NEW research from The Woolwich reveals that DIY-obsessed Britons spend over three times more on home improvements than they do on self improvements such as clothing, pampering treatments, health and fitness.

The study reveals Britons spent on average £2,700 on their home in the last 12 months (that's 50 per cent more than a month's average pay) and just £880 on themselves.

Figures for the South East show that we spend more than three times as much on our homes (£2,585) as we do on ourselves (£700).

Where the money goes:

* In the last 12 months Britons were 50 per cent more likely to have spent on paint and wallpaper than on designer clothes (72 per cent invested in decorating materials while just 48 per cent splashed out on labels).

* The British public are almost twice as likely to have had double glazing than cosmetic enhancements such as Botox (15 per cent had new windows while nine per cent had aesthetic treatments).

* We were twice as likely to have spent on new furniture than nutrition advice or products (53 per cent compared to 28 per cent).

* We were more likely to have spent on our garden than our hair (41 per cent spent compared to 37 per cent)

* One in three invested in bathroom or kitchen improvements while only one in four has a gym membership.

* And Britons are more likely to have expanded their living space through a loft extension or conservatory than have gone on a break to a spa or to health farm (eight per cent compared to six per cent)

The pleasure principle:

* Just as we're more likely to spend on decorating than designer clothes, DIY tops shopping as "the most pleasurable way of spending money" - transforming the home with professional design advice comes top of the list (41 per cent) over blowing cash on a clothes spree (38 per cent).

* Spending money on an extension (29 per cent) or kitchen or bathroom revamp (24 per cent) is more than four times as popular as spending on improving personal appearance (six per cent) and even beats investing in health and fitness (27 per cent).