I live in a council house & gave my space a makeover for £24 with B&M bargains – a £3 buy makes your home look expensive

A WOMAN has revealed that she has given her home a mega makeover, while on a budget.

So if you’re looking to add style and personality to your space, but without breaking the bank, then you’ve come to the right place.

A mother has shared how she gave a space in her council house a stunning transformationCredit: Celene Francis

Using cheap buys from B&M, Celene Francis was able to add style to her spaceCredit: tiktok/@61thecouncilhouse

The mother swore by a £3 buy to make any space look expensiveCredit: tiktok/@61thecouncilhouse

Social media users were left stunned at the finished resultCredit: tiktok/@61thecouncilhouse

Celene Francis, a 26-year-old pregnant mother-of-one, who lives in a two-bedroom council house in Rotherham, has shared how she added some TLC to her home, for just £24.

The student midwife and mental health support worker, who regularly shops in high-street chains such as B&M, The Range and Home Bargains, explained that she used cheap buys from B&M to spruce up her space.

Celene previously told Fabulous: “I like to be on a budget and especially in this day and age, I haven’t got loads of spare money.

“My favorite shop is B&M. I absolutely love B&M. As soon as something is trendy, B&M have it straight away.”

Posting on social media, Celene showed off her latest home makeover, as she instantly transformed a plain space in her living room, and made it incredibly glam, leaving many totally stunned.

In the short video, which was shared with the caption ‘Budget transformation for less than £30’, Celene said: “I thought I’d show you guys how you can transform your space for less.

“This cost me less than £30 and everything’s from the B&M Everyday value range.”

Celene then showed off her new purchases, starting off with a gorgeous table and an oil burner, as she explained: “So the table cost £10, I also bought this oil burner that was £1.95, which is a bargain. And how stunning is the detail on that?”

She also nabbed a jar, a black photo frame and a basket, which she added to the table, as she continued: “I also picked up this jar and popped some packs of cookies in there because that’s all I had in the cupboard, but I thought it’s quite cute.

“TO nice photo, possibly a nice black and white one would look really nice in this (frame).

I live in a council house but you’d never know thanks to my B&M and Ikea upgrade – I even got my fireplace from Facebook

“I picked up this basket, this is probably one of my favorite finds which was £4.”

Celene also gave her followers a close-up look at her new £3 fleece throw, which according to her, will make any space look expensive, as she added: “I always think it’s great to pop a blanket in a basket.

How can I get a council house?

To apply for a council home, you need to fill out and hand in an application to your local authority.

To find your local authority, simply use the Government’s council locator tool on its website.

Once you have access to your local council’s website, it should offer you guidelines on how to complete your application.

After applying, you’ll most likely have to join a waiting list.

Bear in mind, even if you are put on a waiting list, this doesn’t guarantee you a council house offer.

Your council should also offer you advice on how to stay in your current home and solve any issues you might have, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.

You are eligible to apply for council housing if you are a British citizen living in the UK providing you have not lived abroad recently.

Each council has its own local rules about who qualifies to go on the housing register in its area, but it is based on “points” or a “banding” system.

For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:

are homeless
live in cramped conditions
have a medical condition made worse by your current home
are seeking to escape domestic violence

Once you are high enough on a council’s waiting list, it will contact you when a property is available.

Some councils let people apply at the age of 18, while others let you apply even sooner at 16-year-olds.

EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.

A council house is reached through a points system, so depending on your housing needs, you may be considered low priority.

The council will contact you about any available property once you are high enough on the waiting list.

There is no limit on how long you can expect to be on the waiting list.

“It just looks really, really nice. Looks a bit more expensive and this blanket, again from B&M, didn’t cost much and I just popped it in.”

Thrilled with the result, the savvy DIY fan beamed: “Look how different that space looks – that cost me about £24 for all of that.

Rules on transforming your council house

According to Gov, the kind of improvements you can make to your council property depends on the type of tenancy you have.

Introductory tenants are usually limited to minor improvements like redecorating inside.

If you’re a secure tenant, you have the right to carry out improvements to your property. These include:

installing a new bathroom or kitchen
building an extension
putting up a garden shed or greenhouse
installing a new gas fire or fireplace
cavity wall insulation
redecorating the outside of a house
fitting an aerial or satellite dish

You might need your council’s written permission for work you do. Contact your council if you’re not sure.

“Honestly, I’m super chuffed with the end result. I can’t believe this literally cost me less than £30.

“So if you’re stuck, guys, get down to B&M and go and check out their Everyday Value range.”

SOCIAL MEDIA USERS REACT

The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @61thecouncilhouse, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly amassed 29,500 views.

Social media users were left impressed with Celene’s quick and easy makeover, and many took to the comments to express this.

Well now I need to go to B&M!

TikTok user

One person said: “It looks gorgeous.”

Another added: “Ooh wow I love this.”

A third commented: “Looks lovely.”

While someone else wrote: “Well now I need to go to B&M!”