Mum transforms drab council house for £3k - and people can't believe it's the same home
The young mum says she has saved around £10k by doing the work herself
A mother who spent £3,000 doing up her council home has estimated she saved around £10,000 by doing all of the renovation work herself. Celene Francis, 26, began renting her council house in Sheffield in April 2020, and says she has put the effort in to make it feel like more of a home for her and her family.
When Celene moved in, she said the house was in a 'dire' condition, but as she 'loves interior design', she got to work making it look lovely. The house is now unrecognisable, and in her before and after videos she shows it with plaster all over the floor, yellow ceilings and wallpaper peeling off the wall.
The student midwife and mental health support worker bought lots of the furniture from low-budget shops, such as B&M Bargains and Primark. The 'bad and boujee' house now is very slick, with a modern interior and classy decorations.
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"When we moved in the house was in a terrible state," she told the MailOnline. "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."
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Now most of the renovation work is completed, the house is fairly affordable to live in. Celene's rent is £370 a month, and with bedroom tax, council tax, water, gas and electricity her total monthly bill is £750.
"Once we moved in, I just had to gut everything", she continued. "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."
