The Internet and magazines helped 8 million Australians who renovated their homes in the past 12 months.

The homeowners used the products and services featured in the two media to assist them make product selection and purchase decisions, Roy Morgan Research said.

About 6 million or 32 per cent of Aussies made minor repair on their homes in the past 12 months, while another 4.2 million or 22 per cent painted the interior or exterior of their units and 3.2 million or 17 per cent redecorated or refurbished their homes through the use of curtains, carpets and wallpapers/

Average spending for home improvement was more than $5,000, which was a 5 per cent hike over the past 5 years.

Among the home and garden genre publications that Aussies used in helping them renovate their units were Better Homes & Gardens which has 1.8 million readers and Australian House & Garden with over 700,000 subscribers.

Besides the two magazines, whose sales could match that of mainstream ones, The Block magazine made a successful comeback in 2011.

"Just as 'Masterchef' got more people cooking, it's likely that 'The Block" has, and will, have a similar influence on the market, encouraging more of us to undertake home improvements and/or decorating projects," Roy Morgan Research Industry Director for Media George Pesutto said in a statement.