DIY is a double delight. It gives a pleasant sense of achievement and provides something of value at the knockdown price of parts and a little time. How are we most inclined to improve our homes?

- Homebase’s bestselling product is its extra value paint roller kit (9in), with two spare sleeves, which costs £3.99.

- Henry, the anthropomorphic vacuum cleaner by Numatic, is Homebase’s bestseller by value. From £93.90.

- B&Q reports a big rise in sales of kitchen units and surrounds, although it says buyers may not manage all the installation themselves.

- Property owners are not, however, afraid to throw down some flooring. At Wickes, Fast Fix 10 laminate in beech effect (at £3.97 per square metre) remains popular.

- Black & Decker’s bestselling power tool is its cordless hammer drill. It costs from £59.87 at Tesco Direct (the Tesco Value range of power tools includes a £12.97 impact corded drill).

- Women are now nearly as likely as men to take up the DIY tools, research by the retail consultancy Verdict shows, and retailers have caught on. Tesco sold 21,000 97-piece toolkits in pink over Christmas, and Plömo, the homewares and clothes website, offers a floral-patterned tool set in a satin bag (£33).

- Holloways of Ludlow, a period home decoration specialist, says new doorknobs are perennially popular. Customers snap up brass, crystal and beehive-shaped models.

- At Leyland SDM, a decorating specialist in Central London, coloured paint (Top Ten, January 19), is flying off the shelves. Home Hardware’s bestseller is white spirit, in 2-litre bottles.

- And the latest bestseller? Fence panels. The builders’ merchant Jewson has had a run on them after the recent high winds. The DIY chain Focus says sales of fencing are up 462 per cent year on year; its Forest Stewardship Council-certified panels (£14.49) are a hit.

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