Household spending on DIY has dropped to a 12-year low, according to a new report from Lloyds TSB.
UK household expenditure on DIY has fallen to its lowest level since 1998, totalling £9.5bn in 2010 (an average outlay of £352 per household).

Having peaked in 2004 at £14.66bn, spending has steadily dropped over the past six years, and declined 13% in real terms between 2009 and 2010. During this period, spending on materials such as paint, wallpaper and plaster fell by 15% to £5.6bn, while expenditure on tools and equipment for DIY, including power tools and lawnmowers, dropped by 9%.

However, since 2000, while spending on materials for DIY has decreased by 20%, totalling £5.61bn in 2010, spending on tools and equipment rose by 55% to £3.89bn in 2010 (from £2.50bn in 2000).

And when they are prepared to spend on home improvements, the report found UK householders would still rather do it themselves. While DIY spending in 2010 declined by just 0.2% compared with 2000, expenditure on tradesmen's services fell by substantially more over the same period, declining 34% to £6.71bn in 2010, from £10.22bn in 2000.

Lloyds TSB housing economist Suren Thiru said: "Spending on DIY has fallen significantly over the past year. The current squeeze on household finances from high inflation and weak earnings growth has made it difficult for many households to spend as much as they used to on discretionary items such as home maintenance. However, the benefits associated with maintaining or improving your property is likely to ensure that over the long term the popularity of DIY will remain enduring."

According to Lloyds, the latest available regional figures show householders in Wales are the UK's biggest spenders on DIY, with an average outlay of £588 in 2009, followed by the North East (£572) and the West Midlands (£556).

In contrast, those living in the North West spent the least on DIY, with an average outlay of £322.