Offered Awful Council House. Help!

[Kakey1710]

I was offered a three bedroom and I have accepted. I'm due to move in monday and I was only given the chance to view it today and it's an absolute dive. 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!

I am responsible for carpeting the whole house. I have a 5 year old, a 1 year old and a 4 month old. I don't have much money to spare. But I need to get it safe at the very least.

I am not very thrifty or creative. Was just wondering if anyone out there has any tips for me?

How can I turn a dump into a lovely home on a VERY tight budget?? Haha

I know people do it. I've seen so many beautiful council homes in my life time. But I'm not very good at this sort of thing!!

Thank you for all your advice!!

I am very excited to make this house my own. I've always rented privately and I've never had the chance before so just didn't know where to start!!

Don't underestimate a Rug Doctor for bringing up carpets like new. It will be about £50 but you couldn't floor a room for that. Have a look at what's under the carpets before you decide to throw any out.

Then it's a case of working round one room at a time cleaning. I remember moving into our first house left in a disgusting state. I had to clean the sink with bleach spray just to get somewhere to start cleaning everywhere else from. We then lived with the ripped and cracked stuff for several years after that, but at least it was clean. We painted the main rooms (lounge bedroom kitchens) white and put up big colourful posters.

Kitchens you can often repair/shore up with a few bits of wood/screws/new hinges. Have you got someone handy who can help you?

Everything MisforMum said - inspiration and imagination are free. Work with what you have. Definitely don't turn your nose up at secondhand. Hope you enjoy your new home .

ive just moved in to my own HA place, a wee bit smaller than yours, had so much fun making it mine.
Wilkos has been an absolute God send in terms of paint and soft furnishings, their own brand is fantastic. I've spent far less than I expected on the other stuff because of it and you really can make whole rooms. I got a lamp for just a pound!

Health visitors can often apply for small grants towards carpets. Not a lot maybe £80 or so but it will help.

Contract cord is cheap and cheerful.

You can buy floor tiles cheap, even in the pound shop for kitchens and bathrooms. Very cheap and will do the job.
We carpeted and put Lino in both bathrooms and kitchen from a local carpet shop for £600 in our 3 bedroom house when we first moved in. The carpet is looking thin now so we are gradually replacing it but it's done it's job.
Facebook selling pages are great for cheap home stuff so keep an eye out. I've just sold a wardrobe which is solid wood and good condition for £30 on there. I sell all my home accessories too when I change colour schemes.
A feature wall only needs two rolls of wallpaper and it will really brighten up a room, just do the other walls magnolia or white. Boyes is cheap for paint and the pound shop rollers are perfectly fine.
Keep an eye on matalan home department as they regularly reduce things as they seem to change their collections very regularly. Bedding is great from there.
Let everyone know you are moving and put out the message that you would welcome any furniture/paint/rugs they are getting rid of. We have been given all sorts for our baby's room. People are grateful to get rid of it. My house is full of eBay bargains, furniture bought cheaply or given from family and friends and slight seconds from places like TK Maxx.
Good luck!

My local food bank often puts shout outs on Facebook for stuff to help young newly-housed families. They get inundated, and that's just the public comments. Also try your local tip - they sell on opened paint where there's a reasonable amount left as well as furniture - I bought a wooden TV unit to turn into a toy kitchen for D's for about £3, and the guys running it kept it for me as they knew I was looking.

Probably the cheapest (and not totally carp) carpet place going is this place,includes free delivery too www.onlinecarpets.co.uk/

Are you working/single etc? If not working then you could apply for a budgeting loan or councils now have schemes for household things to replace what used to be the community care grant.

Where is it? I love decorating. I'll come and help you!

It's worth looking round local auction houses the day before sales, and there's usually someone who will advise on price range and even bid for you on the day.
When we moved into a house after selling our boat, we had just our double mattress and two folding garden chairs.

We bought a second-hand freezer locally, then used the auctioneers at the end of the garden to furnish our four-bedroom house for about £400, so worth considering.