11.9 billion spent on DIY

More than four million people are visiting DIY stores every week, according to new research by Apacs.

The trade association claims that £11.87 billion was spent on credit and debit cards at DIY stores in the UK between August 2007 and July 2008.

May of this year was the biggest month for people spending in DIY stores, with £1.15 billion spent in more than 22 million transactions.

The news of increased DIY spending follows research carried out by Alliance and Leicester, which found the majority of homeowners are staying put and improving their homes as opposed to putting their property on the market.


Richard Taylor, head of mortgage products at Alliance and Leicester, said: "It is clear that DIY and home improvements remain important to all homeowners."

He added that people looking to increase the value of their property before selling and those wanting to benefit from the home improvements themselves are turning to DIY.