New kitchens and bathrooms are the changes most likely to increase the value of a house, the survey discovered, with extensions less successful and the least improvement coming from loft conversions and a simple redecoration.

Property TV presenter Phil Spencer said: “The current cooling of the property market is making homeowners think twice about selling up and many are opting to improve instead.”

Lloyds TSB released the figures as part of its push to sell personal loans, but the news still gives useful information showing how householders are reacting to the growing lack of confidence in the economy.

Its survey of more than 500 estate agents found that more than half had experience of customers changing their mind about selling their homes and choosing to improve them instead.

Of the 1000+ householders it spoke to, almost 60 per cent said they’d cancelled plans to sell - and half of those plan to do their home up instead.

Many of those are having to do work that will make it easier to stay in a house that no longer meets their needs, but rather more are hoping to increase the value for a future sale.

Lloyds TSB’s director of personal loans, David Wishart, said the bank had seen a recent increase in home improvement personal loan requests.

He said: “For the last decade homeowners have been able to sit back and rely on rising property prices to increase the equity in their home but sadly this is no longer possible.

“If you want to trade up and avoid substantially increasing your mortgage, you’ll need to add value to the house you’re currently in.”

The survey comes in the wake of a similar one by home insurers Liverpool Victoria (LV), which found that more than £4bn is being spent on home improvements during the current 18-month period by people who have changed their minds about selling.

Average spend is likely to be about £5000 - but almost half the householders surveyed plan to save money by either doing the work themselves or bringing in family members.

LV spokesperson Emma Holyer said: “Despite the challenging housing market and lack of affordable mortgages, we are still a nation obsessed with our homes and what money we can make on them.

“Many homeowners told us they were spending this money so they could profit more on their homes when they do come to sell them after the market has stabilised. This shows that although people are concerned about the short term housing market there does appear to be optimism in the long term.”

• 18V Cordless Drill Kit - comes complete with reversible screw bits and a 10mm keyless chuck. Now £20.
• Foldable Workbench - perfect for use in the garden shed, it boasts a strong construction and can withstand a weight of up to 100kg. It has multi-position vice pegs and an adjustable gripping width. Now £10.
• Scaffold ladders - these two six-rung aluminium scaffold ladders can be used as an extending ladder, a single ladder, a step ladder or a complete scaffolding unit. Supplied with stabiliser and plywood deck. Now £64.50.
• Combination Ladder with Platform - a lightweight, aluminium combination ladder with platform, multi-adjustable, so no height is out of reach. Now £49.50.

Check out Woolworths’ full DIY range here >>

According to a story in The Times, Henry Marsh, a consultant at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London, visits Kiev twice a year to assist his colleague Igor Petrovich at a neurology clinic.

In Britain Mr Marsh is accustomed to using a £30,000 medical drill driven by compressed air. But equipment in the Ukrainian capital is so scarce that the men have resorted to a £30 Bosch RSR960 to drill holes through patients’ skulls:

Surgeon uses DIY drill to perform brain operations

…Many of the operations, such as those to remove tumours, are done without general anaesthetic – a common practice in this type of surgery. By talking to the patient, surgeons can gauge precisely how far they can go without damaging vulnerable parts of the brain.

Mr Marsh has now taken a drill designed for medical use to Kiev. “I’m not recommending that we should all use Bosch do-it-yourself drills in England,” Mr Marsh said. “But it shows how with improvisation you can achieve a lot. Read on here…

Here’s a summary of what you can get your hands on:

• 40 per cent off 18V cordless drill/driver - a two-speed gearbox, forward and reverse actions, 16 torque settings, supplied with two batteries, two screwdriver bits and a one-hour fast charger. Now selling at £49.99.
• Up to 20 per cent off a wide selection of tools - including hand tools, power tools, storage, ladders and brushes.
• 30 per cent off a Victorian interior door - this silkwood four-panel traditional door is now selling for £69.99.
• 20 per cent off selected radiators - a wide range of convection styles to suit all spaces.
• Up to 40 per cent off selected flooring and tiles - pick up all styles of flooring here.

Check Easter delivery dates here and visit this page to see all the retailer’s current deals.

One school of thought believes that DIY might get a shot in the arm from uncertainty about the housing market, saying that householders are choosing to improve when they can’t move.

If this sounds appealing, then what’s the best approach to take to maximising the value and enjoyment you get from your living space? Here are Times writer Kasia Maciejowska’s tips for 10 great ways to add value to your home:

Top ten: Home improvements

MOVE or improve? A familiar question if you’re faced with lack of space, a growing family or itchy feet. With 58 per cent of us improving our homes over the past year (12 per cent more than the year before), we prefer making do to moving out.

Faced with high house prices, the popular solution is to expand or improve with the aim of adding value – and now younger people are getting involved, with 68 per cent of people between 18 and 34 investing time and money in doing up their home.

So how to achieve that extra £100,000? A fifth of improvers think a kitchen extension will add the most value, although the most common project is redecoration, making up two thirds of all home improvements. Here we give ten of the best projects to make the most of your home.

Valuers at Halifax say an extension is the top option for adding value, as long as work is properly carried out. For structural projects employ a professional to ensure you comply with planning regulations. A good extension should create at least one extra room and be used to bring light into the house.

A loft conversion is the second most profitable option. While maximising existing space, it can increase the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, two key valuation factors. Read full article here…

B&Q has some great offers at the moment which could net you up to 50 per cent on popular products. Here are the ones that caught our eye:

• All cupboard doors and drawer fronts half price - until March 13
• Get 50 per cent off an EVA pendant light – until March 13. Was £83, now £41.
• Spring savings on building accessories - everything from sealant and resin to lighting, tape and fixings.

Follow this link for details of all the retailer’s special offers.

There’s a huge range to choose from, including adhesives and sealants, car care and accessories, DIY products, hardware and fixings, home decorating, plumbing and ventilation, power tools and woodworking.

There’s bound to be something there that’s just what you’re looking for - definitely worth a visit and a browse!

* The retailer has specified no closing date for these offers - they are current as this post is written but will clearly not remain available indefinitely. See our terms and conditions for more details or visit our shop to search for current prices.

• Makita 8390 DWPE3 18V Combi Drill with 3 Batteries – save £100. Was £179.99, now £79.99. Offer available until March 17.
• Ryobi 33cc Petrol Chainsaw – save £20. Was £119.99, now £99.99. Offer available until March 31.
• Laser Level Kit – save 10 per cent, £17.99. Offer available until March 31.
• Tacwise 40mm Angled Nailer – save 50 per cent. Was £129.99, now £64.99. Offer available until March 31.
• Hitachi 4.5in Angle Grinder – save £10. Was £44.99, now £34.99. Offer available until March 31.

That’s the suggestion made in a BBC Online article this week. Mind you, they are quoting a spokeswoman from the Association of British Travel Agents. Perhaps if they’d spoken to someone from a major DIY chain it would have been a different story altogether.

Still it’s an interesting point. What will be people’s spending priorities in 2008?

With an expected downturn in the UK property market, as discussed in this article on the Easier Property website, home improvements are going to look like an increasingly attractive option for people who feel unwilling or unable to sell up and move on.

We reckon it’s probably too close to call at the moment - but we’ll be watching the business pages with interest…

Is holiday fever going to spread?

Perhaps it is the winter chill, or maybe the fast disappearing memory of Christmas, but at this time of year our thoughts turn to summer holidays.

Booking season starts in earnest after the first pay packets of the year arrive.

But will families be digging deep for a place in the sun as rising fuel bills start to land on the doormat, credit is harder to come by and house prices stall?

They already have been, according to Frances Tuke, spokeswoman for Abta. She says Abta members have been reporting a very busy January and February, although there are no figures yet to back this up.

“People will find a way to pay. They tend to cut back on things on home improvements and still go on holiday,” she says.

She predicts that spending on foreign travel will stay around the same this year as in 2007. Read full article here…

B&Q has identified a potential safety issue with the B&Q Airforce 2000W convection heater offered for sale between November 2007 and 19th January 2008.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY THE PRODUCT PICTURED IS AT RISK. ALL OTHER CONVECTION HEATERS SOLD BY B&Q ARE UNAFFECTED.

Despite rigorous quality control procedures it has been brought to B&Q’s attention that in some instances the product could overheat and possibly catch fire.

If you have purchased this product since November 2007, PLEASE STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY and return it to the store where a full refund will be given.

If you would like more information to help identify if your product is affected please call our Customer Services Helpline on (UK) 0800 389 0419, (ROI) 1800 946 327 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8.00pm, Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm).

B&Q plc apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks you for your co-operation.

For more details visit the retailer’s product recall page.