A carer who had been homeless for two years was so grateful to get a council house, despite its terrible state, she set about giving it an incredible budget DIY makeover
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Southampton woman renovates shabby council house
A determined guardian of two small children shared exactly how she managed to renovate her damp-ridden house into a stunning family home for a bargain price.
When her landlord sold his property, Naomi Wells was left homeless and was forced to live in a hostel and temporary accommodation along with her niece and nephew, who she is the guardian of. So when she was sent a video of a council house that was available, she jumped at the chance of moving in.
However, the video didn’t show the true extent of the disrepair the property was in. It turned out the porch was “full of mould”, there were missing bathroom tiles, a “criminal” ceiling and so many “cracks” she was worried the house might “unfold like a cardboard box”.
However Naomi, 32, from Southampton, was just happy to finally have somewhere permanent to live. “I was so grateful when I was offered my council property – it felt like such a long time since we had anywhere to call ‘home’,” she said. She was determined to make it a lovely place for her niece, Aurora, eight, and nephew, Flynn, seven.
Although she was “quite overwhelmed” at the job ahead of her because every room needed to be completely redecorated, she set about giving the place a major overhaul on her limited budget. In the weeks leading up to moving in, Naomi, who has always loved decorating her homes, began by planning her vision for each room and making vision boards on her phone.
When she was given the keys, she got going straight away. She explained: “I made a start on the rooms pretty much as soon as I moved in as they really weren’t in great condition.
“I was lucky enough to be given a decorating voucher from my Housing Team when I moved in, which meant I could purchase paint straight away – that helped with being able to get started as soon as I got the keys.
“I had also been saving up to purchase paint and decorating tools and had been buying things in the sales or when they were on offer too.”
The bargain decorator furnished the rooms with high street homeware from shops such as B&M, The Range, Home Bargains and Dunelm, which she “loves”. She also hired professionals for the more specialist jobs like replacing the kitchen, which was “old and falling apart” and had the floors replaced as part of the £4,000 total.
She hopes to get the house, which the family have been living in for the past year and a half, completely finished by the end of 2024 but says: “It’s been done slowly as and when funds allowed it!”
Naomi shared her journey on TikTok where she’s racked up 222,000 views and over 5,000 likes. She wants to show that people in council housing take as much pride in their living space as anyone else.
She said: “People have this image that if you live in social housing you must not work or your house must be dirty and that’s just not the case. I don’t smoke or drink or socialise all that often and the majority of my money has gone into fixing up my home.”
The family are all thrilled with their new home and the children have been busy making their bedrooms their own: “My niece and nephew absolutely love having their own space after living in a hostel and then temporary housing for so long.
“For a long time all of their belongings were in storage, so they couldn’t wait to decorate their rooms with all their own things,” she said. “I absolutely love my home now! It’s like a completely different house compared to when I first got the keys.”
For anyone else who has a big renovation on their hands, Naomi shared some tips, including checking Facebook marketplace and charity shops where you can find lots of bargains. She also recommends investing in good tools, especially paint brushes, warning, “buy cheap, buy twice!”.
Above all she advises taking your time: “Try not to get too overwhelmed! Rome wasn’t built in a day! Just enjoy the process and remember that when decorating it always looks worse before it gets better!”
Breakdown of what Naomi spent on her renovation:
Doors – £600
Flooring – £1,200
Decorating (incl paint, wallpaper and panelling) – £1,200
Furnishing – £1,000
Total: £4,000
What do you think of Naomi’s house transformation? Let us know in the comments below.
