Latest research from the Halifax shows that home improvement spending is on the rise.
The Halifax Home Improvement Survey, published today, shows that more than half of homeowners (55%) have undertaken home improvement projects in the past 12 months spending an average of £5,300 - and that's not including projects to add space.

Redecoration tops the table of most-performed DIY task with 64% of home improvers picking up a paintbrush or hanging wallpaper in the past 12 months. Second is garden improvements with 39%, then new furnishings with 26%, new carpets with 20% and 18% put in a new bathroom.

With the average spend well above £5k it's good news for home improvement retailers. The highest spend was among people who have lived in their properties for one to years (£8,100), people who live on their own (6,800) and those who intend to stay in their property for more than two years (£5,740).

At £6,300, new kitchen had the highest average spend per project, while garden improvements, at an average of £860, were the cheapest.

13% of homeowners also added space with a rough three-way split between building an extension, adding a conservatory and converting the loft.

Lloyds Banking Group commercial director Stephen Noakes said: "In the current housing market many people have decided to stay put rather than move. Therefore, it is no surprise that we've seen an increase in people adding space to their property to make it more suitable for their current lifestyle."