Far from checking out the babes on the beach, beer in hand, men are simply soaking up their surroundings in preparation for a spot of DIY back home, said a survey.

Of all the things British men are believed to get up to on holiday you'd expect thoughts of home to be the furthest thing from their minds. However, ideas of home improvement feature highly on their holiday hit-lists, new research by B&Q suggests.

The survey results indicate that more than a third of men are most likely to be hit by inspiration for home design projects whilst on holiday. More that three-quarters of women, on the other hand, prefer to leave all thoughts of home behind and concentrate on topping up their tans.

Sam Brown, 21, from Bristol claims that a recent trip to Spain provided him with the inspiration to complete a number of projects he had been putting off, allowing him to draw on the country's unique style and apply it to his own home.

"My girlfriend was worried I was out ogling women every night, living it up with the lads,” Sam comments, “but to be honest, I was more interested in the scenery than the senoritas. Seeing things like the incomplete, but still incredible, Sagrada Familia by Gaudi gave me some great ideas for the kind of style I'd like to apply to my house one day, albeit on a much smaller scale!"

Where men appear to derive many of their home design ideas while on holiday, women are more inclined to watch TV programmes on DIY or take inspiration from the homes of their family and friends.

Almost 60% of women surveyed watch television programmes on DIY and home improvement compared with 50% of men.

The research also reveals a number of other interesting differences between men and women and their attitudes toward home design and improvement.

When it comes to instigating DIY in the home, the survey reveals that only 12% of couples 'do it' jointly, with the majority preferring to rely on one or the other to wear the DIY trousers.

Women are also more likely than their male counterparts to read magazines about DIY or pay someone else to make improvements to their home or garden.

Lorian Coutts, who commissioned the research for B&Q adds: "Men and women are infamous for being opposites and approaching things in gender specific ways and it seems that their DIY preferences and influences are no different!"

While B&Q’s research shows some gender differences, what it also shows is that DIY inclined folks of both gender are looking for inspirational ideas and are prepared to spend precious holiday time to find them.