More than half of people in the UK (59%) plan to carry out DIY this summer, according to the latest figures from Alliance & Leicester’s movingimproving index.

The findings show that they plan to spend an average of £1,208 on improving their homes this quarter. This is slightly less than in the spring (£1,240) but an increase on estimated DIY spend a year ago, when the figure stood at £1,178 per household.

Decorating – adding new carpets, furniture or curtains – tops the list as the most popular DIY job with a third of people (30%) planning this as the way to spruce up their homes. A further one in five people (19%) will be revamping their house with a lick of paint. As the summer months approach, 16% of people will be working on their garden to get it ready for seasonal barbecues and ‘al fresco’ entertaining.

Paul Cooper, Head of Mortgages at Alliance & Leicester, said: “While people are spending slightly less on improving their homes than in the spring, the nation is still allocating more of their budget on DIY than a year ago.”

“Spring and summer are traditionally popular times of year for DIY, and our latest findings reflect that - with over half of people planning some sort of home improvement.”

“With plans for decorating, painting and gardening topping the list of DIY jobs this summer, it is encouraging to see that people remain confident in the housing market and continue to invest time and money into improving their homes.”

Key findings of A&L’s survey of 4000 people:

• Women expect to spend nearly 10% more than men on decorating their homes, at £1,265 compared to men’s £1,155. Perhaps they are the more avid viewers of the influx of home improvement and DIY programmes on television.
• People in their 40s are due to spend the most on decorating their homes, at £1,546, whilst unsurprisingly 16-19 year olds are the least DIY-friendly age group, planning to spend the least amount on DIY at £668.

• The majority of people plan to decorate their property - add new carpets, curtains or furniture - at 30%. This is the same as in the spring this year.
• 19% of people plan to paint their homes, while a further 16% aim to work on their gardens. This is a double on the 8% who planned to improve their garden in the spring – perhaps showing that people see gardening as more of a pleasure than a duty. Despite this boost in gardening, only 2% of people expect their DIY job to extend to laying a patio.
• 7% of people plan to install a new bathroom in their homes, while 6% plan to fit a new kitchen. Last quarter, this figure was 8% for both.
• Just 3% of people plan to add new floorboards or floor tiles to their home while a further 2% will be adding an extension or a loft conversion.
• 2% of people expect to repair or replace their heating system, and a further 2% will replace their windows. Just 1% of people plan to install a conservatory and the same amount will be carrying out maintenance to the roof.