A woman who was given council housing after being confined to temporary housing for years has revealed how she turned a dilapidated property into her dream home.
Naomi Wells, 32, guardian of her two young children, niece Aurora, eight, and nephew Flynn, seven, renovated her entire house for just £4,000.
She revealed that she had been homeless for two years and was grateful to have been able to get council housing, even though it was in terrible condition when her family moved in.
After spending years in a hostel, Naomi decided to turn the property into a dream home for herself and her children.
Upon arrival, Naomi saw the extent of the damage and feared the house would be “spread out like a cardboard box” with mold and cracked ceilings.
But she quickly started working to turn things around.
In a TikTok video that has racked up 222,000 views and more than 5,000 likes, she describes her “mold-filled porch,” the missing bathroom tiles, the “criminal” ceiling, and the ubiquitous It shows various problems with the property, including “cracks.”
It was quite overwhelming as every room needed to be completely renovated
Naomi Wells
“I was so grateful when they offered me council property. It felt like a long time since I had had a place to call home,” Naomi, a carer from Southampton, told WhatsTheJam.
“I ended up homeless after my old landlord sold the property.
“Before we accepted the house, we were sent a video of it, but it didn't fully show how bad the rooms were.
“It was pretty overwhelming at first because we had to completely renovate every room.”
Despite being overwhelmed, the woman quickly got to work and gave the entire place a DIY makeover.
she said: “I have always loved decorating and furnishing houses.
“In the weeks leading up to our move, I planned out how I would decorate each room in my head and made a lot of vision boards on my phone.
“The condition of the room was not very good, so I started fixing it up right after I moved in.
“Luckily, when we moved in, our housing team gave us a decorating voucher so we could buy paint right away, so we could get started as soon as we got the keys.
“I was also saving money to buy paint and decorating supplies, and I would buy them when they were on sale or on sale.
“It has been done as slowly as funds allow!”
Knowledgeable decorators include B&M, The Range, Dunelm Home bargains where you can buy home decorations.
People have the impression that if you live in public housing, you can't work or that your house is dirty, but that's actually not the case.
Naomi Wells
The family has lived in the house for the past year and a half and hopes to complete the DIY project by the end of 2024.
Looking for more specialized work, Naomi hired professionals to help her replace her “old and falling apart” kitchen.
She also replaced the floors in the property on a budget of £4,000.
The woman added that she hopes her video will inspire others to turn their houses into homes, even if they don't own them.
She said, “If you live in public housing, you have the impression that you can't work or that your house is dirty, but that's not actually the case.
“I don't smoke, drink, or socialize much, so most of my money is spent on home improvements.
“My nieces and nephews love having their own space after living in hostels and then temporary housing for so long.
“For a long time, all my belongings were in storage and I couldn't wait to decorate my room with my things.
“I absolutely love my house now!
“It feels like a completely different house than when I first got the keys.”
Sharing her top tips for others, Naomi added: Rome wasn't built in a day!
“Enjoy the process, and remember that when decorating, it always looks worse before it gets better.
“I always recommend investing in good tools, especially paint brushes.
“If you buy it cheap, you can buy it twice.
“If you’re looking to furnish your home from scratch, be sure to check out your local charity shops and Facebook Marketplace – you might find some great deals.”
Users flooded the comments, with many expressing shock at the property's original condition.
“The house was in too bad a condition to be rented. They really put a lot of love into it. […]” said one person.
Another commented: wonderful little house. ”
“How can you hand over the keys in this condition when you have children?'' It's really shocking, but it's great that we can restore it,'' Isha added.
Cost breakdown
Door – £600
Flooring – £1,200
Decoration (including paint, wallpaper and panels) – £1,200
Furniture – £1,000
Total: £4,000