I’m doing up my council house but have only just discovered the £5 B&Q hack that’ll save you a tonne of cash
A MUM has opened up about how she had to take on the DIY in her council house after discovering it was in a "dangerous mess."
When Rebekah, 31, moved in with her husband and four kids, she was faced with a home in desperate need of TLC.
The carpets reeked, the floorboards were collapsing, and the walls were in serious need of repair and a fresh coat of paint.
With her husband being disabled and her kids ranging from just a few months old to seven years old, Rebekah was overwhelmed by the amount of work that needed doing.
In tears after realising the scale of the task, she decided to take matters into her own hands and tackle the DIY herself.
But, as many DIY enthusiasts can relate, things didn’t exactly go as planned and so she shared a video on her TikTok page warning her followers to not make the same mistakes as she did.
READ MORE ON DIY HACKS
"I’ve gone and messed up and wasted £100 on paint," Rebekah admits.
"Today I’m learning not one, but two life lessons.
“The first is that diving headfirst with a DIY project isn’t always the best approach, and lesson two is that paint tester pots are there for a reason."
She continues: "I spent 45 minutes choosing paint colours for this room.
“But, as an impulsive person, I didn’t want to buy a tester pot. I was so sure of myself.
“I thought, 'Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves.' The ‘girl maths’ made sense at the time."
But as it turns out, the ‘girl maths’ wasn’t quite as sound as she hoped.
She says: "Now I’m trying to convince myself I haven’t completely messed up, but honestly, my face says it all - I hate the colour."
Looking back, she says: "£5 on tester pots doesn’t seem so bad right now."
Hoping things would magically improve, Rebekah decided to keep painting, convinced the colour would change.
This was also a struggle, as neither of us was in a state where we could do a lot about it at the time
Rebekah
She says: "I thought it would look different once it was on the wall. But it didn’t. At that point, I decided to just call it a 'future problem.'"
However, Rebekah decided to throw another colour into the mix.
Introductory tenants are usually limited to minor improvements like redecorating inside.
If you’re a secure tenant, you have the right to carry out improvements to your property. These include:
- installing a new bathroom or kitchen
- building an extension
- putting up a garden shed or greenhouse
- installing a new gas fire or fireplace
- cavity wall insulation
- redecorating the outside of a house
- fitting an aerial or satellite dish
You might need your council’s written permission for work you do. if you’re not sure.
Previously, Rebekah exclusively revealed to Fabulous that she was left "devastated" when she first moved into her house.
She said: “It’s safe to say we were devastated, especially because our children were going to have to live in a property we didn't feel was safe for them.
“My husband is disabled after being medically discharged from the army due to a back injury, and at the same time all this happened, he had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“This was also a struggle, as neither of us was in a state where we could do a lot about it at the time.
“I also had a C-section, which meant I had to spend several weeks recovering while caring for my children and husband.”
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