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My council house is a dive & smells like a damp ashtray – I need to fix the floors, people say a Pound Shop buy’s a must

Scroll down to read about the top DIY jobs homeowners carry out

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a woman in a plaid shirt is covering a window with plastic

AFTER recently moving into a council house, one woman noticed the work is required.

People suggested she make use of a Poundland buy to revamp the floors.

Mumsnet users suggested using vinyl tiles to transform your house on a budget
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Mumsnet users suggested using vinyl tiles to transform your house on a budgetCredit: Tiletastic

In a on Mumsnet, the unnamed user explained the "awful" state of the home.

She revealed that she was offered a three-bedroom council house and accepted before viewing it.

"I'm due to move in [soon] and I was only given the chance to view it today and it's an absolute dive," the poster said.

"It smells like a damp ash tray, the walls are ripped, cupboards and doors are chipped, and the tile floor in the kitchen has cracks in it."

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The mum-of-three explained that she was responsible for carpeting the whole house.

"I have a five-year-old, a one-year-old, and a four-month-old, I don't have much money to spare," she said.

Despite her financial issues, the Mumsnet user said she needed to get the home safe for her children.

While the woman said she was "not very thrifty or creative" she revealed she was inspired by "many beautiful council homes."

Other Mumsnet users shared their top tips for turning the "dump into a lovely home."

"First get some sugar soap and clean everything in sight with it, it’ll get any fag leftovers off," advised one reader.

I’ve transformed my ex-council house using Dunelm & Ikea buys - although some trolls say it 'looks like a Wetherspoons'

A lock of paint will freshen rooms up. Paint doesn’t have to be expensive.

"Floors you’ll have to do as you go, you can get cheaper off-cuts if you go into the shops and put the feelers out for carpet fitters.

"Have a look in pound shops and B&M, our B&M do the packs of floor tiles for a couple of quid and pound shops sometimes get them in.

"You need a bit of extra glue but they go down OK."

You can pick up a three-pack of for £3 from Poundland.

Most popular DIY jobs homeowners love to do

  1. Paint walls          
  2. New carpet        
  3. Paint fence        
  4. Paint ceilings     
  5. Wallpapering    
  6. Paint skirting boards      
  7. New light fitting               
  8. Re-grout/replace bathroom tiles                
  9. Hang curtains/blinds      
  10. Paint/oil interior doors         
  11. Paint a shed            
  12. Paint stairs                 
  13. New plug sockets            
  14. New hard flooring                    
  15. New front door         
  16. Update kitchen sink            
  17. Replace kitchen worktops                   
  18. Hang shelves    
  19. Change/update doorknobs         
  20. Paint/upcycle garden furniture

The commenter also suggested adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls to spruce up the place.

Another person agreed that vinyl flooring would be a smart move for the home.

"I'd look at thick vinyl flooring in the kitchen," the Mumsnet user wrote.

"We got old lino for the kitchen until we could afford some nice tiles," said a third person.

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"Our council house was in quite a state when we got it, each and every room desperately needed painting or wallpaper stripped.

"The walls were yellow with nicotine stains, it was disgusting but it's lovely now."

The original poster explained that she would have to do a lot of work on her new council house
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The original poster explained that she would have to do a lot of work on her new council houseCredit: Getty
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