I spent £3,000 on DIY renovations for my run-down rented council house using bargains from B&M and Primark and saved £10,000

• Celene Francis, 26, says she transformed the house from ‘bad to boujee’
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A mother has spent £3k renovating her rented two-bedroom council house – estimating she has saved around £10k by doing the work herself.

Celene Francis, 26, from Sheffield, started renting her council house in April 2020 and renovated the property to make it feel like more of a home.

When she moved in, she said the house was in a ‘dire condition’ with plaster all over the floor, yellow ceilings and wallpaper peeling off the wall.

Celene said that she saved a fortune as she did her DIY herself and bought furniture from shops like B&M Bargains, Primark and Ikea.

Now the house has been completely transformed from ‘bad to boujee’ and features a monochromatic modern interior and decorations.

Celene Francis (pictured) spent £3,000 transforming her council house using DIY and bargains

Celene, a student midwife and mental health support worker, said: ‘When we moved in the house was in a terrible state.

‘It was just full of wallpaper – the doors were purple, and the flooring was terrible.

‘The person who previously lived here was a smoker, so all the ceiling and woodwork was yellow, and the garden was overgrown – it was a mess really.

‘I am still doing bits now – I have been renovating the house bit by bit.

‘I have saved myself loads of money – I have bought a lot of items from B&M Bargains and Primark.

‘I love the H&M home section, but you walk into B&M Bargains and can get the same stuff for a fraction of the price.’

Celene has lived in her council home with her daughter Indie, three, and her partner for three years.

She said the house has two bedrooms but it classed by the council as being a three-bed – and has a front and back garden.

The mother of one started renting her council house in April 2020 and renovated the property to make it feel like more of a home

A coat of paint later – and the house was already looking much improved

The entrance before

The entrance after renovations

She pays £370 a month in rent and an additional bedroom tax of £65 a month. After council tax, water, gas and electricity bills and Wi-Fi, her total monthly bill comes to £750.

CELENE’S TOP RENOVATION TIPS  

– Do everything yourself

– Have a vision before you start

– Keep the same colours throughout your home

– Panel your walls

– Paint kitchen cupboards

– Add floating shelves

After getting the keys, she said the house was in an absolute state, desperately needing some care.

She said: ‘Once we moved in, I just had to gut everything. We got everything out, that’s why I went for all-white walls as it was easy and clean.

‘I started off doing up the main rooms, the bedrooms and the living room.

‘I painted the whole house white – I’ve put new flooring in, changed the kitchen completely by painting the cupboards and adding a new worktop.

‘I have done panelling and slack walls throughout the house – I have tried to keep it all running in the same theme.’

Always on the hunt for a bargain, Celene would often shop at cheaper high street brands like Home Bargains as she didn’t have ‘money to throw’ into the renovation.

Celene said: ‘The hardest bits for me were the cost, I didn’t have loads of money to throw at it.

‘That’s why I have been doing it gradually since I moved in, and I still have some bits left now.

Celene gave new life to the once very plain living room (pictured)

The living room is now the perfect place to relax for Celene, her partner, and her daughter Indie

Celene and her daughter Indie. Celene posts on TikTok under the username @61thecouncilhouse

‘I have saved loads of money – I absolutely love B&M Bargains and Primark home section.

‘I think I spent around £150 completely changing my kitchen.’

CHANGES CELENE MADE TO HER COUNCIL HOUSE 

– Removed all wallpaper

– Plastered walls and ceilings

– Painted every room white to keep the house in one theme

– Removed and replaced all the doors

– Painted all the radiators black

– Added panelled walls throughout the house

– Refurbished the bathroom

– Renovated the garden and added slack fences

Celene posts on TikTok under the username @61thecouncilhouse and is hoping one day to buy her house.

But some viewers were left slightly confused that she had invested so much money into the property without actually owning it.

In one video captioned ‘POV: You live in a council house but nobody can tell,’ one was quick to point out: ‘Fingers crossed you can buy it next year as this is MAD expense to put into a house that isn’t your currently’;

‘NO BC ARE U ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO RIP THE TILES OFF THE WALL?’;

‘What If the owner decides to kick u out’; ‘I wanna rip my bathroom up but I’m broke’;

‘Girl you did all that and you RENT????? brave braveeeeeee.’

Celene’s says her top tip for anyone starting a renovation project is to have a vision of how you want the whole property to look.

She said: ‘You need to have a plan of how you want the house to look before you start.

‘Have an idea about how you want your home to feel, you don’t want all the rooms to be different colours.

‘You want them to flow so every room ties in, keep colours the same throughout.

‘I think people should also think outside the box, get panelling or a slat wall, something unique to your home.’

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