My council house was grim & damp – a cowboy builder made it WORSE so I transformed it myself using charity shop bargains
A THRIFTY mum has revealed how she used DIY to transform her damp, messy council house into a dream home for her and her children.
Rebekah Foster, 31, was unable to view her council house before moving in, and had only seen a few photos of it.
The mum of four was so excited to move into the property but when she first walked through the door noticed a strange smell.
“We put it down to the house being empty for a while, but when we walked into the living room, the carpet had a damp smell”, she told Paving Superstore.
The house was also covered in broken glass, which as a complete hazard for her children, and the garden was an absolute state, with a falling down fence and overgrown bushes.
“It’s safe to say we were devastated, but more because our children were going to have to live and be in a property we did not feel was safe for them”, she said.
“During this time, my husband had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and I was recovering from a C-section, so that was also a struggle as neither one of us was in a state where we could do a lot about it at the time.”
As the couple, who are from the North East were unable to do much themselves when they first moved in to the property. they hired a local tradesperson to help out.
However, this ended in disaster.
“Unfortunately was a total cowboy tradesperson and did not do any of the work properly.
“He destroyed our new carpets and didn’t prep walls so when he lined them you could see every issue through the paper.”
Thankfully, the mum, who is a baker and content creator was able to undo the builders mess after her recovery, and using DIY has created her dream home on a budget.
Rebekah used YouTube and Tiktok videos to learn a variety of new skills, and has even come up with some hacks of her own during the renovation.
“I found makeup wipes are great for using when smoothing out caulk,”, she said.
“I also used cake scrapers and old kitchen tools for smoothing out and plastering in areas and filling holes.”
The busy mum has decorated her home with charity shop bargains, and upcycled the second hand drawers in her bedroom to fit the theme of the room.
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
Rebekah still has a long way to go on her renovation journey, but is so happy with how things have turned out so far.
She said: “My children’s room is exactly what I wanted for them; it’s a lovely, bright and colourful space for them to play in.
“It really makes me so happy seeing their room and knowing I created that space for them.
“Even though my room is not quite done yet, it’s coming together as planned in my dream colour scheme– black and taupe. The colours work so nicely together and it’s exactly what I had envisioned.
“I also transformed my boring hollow door by adding wooden appliques which I both glued and painted which has given it more character.
“I love that all my hard work is paying off and everything is slowly coming together.”
Sharing advice to anyone looking to transform their home on a budget, she added: “Don’t rush the work or plan things too close together.
“Every job I have done as a newbie to DIY and renovating has taken a lot longer than planned.
“By rushing through the work you just make silly mistakes which just cost more in the long run to correct.
“Thorough preparation is key to a good job and a nice finish so take your time, and shop around for good products at the best prices.”
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