MAKE ROOM
Council houses may be cheap rent but we pay the difference in price – my room is a ‘hot pink mess’ & I failed fixing it
But there is one suggestion that could help to fix it
A YOUNG tenant has given an insight into her DIY journey of transforming her council house which has so far been an “epic fail.”
Becki recently moved into her home and is trying to renovate her place on a budget but revealed that so far it has been a “total DIY disaster.”
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The mum-of-four has created a TikTok account which documents her decorating journey and her videos have been going viral.
In one particular clip, she showed how her room was a “hot pink mess” as she attempted a “budget bedroom makeover.”
She captioned it: “So today while trying to renovate my council house bedroom I had a total DIY disaster.
“I knew this budget bedroom makeover was gonna be difficult but I didn't expect this.”
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Becki, who goes by the name of on TikTok, wanted to paint over the pink walls which were already there when she moved into the house.
But she revealed her DIY skills could be enough to “make a professional cringe.”
Becki first started off by putting floor protection down to “finally make some good progress with fixing these walls.”
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She then revealed that she started off by “cutting in” before then “slapping this paint stuff on the walls.”
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‘Cutting in’ is a technique that outlines walls and ceilings before you start to paint the rest of the surface, also known as starting off with a border.
Narrating over her filming, she said: “Feeling slightly smug it all seemed like it was going well
“But there was a disaster forming behind her.”
'Budget bedroom makeover'
However, the paint started to form air bubbles and peel off almost instantly.
She said: “So naive, I mean, it’s a council house of course these walls are going to be a ball ache. If it was that simple they’d fix them for us.”
Although on the upside, it helped to “get rid of the pink” but just not in the way that Becki “thought or hoped.”
She finished the video by saying: “So back to the drawing board it is.”
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The video received over 200 comments with others sharing their DIY experiences as well.
One wrote: “Same thing happened to us when we moved into our first house. No one could tell us why.
“Not builders, not decorating centres. We decided to replaster it.”
Becki replied by asking: “Did re-plastering go on okay?”
'Get rid of the pink'
To which the DIY fan wrote: “Yeah it did go on perfectly and we had nice walls again, but I'm so annoyed we paid that much and no one could tell us the problem was putting matte paint on silk paint.”
Another asked: “How about some textured wallpaper?”
And Becki replied: “I actually managed to fix my walls, they look great now, just doing some panelling and then I'll be painting at long last!”
A third wrote: “We bought a council house and had the same problem when it was replastered.
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“The new plaster bubbled off and had to be redone.”
And Becki replied: “Omg! nightmare I've waited a week tomorrow for it to dry out so I cannot wait to carry on again so hopefully no more issues.”
How can I get a council house?
To apply for a council home, you need to fill out and hand in an application to your local authority.
To find your local authority, simply use the Government's council locator tool on its website.
Once you have access to your local council's website, it should offer you guidelines on how to complete your application.
After applying, you'll most likely have to join a waiting list.
Bear in mind, even if you are put on a waiting list, this doesn't guarantee you a council house offer.
Your council should also offer you advice on how to stay in your current home and solve any issues you might have, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.
You are eligible to if you are a British citizen living in the UK providing have not lived abroad recently.
Each council has its own local rules about who qualifies to go on the housing register in its area, but it is based on "points" or a "banding" system.
For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:
- are homeless
- live in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition made worse by your current home
- are seeking to escape domestic violence
Once you are high enough on a council's waiting list, it will contact you when a property is available.
Some councils let people apply at the age of 18, while others let you apply even sooner at 16-year-olds.
EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.
A council house is reached through a points system, so depending on your housing needs, you may be considered low priority.
The council will contact you about any available property once you are high enough on the waiting list.
There is no limit on how long you can expect to be on the waiting list.
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