Apollo Blinds Regional Manager for Scotland and Ireland Ian Thornton says: "There seems to be a rising tide of homeowners who are choosing to ride out what is happening in the housing market and deciding to improve their own homes while they wait and see what happens.

"Time was when people who spruced up their houses would often go for what we called stopgap solutions and spend the bare minimum because they knew they might be moving at some point in the near future.

"But actually almost the reverse is now true as homeowners are spending money choosing interior design schemes and blinds to get the look which they really want. Maybe this is because they don't know how long they are staying put for and they may as well have exactly what they want."