DIY enthusiast transforms ‘disgusting’ social housing unit into chic home with cheap tricks
A COUNCIL home tenant who traded in her home for another in a different location shares her DIY transformation.
A home exchange, also known as a mutual exchange, is an exchange in which two or more tenants of the municipality or housing association exchange homes with each other.
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This can be a way to move to another part of the country or find housing more quickly.
But for one woman, the decorating was much bigger than she expected.
She went to her TikTok page @nr.th1rty30 to share her videos of what her home looked like the first day she moved in. Her video has since gone viral with over 1.1 million views.
The tenant wrote: “The first day we got our social housing!
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“It’s disgusting.”
The video starts by showing the front of her house, after which she moves into the hallway and immediately walks up the stairs.
It was clear that the interior needed some renovation: the wallpaper was peeling and the stairs were rough and uncarpeted.
The kitchen appeared to have been well used, with missing cupboard doors and clutter on the floor and in the sink.
Upon closer inspection of the stairs, the video revealed that the wood was rotting.
She then went to her bathroom, where she saw a toilet with stains all over it.
There was no carpet in the bedrooms and the walls needed painting.
The video received over 520 comments as many people wanted to share their opinions.
Someone wrote: “When you exchange, you accept the property in its current condition.
“I moved into a three-bedroom house and they had removed all the doors.”
Another added: “Three weeks ago I moved from a new build home with a fresh interior to something similar.
“Work in progress.”
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A third person expressed their surprise by writing: “Can they really give you a house like that?
“I’m waiting for social housing and don’t have the time or money to redecorate everything.”
To which the account replied: “You should be happy with a general town hall, but with home exchange you take them ‘as they are’. Beauty is apparently ‘cosmetic’.”
In another video she added: “I just want to show the state the house was left in! Now tell me it’s not ‘that bad’.”
However, her house now looks very different, after she extensively renovated it herself.
Her walls have been painted, tiles have been placed in the kitchen and a floor has been laid.
She decorated her rooms by adding shelves, decorations and furniture.
The town hall tenant was praised for her hard work, with one writing: “What a transformation!”
What it’s really like to grow up in social housing
Fantastic reporter Leanne Hall tells what it’s like to grow up in social housing.
I grew up in an apartment building in a social housing district and can therefore tell quite a few wild stories.
From the neighbor throwing dog poop at the janitor for asking to mow the lawn (I imagine they ended up on the Jeremy Kyle show later in life) to arguments over missing packages, I’ve seen it all.
Although things often go wrong, I think it is usually because families living in social housing get to know each other so well that they forget that they are neighbours and not family.
Yes, things can quickly go from zero to a hundred, but you know that no matter what, you can count on your neighbor to lend you some milk or to watch the kids playing outside.
And if you ask me, it’s much nicer to live in a close-knit community where boundaries can be crossed than never knowing your neighbors’ names while living on a posh street.
