Sir David Attenborough may bemoan home makeover programmes as blatant tv rating chasers, however the British public loves them – and still uses them as a source of inspiration to redecorate their homes.
Britain is a nation of diy enthusiasts, with three quarters (73%) claiming that tv is the place they get their inspiration for home improvement, according to new research by Alliance & Leicester.

The research also highlights the potential cost of improving a home, with Britons estimating that it will cost £11,833 on average for them to bring their house up to the standard or design they would want.

While the redecoration of rooms topped the list of improvements that needed to be made at home, improvements that cost thousands of pounds were also high on the to-do list of homeowners.

In terms of adding value to the home, it appears as though homeowners are quite savvy and can identify the improvements that will increase the selling price of their property.

Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) indicate that homeowners are right to place a loft conversion in the top spot, as this can add an estimated £10,000 to a property.

The research was carried out by Tickbox.net amongst a sample of 1,005 adult homeowners between May 7-12, 2008.

Top 5 most wanted home improvements by percentage:

1 Redecorate rooms 54%
2 New bathroom suite 43%
3 New flooring/carpeting 41%
4 Landscaping the garden 40%
5 Re-fitting the kitchen 40%

Top 5 improvements thought to add value to a property (percentage; added value):

1 Loft conversion 29%; £10,000
2 Re-fitting the kitchen 25%; £8,000
3 New bathroom suite 11%; £4,000
4 Landscaping the garden 8%; £6,000
5 Double glazing 7%; £7,500