 per cent of you said you have employed builders and workmen on a cash-in-hand basis to avoid and adds to the booming black economy.

What's also worrying is that the work they're being employed to do is fundamental to the structure of the house. And nine per cent have had problems with rogue builders. ‘The builder we employed quoted three months and it took 12,' one reader told us, while another said, ‘We had to have the wiring done again by another company after faults developed.' You also told us that, with the unpredictable economic situation, more of you are considering avoiding paying tax to get the job done - 80 per cent said you'd consider paying cash for future repairs or improvements.

As one reader explained, ‘We're having an extension built and finding it difficult to afford as costs keep snowballing. Consequently, we've asked the workmen if they'll take cash to try and cut these costs. It's a nightmare!' And while 72 per cent say the credit crunch has forced you to postpone or cut back on your spending on home improvements, 89 per cent of or bathroom, or repaint the outside of their house.

House Beautiful Editor Julia Goodwin is part of a Cut the VAT coalition of professional bodies and charities, all linked to housing and the building industry. She says, ‘The current rate of VAT puts essential repairs and eco updates out of the reach of many households. I wonder how people are going to be able to afford to maintain their houses and the future housing stock of this country without this cut.'

Survey results

37% of you have paid cash in hand

80% of you would consider paying cash in the future

89% would do more home  improvements if VAT were  cut to five per cent

72% have reduced spending on home improvements because of the credit crunch

58% say there are improvements you need to carry out that you can't afford

£5150 is the average amount you'd spend on your home if VAT were cut; £1450 more than you plan to spend in 2009

What the experts say...

‘We've got to improve not move and a more helpful VAT attitude would mean an enormous amount to such a nation of homelovers.'
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

‘New homes are zero rated for VAT while jobbing builders and decorators have to charge the high level of tax. This cut would level the playing field.'
Tommy Walsh, builder and TV presenter

‘News that almost 40 per cent of House Beautiful readers pay cash to avoid VAT is staggering. Reducing it would drive out cowboy builders as customers focus on quality, not just price.'
Richard Hyslop, Federation of Master Builders