More than 4m visit DIY stores every week

Over four million people are taking a trip to a DIY store every week in the UK, according to new research.

The Apacs trade association said that a massive £11.87 billion was spent on debit and credit cards at the outlets between August 2007 and July 2008.

May 2008 was a bumper month for visits to such stores, with around £1.15 billion handed over in more than 22 million transactions.

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

He also said that more and more individuals are hoping to increase the value of their properties by undertaking home improvements.

The popularity of DIY and home improvements has been fuelled by TV shows such as Changing Rooms, Property Ladder and Grand Designs.

Many people are also doing up their homes instead of moving house.