shabby house any suggestions please

[sheepsgomeeping]

My house is shabby.

I am on benefits due to various reasons and I live in council housing. At the moment my kitchen is falling apart, I have cupboard doors missing, my draining board has collapsed and my kitchen floor tiles are coming off too.

My internal doors all have holes in them where my ds has kicked and punched them. He has ADHD/asd and struggles to maintain his temper. I cant afford to replace them, I wouldn't know how anyway!

Nothing matches, everything is old or donated, even my furniture is second hand. Things need painting, my bathroom is terrible!

I am on my own with four dc and I literally have no one to help me with DIY. Im hopeless!

How do you learn or find the time to do stuff when its just you? I work part time too. What sort of things can I do to make the house look better until I can get round to doing it. I know de clutter is important and ive made a start with this but any other suggestions?

I use YouTube videos to show how to do basic DIY

I take a look at one room at a time. Make a list of what needs doing . A second list of what you need

Then buy a bit each week. Paint, brushes, sandpaper... Social fund Loan for flooring/bigger stuff. Or look on freecycle

And ask your housing officer to assess the kitchen?

Hi I did ring my housing officer this afternoon and ask about the kitchen. Im on a 3to 4 year waiting list for a replacement. The current kitchen has been here for nearly twenty years and as the kitchen is no longer manufactured they cant make temporary repairs to the units. Sigh. Will just have to put up with it. But I asked them about some minor repairs to the bathroom and they are coming next week to do them yay.

You tube is great for DIY stuff, I just lack confidence. I never know what goes with what though and colours im crap with but I will make a list like you suggested and start with that.

Ive got to lose this idea in my head about having a perfect phony home. Some of my friends have very nice houses in similar situations to me and I wonder how they have done it but they admit to me they are paying brighthouse and are in terrible debt to them which im not thank god.

I also live in a steel prefab house with plasterboard internal walls and I loath it

I also never thought of the social fund either. Will find out about it tomorrow

Not phony! It was meant to be show. Stupid phone!

Can you take the doors off in the kitchen, (well, the upper ones to keep it child friendly), so it looks as though it's MEANT to be open shelving?

FREECYCLE I know's been mentioned, but they can be useful. I expect you use charity shops. If you have a sewing machine, fabric bought from there can easily alter curtains.....

AND.......check that you are getting all the benefits you're entitled to. I'm sure you've already done that, but just thought I'd mention it, as many aren't!

Whatever you do, DON'T even think about loans or credit cards. Once you start it's the way to ruin. You'll be paying for ever cos the interest rates are collosal.

You're children are the most important thing in your life right now. I know it's sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees, but they need their mum unstressed by debt and playful.......

Whats with the show home? Are you mad?

Give those children the mum they deserve, not the home you think you want.

Need I say more?

Good luck darling xx

For the missing doors, why not (if it's not too twee for you) take of the remainder and put on curtains?

Like this

Couple of cup hooks, net curtain hanging wire and a bit of nice fabric.

Take off, not take of FFS. Blooming spell checker!

Have you also thought about sharing or swapping skills.
eg someone comes in to fix something you cant do,and in return you babysit their child for 1 hour or whatever.
Never tried this myself,but I think there are groups set up in most areas.You could google and have a look at what is available in your area.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You're bringing up 4 DC on you're own with very little money. You sound like a hero!

Personally, I'd hate to live in a show home. I know people who do and they are weirdly soulless and not in any way relaxing.

I also have all 2nd hand furniture and none of it matches I prefer that! I hate matching 3 piece suites with curtains, etc.

Good for you not going down the Brighthouse route. The social fund would be a good idea.

With repairs and DIY, try to concentrate on one room at a time instead of thinking of the entire house. You won't get overwhelmed that way.

Could you take the doors off the top cupboards and if they fit put the best o the bunch on the bottom cupboards.

Ask on freegle for old paint. One wall in colour and then use a little of that colour in some bog standard white for the other walls.
Also ask for scraps of wallpaper as they can be used to cover some furniture using modge podge (you can get the recipe using flour online)

As for learning
Pinterest
You tube
Asking friends on facebook/here
Books from
Library

Some of the churches round here have DIY groups and they go to people's house and do painting for them. Maybe there is something similar in your area?

I would have thought they would still have been able to do minor repairs to your kitchen, even if they are no longer mixing tht kitchen? Seems a bit strange, maybe they are just trying to get out of spending money on repairs because it's due to be replaced in a few years. Surely they could at least replace the draining board?

Thank you all for your replies! Re the kitchen repairs, the hinges have come away inside the cupboard as the wood on the inside has crumbled. It cant be fixed and the whole unit needs replacing which the council wont do at the moment. The draining board is also a no no as the unit thats its on top of is also mouldy and crumbling away and again the council will not replace. Im going to get in touch with tenancy support to see if they can help at all. They will replace floor tiles but they have to be a different colour as they dont make my style floor tile anymore. I have a mosaic floor! Lovely!

I love the idea of a door curtain, will look into that. Also I will think about taking my kitchen cupboard doors off completely, anything is better than what it is now.

Also like the idea of swapping skills, will have a nose around to see if there is anything like that here.

Never thought of freegle either. Thanks so much got some great ideas here

Are your kitchen floors a health hazard??One of your children could trip over a damaged tile whilst holding a hot drink?? Just might give you some leverage to get a few repairs done.