Climate change & housing: the consequences of drought on housing, a source of concern for more than 6 out of 10 owners

If the cracks are the identifiable damage, certain consequences remain invisible and yet devastating. A few weeks before the extreme heat, HomeServe, a specialist in home repairs and energy performance, questioned home owners as well as professionals in its network about these impacts, and lifts the veil on the hidden face of climate change on housing.

• 6 out of 10 respondents have already noticed drought-related damage to their homes (cracks, pipes, etc.).
• More than one in two home owners say they are ready to change region to move to an area less exposed to climate change.
• 1 in 3 professionals say that their plumbing or electricity activity is impacted by climate change.

Drought, number 1 enemy of home owners!

While climate disasters regularly harm many French regions, awareness of all the impacts is still far from being achieved. Still 60% of the population is not yet aware of the extent of the consequences of climate change on their homes. A more marked awareness among young owners: 7 out of 10 of them have understood the issues while only 26% of the oldest are aware of it. (26% for those over 65).

If climate change affects the entire territory, the study also reveals that certain regions feel more concerned. Living in a very densely populated region where natural disasters can quickly cause very significant damage, Ile-de-France residents are the most worried about the dangers that climate change represents for their housing (44%). They are followed by home owners in the South-East region (42%), more exposed to heat peaks.

Indeed, among the climatic events which have weakened the housing of the French, it is the drought which represents the greatest source of concern for the French (64%): 22% of respondents even say they are very worried. Floods then come in second place, a source of stress for 49% of respondents, followed by the consequences of frost (38%). Unsurprisingly, southerners are the most worried about this subject (67% of residents in the South West region say they are worried and 72% in the South East region).

The impact of the drought on housing is also confirmed by the approved network of 4.000 HomeServe professionals. 34% say that the alternation of periods of flooding and drought has changed the typology of their plumbing and electrical interventions in private homes. 66% of them saw an increase in the frequency of repairs on private buried pipes and 14% on electrical breakdowns. Indeed, the phenomenon of shrinkage and swelling of clay soils as well as the roots of trees seeking to obtain water cause ground movements and leaks on buried pipes. This changes the way professionals work (complexity, tools, increased intervention time and cost). 88% say they have had to review their operations to be able to adapt to these new challenges.

Invisible yet devastating damage

The awareness of the French seems to be gaining ground regarding the risks faced by their homes, almost 7 out of 10 (66%) are fully aware that drought can damage their homes, whether through cracks or even breakage. pipes.

As for the skeptics, the drought does indeed have considerable effects on many homes. In fact, 61% of home owners have noticed at least one damage to their home that could be linked to drought:

• 45% noted cracks on their facade or subsidence of their house
• 34% of pipes are more regularly blocked
• 31% more frequent water leaks
• 29% of electrical outages are due to movement of the house
• 42% of affected owners also report weakening of outdoor equipment (for example a swimming pool).

Here again, young owners prove to be particularly attentive when it comes to their homes: 82% have already noticed damage to their homes that could be linked to drought, while only half over 65 years old.

However, among these same convinced people, many feel helpless without knowing how to act: in reaction, only 19% try to anticipate the problem. And in the race for solutions, it is young people who are the most involved (27%). Conversely, almost one in two people (47%) prefer to opt for ignorance and only deal with it in due time... Even more extreme, another 4% of respondents say they do not believe in the risks of drought on their accommodation!

Owners ready to move?

Although 3 out of 10 French people confess to not being aware of the consequences of drought on their homes, many more of them are considering moving in response to climate change.

In fact, 6 out of 10 home owners could decide to leave their home. Among them, 33% are not yet considering it but could consider it if it becomes necessary, 18% are considering it but admit that it would be a great sacrifice for them, while 8% are ready to leave without hesitation from their housing if drought becomes too great a threat.

Faced with the obligation to move, younger people are less hesitant about moving (77%) due to the consequences of the drought. It's even 1 in 5 of them who could move without hesitation, compared to 5% of their elders, for whom attachment to their home is a barrier. A trend which is also confirmed among Ile-de-France residents, who are significantly more likely to declare that they could leave their home if it becomes necessary (71%), ahead of residents of the North-East (63%) and the South-East ( 61%).

Even if it means changing accommodation, more than one in two house owners would even be ready to change region to move to a less exposed area (54%). As with housing, those under 35 (69%) as well as Ile-de-France residents (66%) are significantly more likely to declare that they could leave their region if it becomes necessary. They are once again ahead of the inhabitants of the eastern regions: 57% whether in the North-East or the South-East.

OpinionWay study methodology

Study carried out on a sample of 1.179 owners of individual houses, representative of the French population aged 18 and over, constituted according to the quota method, with regard to the criteria of sex, age, socio-professional category, category urban area and region of residence. The interviews were carried out from May 7 to 10, 2024 by self-administered online questionnaire on the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) system.

Additional professional investigation

HomeServe survey carried out among a representative sample of 105 professionals (plumbers and electricians) from the approved network distributed throughout France from April 23 to 30, 2024 by a questionnaire administered by email.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.