A MUM moving into a council house has found a clever, budget-friendly hack to transform her home from rundown to chic.
The working mum, who pays rent with some housing benefits but tops it up herself, shared her plan online.
She mentioned that she aims to get a better-paid job after finishing college next year, which would allow her to stop receiving housing benefits.
In the meantime, she’s moved into a council house that’s damp, poorly decorated, and in need of maintenance.
Posting on Mumsnet, the anonymous mum said: “When I move, everything will need doing – flooring, plastering, sorting out the garden, and painting or wallpapering every room.
“The bathroom will be made usable, but I’ll need to paint the ceiling, skirting, and door myself.
“The kitchen will get tiled splashbacks, new cupboards, and a floor, but I’ll have to paint the walls. I get £200 of paint vouchers.
“Two bedrooms will be carpeted, and I’ve chosen to prioritise the children’s rooms.
“The stairs, living room, and my bedroom floors will be left bare, as will the walls in every room.
“My budget after moving costs is practically zero. Family has offered to pay for flooring for the front room, but I have to either cover the fitting costs or do it myself.
“The garden is a mess, and the bathroom is a wet room – think old people’s home, not modern living style.”
The mum asked for advice on plastering, boarding out the loft, modernising the bathroom, and finding “super duper cheap” waterproof bathroom storage, as well as gardening tips.
She continued: “My plan is to complete the living room and the children’s room first, then board out the loft for storage.
“I used to have room in my bedroom to store things as we had two double bedrooms. The kids had one, and I had the other.
“Now I’m moving to the box room and won’t have space to store the Christmas tree etc. in my room, and I doubt the children want it in theirs.
“That’s why I want the loft done ASAP. Until then, I’ll store the Christmas tree in the kitchen.
I’ve never had to refurbish a single room before, let alone a whole house
Mumsnet user
“The hallway and stairs carpet is second last on my list, and my room is third last.
“First is the kids’ room, followed by the living room and then the kitchen. Good plan?
“And that’s it, unless I’ve missed essential things, which I’m sure I have. It’s all a bit overwhelming.
“I’ve never had to refurbish a single room before, let alone a whole house. I could do with as many pointers as you’re all willing to give.”
B&M Money Saver
Many people quickly offered their tips and hacks for transforming a council house on a budget.
One commenter wrote: “We’ve had a couple of very poor condition council properties and just improved rooms as and when funds allowed.
“Glossing all the woodwork and fresh paint everywhere made a huge difference. Boarding out your loft is easy to do yourself; you can buy click-together boards from B&Q fairly cheaply.
“I did my old loft. Carpet fitting isn’t expensive, only £30/£40 a room – I used to think it was mega expensive!
“B&M or The Range is great for inexpensive wallpaper, DIY supplies, plastic drawers, and home stuff.
“If your walls are terrible but you can’t afford plastering yet, I would buy plain textured wallpaper that you can paint over.”
Another gave their advice by writing: “Bare stairs are very noisy, the only place we are definitely keeping carpet in our house is the stairs due to this.
“Bare stairs can look lovely, but expect many hours of hard work putting tacks and sanding to get them looking like that – personally I’d put that time into filling, sanding and lining the walls, and having the stairs carpeted.”
How to do your council house up on the cheap
- Take inspiration from pricier shops and head to B&M, Home Bargains for interior decorations.
- Head to YouTube for easy to follow tutorials on how to decorate rather than paying for professionals.
- For a quick glow-up for your floors or anywhere with tiles, opt for stick-on vinyl to save on costs.
- A lick of paint does wonders to make a room feel brand-new.
- Switch out kitchen cupboard knobs for modern ones instead of buying brand-new cupboards.
