Cost of living pressures creating deadly home threats

Struggling families smashed by the cost of living crisis are neglecting crucial maintenance on their homes in a widespread move that could prove deadly.

A spate of burnt houses have been streaming onto the market for sale across Sydney in the aftermath of what’s been a brutal period for firefighters.

And it comes as fire experts warn soaring living costs could leave communities more vulnerable to residential blazes.

Some of the key dangers are cash strapped families in older homes skimping vital wiring maintenance or resorting to cheaper, but riskier, ways of heating and cooling their homes.

A surge in bush fires over what is expected to be a sweltering summer will likely put even more communities in the firing line.

Among the fire damaged homes currently for sale is a three-bedroom house in Fairfield that went up in flames late last year.

Cost of living pressures are leading to some households skipping crucial maintenance. Picture: Alison Wynd

It’s understood the fire started in the lounge of the Orchard Rd home, which was full of gas containers. The soot stained home will go to auction in December. No price guide is available yet.

A Guildford house wrecked by three successive fires in the same day will go to auction next week. The site remains covered in debris and the roof has been reduced to a few charred beams.

These listings are hot on the heels of recent fire sales in Busby, Eagle Vale, Bossley Park, Lethbridge Park, West Hoxton and Wiley Park, among others.

Each of these homes were uninhabitable and the properties tended to sell for well below houses in liveable condition.

Many of the fires had started due to a variety of reasons, ranging from electrical faults and heaters to cooking accidents.

University of Wollongong fire expert Dr Owen Price said the rising cost of living was likely affecting fire risk within homes as many of the steps people could take to protect themselves required money.

This Fairfield home hit by fire last year is now up for sale. Picture: Paul Brescia

This included basic steps such as installing fire sprinklers, removing high risk trees from gardens and other materials that would make for potential fuel in a fire.

“A lot of people realise they are at risk, but they often don’t do anything about it and when cost of living comes in it’s often lowest on people’s priorities,” he said.

Cash strapped families also tended to live in cheaper, older housing, which was more vulnerable to fire, Dr Price said.

“Older houses are more likely to burn down,” he said, noting these houses, when in outer areas, were also more at risk of bush fire damage.

There were also risks for some new housing estates in outer suburbs, because of the tight spaces between properties, Dr Price added.

“We are increasingly worried about higher density developments, which was illustrated in the recent fires in Hawaii, where the fires were spreading from house to house.

“We have never seen that kind of urban conflagration in Australia yet, but it will probably happen at some point.

This burnt down home at 7 Bright Street, Guildford, NSW goes to auction in late November.

“In urban fires, a lot of heat comes out the windows and when houses are so close together they can spread from window to window. Those houses worry me. If one house goes up, they all go up.”

Devastated homeowners who decide to sell their properties after a fire often attract strong interest from buyers, despite the damage.

LJ Hooker-Fairfield agent Milad Salloum, who is taking the Orchard Rd home to auction, said these types of sales were popular with builders and renovators.

This was partly because these buyers could often snap up the houses for cheaper prices than the surrounding homes, allowing for a larger profit on the rebuild or renovation, he said.

In rare instances, the homes have even sold for higher prices than when they were intact, as was the case with a Strathfield property the changed hands last year for $5.25m – $460,000 above the price paid in 2021, before the home burnt down.

Another lofty price was paid for a fire damaged home in Strathfield in June this year at $4.1m.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said the urban fire service was developing and implementing strategies to prevent fires, such as free home fire safety visits.