To ask for help in furnishing a home.

[Makingahome]

We've unexpectedly been awarded a social housing home.

We've been on the housing register for years and very surprised to have a been successful in a bid for a three bedroom new build. Technically our housing needs are met as we are in a three bedroom now but the bedrooms are tiny. As long as the bedrooms are bigger we will be taking it but don't get to view just before Xmas.

Unfortunately being a new build it means we need to carpet it, need to buy a cooker ( electric ), curtain poles, curtains, towel rails lampshades etc etc.

Lounge carpet, kitchen vinyl and then cooker are the priority areas. Saving as much as we can but with Xmas, needing to paint existing house for deposit etc money is tight!

Advice on what flooring to get would be much appreciated. I've been to two carpet showrooms and both have said £300 ish for lounge based on 13 5m squared. Not even nice carpet - just hard-wearing but stain resistant!
No idea what colour to go for. We have dark brown sofas. White walls! Needs to be comfy for a toddling nearly one year.

The cooker - I'll need to pay to get installed so want to get kitchen flooring down first. No idea what to expect to pay for Vinyl.

The rest of the house we'll do bit by bit. Prob need to do mixer taps and shower hose too.

So grateful for this opportunity. The security of tenancy will make a huge difference to us. Just a bad time financially as despite working we have no spare cash!

Great news that you'll have security of tenure at last

Are you sure that there won't be any simple flooring already included? I'd be surprised if there was none in a new build.

Have a look for local eBay deals, they show stuff near you that is collection only. I recently got an oak coffee table half a mile from me for £7.50 using that!

I agree with PP on vinyl tiles being super cheap and easy to install. I'd be tempted to do the whole house and just buy rugs (end pieces of carpet work really well and are cheap). We have done this with our home and it's so much more practical, especially with young children.

I would check there’s no flooring included. Also about kitchen appliances.

I asked the housing officer and she was really clear. No appliances. No flooring. I hope she is wrong! She doesn't usually deal with new builds.

Great reminder about local collection items!

Look for carpet roll ends too there are a few pieces on this site that are 4m x 4m for around £50 and they do bigger bits too. Then you would need underlay and gripper rods.

And this time with link www.flooringsuperstore.com/sale/carpet-remnants

We got carpet tiles in our bedroom. Bloody great, as our LO used to throw up everywhere so they were easy replaced lol. So there’s some pros to that depending on the kids

Onlinecarpets.co.uk very cheap! Then just pay someone to lay or attempt it yourself? My mum laid mine and she's in her 60s

You've been so helpful. I really appreciate it. I'm going to you tube carpet fitting in the morning..... Surely it can't be that hard???!!!
I'm off to bed now no doubt my youngest will wake soon. I'll check back in tomorrow.

Look at the b&q one on YouTube that ones brilliant. Makes it look so simple. Need to replace my daughters carpet and I'm going to give it a try myself. (Obviously pay someone to do the stairs)

Second the independent carpet places are the best - look at the remnants - I've just carpeted my stairs, landing and hallway with a beautiful thick pile carpet with underlay for £210 :)

Also 'distressed' furniture is 'in' now - pick up some cheap bits from freebie sites and with some good quality paint and a bit of sand paper you could have some lovely furniture.

Just trying to bring myself to do it to my Barker and Stonehouse minging pine bedroom suite as it feels like I'd be murdering it ha! I will do it...I will!

Good luck and happiness in your new home

Honestly we got a fairly decent and thick but cheap underlay from eBay then a cheap carpet on top. Laid it ourselves and it's absolutely fine.

It isn't a professional job but it works, is comfortable (due to getting the thickest underlay we could find and afford) and will last for a couple of years till we can afford better.

It is easy enough to lay a carpet, obviously it's not quite so easy to lay it aswell as a professional would but then sometimes you have to cut your cloth accordingly.

eBay/gumtree/free cycle/local paper for furniture. You may have to look bellow the surface of some stuff and see if you could sand it down and varnish/paint it to make it better.

Some bigger charity shops stock furniture too.

If it’s a council newbuild, then I’m 99% certain that it’ll have kitchen flooring down already. Probably a council grey vinyl. Things like mixer taps and shower should be in. Check with them what will be included.

Forgot to add the carpet from eBay was £90 and the underlay £20 for one room, we did a smaller which worked out cheaper and a slightly bigger room that worked out about £140.

Op , due to health and safety all HA /council properties do have non slip flooring in kitchen and bathrooms.

Hopefully this should help you out 😁

The news that bathroom and kitchen are likely to be in is amazing. Thank you. I'm hoping shower too!

Furniture I'm not so worried about. We have the basics. Sofa's might not fit. Dining table unlikely to fit. Will measure up on viewing and see. If not they'll be up for sale!

I'm going to look at an independent carpet fitter and shop online or use off cuts I think. You get much better carpet for your money.

About a year ago I bought some fairly nice quality vinyl from eBay. 5m x 3m for £129. It's quiet thick. I watched you tube vids then laid it myself. It's quite easy. It went down in one of the kids rooms.

I often see vans going about here with signage saying something like mobile carpets, people I've asked have said it's very cheap. Carpet shops do off cuts. In the past I've bought off cuts (last house, no plan to stay) and laid it myself. Again, it's hard work but it's not difficult.

When I first moved into present house I spent £3,000 on stairs, study, and two of the bedrooms with carpetright. That carpet is now nearly 14 years old! The service for measuring, estimating and fitting was fantastic too. The carpet is ridiculously thick and still going. Maybe taking credit is an option if you plan to stay. You'll save money in the long term by not buying cheap. But it depends on your long-term plans. I'm now doing fairly major redecorating and replacing flooring in order to move next year. But I've had my money's worth out of the original flooring.

I've known people to carpet their house by looking for skips outside of commercial properties.

Another who would suggest looking at independent shops. Just had stair carpet fitted at half the cost quoted by carpet right.

Don’t skimp on underlay, any carpet is improved by using it.
Good luck in your new home .

Everyone is telling me not to skimp on underlay. Which is why I'm doubting one of the Independence who recommended felt backed carpet at £12.99 a square metre. Also said to use spray adhesive instead of grippers. A friend said that's because it's obviously so thin the grippers will stick up through after a short while.

We've moved a few times and always used independents. I was just saying to DH the other day that the fairly light coloured carpet we put in 12 years ago is still looking like new. It was good quality though. I wonder if in the long run it would be cheaper to buy quality on credit than buy cheap and buy twice?

If you are going to live there for a long time I would put in the best you can afford and get decent underlay. And I would have it professionally fitted unless you are really competent DIYers. That way it should last for many years. On that basis I would go to one of the big sheds and get interest free credit.

Ditto white goods. Curry’s etc all offer interest free schemes.

Enjoy your new home.

And avoid wool like the plague. Moths are totally endemic and are munching through my carpets. Luckily they are old and I don’t care very much.

Vinyl is a lot easier to fit yourself than carpet.