Below are the common important documents you may need, and the cost of getting them replaced:

Birth certificate – £9.25

Birth certificates are important documents showing proof of age and there are many circumstances where you may be asked to present the document, such as applying for a driving licence.

Passport – £75.50

Your passport is one of your most expensive and important documents and replacing it could not only cost £75.50, but also jeopardise your holiday if you lose it just before you are about to go away. If you need your passport replaced urgently, it could cost you up to £177.

Always remember to check your passport is in date if you’re due to go on holiday as many countries require you to have at least six months left on your passport to be able to travel.

Car log book – £30

Your car log book is proof you legally own your car. Replacing a logbook costs between £25- £30.

Marriage certificate – £9.25

If you need to change your name on documents or show proof of marriage, replacing a marriage certificate could cost you £9.25.

Bank statements – £60 for a year’s worth

With the rise of internet banking, bank statements are readily available digitally at our fingertips. If you are planning on applying for a mortgage, you could be asked to provide six months to a year of printed bank statements for your application, especially if you are applying for a mortgage with a different bank to your own. Generally, banks may charge £5 per bank statement to get them printed.

Car insurance documents – £30

These days car insurance is renewed online and the legal documents at the beginning of the contract are emailed directly to you. However, in some cases you may be asked to hand over hard copies of your contract and, if you don’t have a printer at home, you could be subject to a £30 administration fee.

Mortgage documents – up to £500

Buyers are often inundated with paperwork when they first buy their home, from the first mortgage in principle letter, to the mortgage offer and, later down the line, solicitor documents and house deeds. While most of these documents can be easily replaced by your bank, losing documents such as your house deeds could result in you needing a solicitor and paying up to £500.

Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station, which compiled the research, said: “It can be easy to get into the habit of putting letters or documents on your mantelpiece as soon as they arrive in post, only for them never to be seen again.

“Any documents which can be used as identity, prove your ownership of something or can be used for insurance purposes, should be kept in a secure place.”