Survey: 85% of Homeowners Had Unplanned Home Repairs Last Year

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Most American homeowners faced unexpected repairs in 2025, but over half didn’t have any funds saved up to fix these problems.

In a new survey of 1,000 homeowners conducted by Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate, roughly 85% of homeowners spent money on an unplanned home repair last year. However, more than half of homeowners (58%) admitted they have nothing saved for emergency repairs. Among those with savings for renovations, 32% have less than $5,000 and 60% have less than $10,000.

Half of the survey’s respondents (50%) said their home needs repairs or renovations that they can’t afford right now, and two-thirds (65%) admit they’ve ignored a home maintenance task within the past five years.

But make a repair can put a dent in one’s wallet. Among homeowners who have renovated in the past five years, 70% went over budget, and 58% have at least one regret — including spending too much money (22%) and the renovation taking too long (16%). And nearly one-third (30%) of homeowners have gone into debt completing a renovation project, and 19% had to stop a project early due to unexpected costs.

Nonetheless, while half of homeowners (51%) say they’ve spent more on renovations than planned since purchasing their home, 64% said would rather renovate than move to a home that’s already been remodeled.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures