Our council house was disgusting when we moved in – but with my cheap hacks I’ve transformed it into a beautiful home
A COUNCIL house tenant who exchanged her home for another one in a different location has revealed her DIY transformation.
A council house exchange, also known as a mutual exchange, is when two or more council or housing association tenants swap homes with each other.
This can be a way to move to a different part of the country or find a home more quickly.
But for one woman, the decorating journey was much bigger for her than expected.
She took to her TikTok page @no.th1rty30 to share her videos of what her house looked like on the first day she moved in and she has since gone viral with over 1.1 million views.
The tenant wrote: “The first day we got our council house exchange!
“It is disgusting.”
The video first started off by showing the front of her house, before then going into the hallway which immediately started off with the stairs.
It was clear to see that the indoor interiors needed a revamp as the wallpaper was peeling off, and the stairs were rugged with no carpet.
The kitchen appeared to be well used with missing cupboard doors and debris on the floor and in the sink.
On closer inspection of the stairs, the video showed that the wood was rotting.
She then went into her bathroom, which appeared to show a toilet with lots of marks all over it.
The bedrooms didn’t have any carpet in them, and the walls needed painting.
The video attracted over 520 comments as many rushed to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “When you swap, you accept the property in its current condition.
“I swapped to a three bed and they had removed all the doors.”
Another added: “I exchanged three weeks ago from a new build, freshly decorated to something similar to this.
“Work in progress.”
A third person expressed their shock by writing: “Can they really give you a house like this?
“I’m waiting on a council house and wouldn’t have the time or money to redecorate it all.”
To which the account replied: “You should be OK with a general council house but house exchanges you take them ‘as seen’ cleanliness is apparently ‘cosmetic want.’”
In another video, she also added: “I just want to show the exact state the house was left in! Now tell me it’s not ‘that bad.’”
However, her home looks a lot different now after she worked hard on transforming it herself.
Her walls have been painted, tiles have been added into her kitchen and flooring has been placed down.
She has decorated her rooms by adding shelves, decorations and furniture.
The council house tenant has been praised for her hard work, with one writing: “What a transformation!”
What It's Really Like Growing Up On A Council Estate
Fabulous reporter, Leanne Hall, recalls what it's like growing up in social housing.
As someone who grew up in a block of flats on a council estate, there are many wild stories I could tell.
From seeing a neighbour throw dog poo at the caretaker for asking them to mow their lawn (best believe they ended up on the Jeremy Kyle show later in life) to blazing rows over packages going missing, I’ve seen it all.
While there were many times things kicked off, I really do believe most of the time it’s because families living on council estates get to know each other so well, they forget they’re neighbours and not family.
Yes, things can go from zero to 100 quickly, but you know no matter what you can rely on your neighbour to borrow some milk or watch all of the kids playing outside.
And if you ask me, it’s much nicer being in a tight community where boundaries can get crossed than never even knowing your neighbour’s name while living on a fancy street.