Can’t afford to carpet my council house

[Florafloral]

I have recently moved into a council house with my 5 year old after being made homeless. It’s a new build so All rooms are painted which I’m grateful for but I can’t afford to carpet it. It’s concrete flooring throughout which is impossible to keep clean, is very powdery and dusty. It’s making our clothes and furniture dusty too. I applied for a grant for flooring with the council but was turned down because my DD isn’t under 3 and we have no health conditions. Does anyone have any tips or how I can try and get cheap flooring. I’ve been quoted over £2000 for the whole house. It just seems impossible

In the short term, masonry paint can help reduce the dust and make it look a little better. I know someone that painted tiles on their hall floor.

You've had lots of good advice, I don't have anything other to add to that.

Concrete flooring throughout? You mean upstairs too? Normally it's floorboards upstairs.

No carpets is standards for social housing I'm afraid. You have to make do and do it bit by bit.

You can see if you can get offcuts, roll end or carpet tiles or cheap rugs. Colours and styles don't matter right now, just take anything you can get just to have something down.

It took us several months to carpet our HA home when we were fortunate enough to be allocated it.
We started with dirt cheap rugs in the bedrooms and living room and just lived with it until we could get it done.

How lovely to have a brand new house. I would go to a carpet place and ask if they have any roll ends or left over laminate boxes that would be cheaper.

As an immediate solution to the dust and concrete wear issue, I would really recommend something like this construction floor covering. For the price it's the most hard wearing option which will give you some time to work out a more permanent solution. Tape it together with clear gorilla tape for a neutral base and then add second hand rugs for colour, softness and warmth.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.tiger-supplies.co.uk/Catalogue/site-equipment/temporary-protection/Floor-Protection/Floor-Card---Standard---1m-x-100m-116-028&ved=2ahUKEwiU8q7rk_GFAxW9UEEAHe8hARMQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1G4rOyoub9QuLCxmHJgems

Seriously, it's standard? Crazy! No private tenant would expect to out up with that!

Eta to add a link that apparently this is a thing! https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kids-left-freezing-homes-concrete-26423054

OP - wrote to your local MP. It's appalling and I doubt they are away that that is standard practice. It's dangerous for a young child falling and banging heads, scrapes and grazes etc.

Second hand office carpet tiles can be really cheap and possible to lay yourself as a temporary solution.

If you go to the back of most carpet shops they have a roll end section. They’re usually so much cheaper than if you get someone out to measure up and chose a carpet out of a book. A carpet fitter isn’t very expensive either- my daughter just had a carpet fitted and I think it was something like £50. Start with the lounge to give you some comfort.

The painted hallway sounds a good idea. There are people on Instagram who have made lovely stair runners from cheap rugs.

Yes of course they are aware council houses don't come with flooring, that's normal.

I second looking out for big rugs. As they are out of fashion they go for silly money. Wwe recently sold a room sized Indian wool rug at auction for £25 in excellent condition. Also to cut down the dust in the concrete seal around the rugs (paint or varnish; whichever you prefer) so you can damp mop or swiffer more easily.
If you were homeless you may have had contact with your local food bank: if so they will be able to put you in touch with all the local help/support groups. They will find something. Even if it's just the bound edge squares/samples from a shop: we've taped them together for a child's room before. It's a short term fix but is warm and colourful.

Congratulations on your forever home, you will both make lots of happy memories there!

Speak with your school Parent Support Advisor or similar regarding grants. It may just be for your little ones bedroom and possibly the living room, but it’s a start.

Do you have any local energy charities nearby who help with and advise on energy costs? Our local one provides curtains, occasionally carpets, and even puts up curtain poles. The idea is that without these, energy bills are higher - so they help make your property more energy efficient.

Lots of other great suggestions on here.

Good luck!

Writing to an MP about no carpets will go nowhere - it absolutely is standard.
And plenty of private tenants would happily leave behind the private sector for social housing secure tenancy - especially because it’s usually less rent (and so it should be, and no it’s not subsidised) which frees up money for flooring.

I absolutely would write to MPs about the lack of additional financial support for those of low income moving into social housing though.

I'd definitely recommend sealing the floor, as PP have suggested, in the first instance.

I had a floor like that in a new extension and sealed with ordinary emulsion, watered down massively. After the first coat you can do a second with thicker paint.

We're coming into summer (!) so it won't be too cold in the short term, but look out for carpet from free sites, unless you can save for new. Even something really cheap will be better than nothing come winter.

I'd paint/seal it and then get some rugs to throw down on it. We aren't in a council house, but we don't have any carpet anywhere downstairs - it's either concrete or slate. For the bit that's concrete, it's been painted with a sealer/paint and we have a rug that covers the middle of the floor. We wear slippers in winter to keep feet warm.

We did big rugs and then just a room at a time started with kids room and living room first. Agree with second hand rugs if you can get them.

it’s a pain isn’t it! I just went for the cheapest carpets etc as well , also shop around as there are carpet shops that are cheaper than others.

I painted and sealed mine - cost me £30 and then I bought massive outdoor rugs from ikea

Or get free ones

I bought my carpet from Ebay, I have quite a big sitting room & it cost me £70 all in & I fitted it myself. Is this affordable to you? If not could you look at vinyl? At least for now it could work. Unsure where you live but most areas have charities who can help with things like this. Congratulations on your new home I'm sure in time it will be lovely and cosy.

Garage floor paint is brilliant. We lived for quite some time with this on our concreted floor until we were in a position to lay proper flooring.

Then off cuts from the carpet shop - even if they don’t go wall to wall, just rug size would work.

Try a local auction house. I got a huge roll of top quality carpet for £40 which did a bedroom

Definitely use concrete sealer in the short term. Not expensive but very effective at stopping the dust and very easy to apply.

When I was a kid, my Dad once went to a carpet shop and got all the old sample books of carpeting they had and used them as carpet tiles in our hall.

I'd join local FB groups. We have a fantastic organisation locally who help with things like this. Maybe you do too? The other temporary option is garden rugs. You can buy massive ones really cheaply. B&M and Home Bargains sell them. Will be ok for the summer. I have used them temporarily. Congratulations on your new home

Seal the floors then room by room as you can. I've just had a look on FB and there's loads of carpet for £10-30 for a room sized piece.

Enjoy your lovely new home.

Yup. It's standard. I don't know why they can't put even some cheap laminate down but 🤷.

I'd have been happy to have had the cost added to my weekly rent until the cost of flooring had been repaid but apparently they won't do that.

I cannot believe that they can both give you houses without carpet and allow tenants to do their own decoration and remove the flooring too. All the decoration should be done by the organisation you are leasing it from. If they are going to leave bare concrete floors, then they need polish and seal them so they are properly finished.

I'm honestly stunned. Two family members have been allocated two shocking council houses so i knew they didnt come done up or anything and could be absysmal but I wasn't some just don't have something so basic. Eye opening and embarrassed I wasn't aware.