Latest news with #budgetmakeover
The Sun
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I turned my basic council house bathroom into a luxe space for less than £150, my ‘marble' tiles were a peel & stick job
A MUM has revealed how she gave her plain council house bathroom a full-on luxury glow-up for less than £150 using peel-and-stick tiles. Melinda, who posts under @missgreyhomexo on TikTok, shared her bargain makeover with her followers and it's left people stunned by how posh her bathroom now looks. 2 2 In her video, Melinda revealed she used stick-on tiles in a stone marble design to totally transform the space. She said: 'I really wasn't happy with the other one. It was nice, but it just wasn't me. So I ended up getting these stone marble tiles and I literally covered the whole bathroom. And honestly, I love it.' And the best part is it only took five packs of tiles to get the job done and cost way less than most people would expect. 'I wish I did this before,' she added. 'But it's fine, we live and we learn.' Her secret weapon was a budget-friendly 30x60cm peel-and-stick tiles that are renter-friendly, super easy to use, and don't require any messy grout or expensive labour. They just stick straight to the wall without drilling, dust or drama. Melinda sealed around the edges with silicone to stop any moisture creeping in, and added a bath board, an £80 shower screen from Argos, and some stylish accessories she already had at home. The total bill set her back under £150. Tradesmen quoted me £2.5K to wrap my kitchen cupboards so I did it myself for £62 instead and it looks so good Viewers couldn't believe how classy her bathroom looked for the price and hundreds flooded the comments asking where she got everything. One user said: "omg wow I love this". Another added: "This looks amazing". She's pinned the tile link on her TikTok page, but warned fans the stone marble version she used is currently out of stock. Still, other shades are available and if you're looking to give your own bathroom a facelift without breaking the bank, this might be the cheapest luxury hack going. So whether you're in a council flat or just fancy a freshen-up, this DIY queen proves you don't need big bucks to live in style. It's not just the bathroom you can use these easy peel-and-stick tiles for. Charlotte Watson took to TikTok to share her budget makeover, showing off her seriously chic new kitchen, all thanks to some bargain finds and a bit of elbow grease. People were shocked to discover just how cheap it was but Charlotte simply pointed to her budget B&M buy that completely transformed the space. In her video, Charlotte explains that the kitchen 'definitely needed a little bit of love', so she rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in, determined to give it a new lease of life without breaking the bank. The finishing touch was a game-changing stick-on laminate from B&M that only set her back £21.
The Sun
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Trolls assume council house tenants don't look after their homes – but mine is stunning thanks to B&M and Shein bargains
A MOTHER has revealed that while trolls always think council tenants don't look after their homes, she is proof that this assumption is totally incorrect. Paige Brill, a mum-of-two who lives in Northamptonshire, recently moved into a new build council property with a garden. 2 2 Now, thanks to bargain buys from B&M and Shein, the DIY enthusiast has added style to her pad without breaking the bank. Posting on social media, Paige gave her followers a close-up look at her home before and after its makeover. What was once a very plain space has since been given a total transformation, all whilst on a budget. As Paige shared a snap outside her home, she wrote: 'Told them 'yeah I live in a housing association home.'' Moments later, she revealed a comment she often hears from haters: 'Ew, housing association tenants don't look after their house.' But eager to clap back at keyboard warriors, Paige uploaded a series of snaps of her gorgeous home, leaving many gobsmacked. Paige confirmed that she nabbed bargains from the high-street to create a trendy, beige aesthetic. Alongside the video, the content creator wrote: 'Love our little home.' Paige later revealed that she bought her kitchen table and chairs from B&Q for just £50. She also acknowledged that the property has been painted with the Dulux Trade Brilliant White paint, which you can buy from B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes. Not only this, but the bargain hunter bought a large mirror from The Range, which was reduced from £100 to £50, as well as garden furniture from Dunelm. The savvy mum then confirmed that she is 'not allowed to decorate' the council house, so rather than using wallpaper to add style to her child's bedroom, she added wall stickers from Shein. She explained: 'It's a brand new build so I have to wait a year for it to settle so I'm finding other ways I can give it a bit of personality without painting and wallpapering!' How to do your council house up on the cheap Take inspiration from pricier shops and head to B&M, Home Bargains for interior decorations. Head to YouTube for easy to follow tutorials on how to decorate rather than paying for professionals. For a quick glow-up for your floors or anywhere with tiles, opt for stick-on vinyl to save on costs. A lick of paint does wonders to make a room feel brand-new. Switch out kitchen cupboard knobs for modern ones instead of buying brand-new cupboards DIY fans beam Paige's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ paigebrill17, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 173,000 views, 4,793 likes, 210 comments and 397 saves. DIY fans were impressed with Paige's beautiful home and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. Wow! You've made that a home TikTok user One person said: 'It really annoys me how some people look down on others just because they live in a council house. We work hard, and if we want to, we can make our home look beautiful - even without spending a lot of money. 'People shouldn't judge based on that. Well done you, your house looks amazing.' Another added: 'You've made it into a beautiful home for you and your family. Your housing association is lucky to have such good tenants.' The reality of living in a council house LEANNE Hall, Digital Writer at Fabulous, has discussed what it was like growing up in a council house, and why those living in such properties are often judged... When I was a child I grew up in a council house, and was blissfully unaware of the discrimination that came with that, until I became an adult. My younger years were spent running up and down the stairs of my flat, meeting with other friends who lived there and making the most of the communal garden. But now, it seems no matter your circumstance, everyone has something to say about why you shouldn't be there. Living just outside of London like I did, rent prices are still high, and as my mum was at home raising three kids at the time, it wasn't easy to find a job that fit around that. People in council houses are often labelled as 'scroungers' or 'lazy' but it's nothing of the sort. Most families in council homes experience overcrowding, and let's not even mention the horrendous amount of damp and mould that comes from living in old social housing that hasn't had work done to them in 50 or so years. It's not ideal for many, but it does provide a secure home without the fear your rent will shoot up every single year, which I would argue is vital to children growing up on the poverty line. A third commented: 'Stunning home.' Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'My dream.' Whilst another gushed: 'Wow! You've made that a home.' In response, Paige wrote back and confirmed: 'Thank you! It's getting there. I still have so much to do/put up etc!'
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
I transformed my kitchen for just £150 by watching TikTok tutorials, experts quoted me £3,000
A savvy dental nurse who refused to splash out thousands on a pricey renovation has revealed how she transformed her dreary kitchen for just £150. Natalie Stainthorpe, from Middlesbrough, wasn't keen on forking out the £3,000 it would've cost to rip out her old kitchen - so she got creative instead. After moving into her new home, the 34-year-old was desperate to brighten up the dark room, which barely got any natural light thanks to an extension out the back. Armed with TikTok tutorials and a vision, she set out to transform the space without breaking the bank - and managed to come in a whole £100 under her original £250 budget. 'I just couldn't stand how dark and gloomy it felt - I wanted a fresh, light space where I'd actually enjoy cooking and spending time with my family,' she said. 'The kitchen before was in good condition, but needed a little bit of TLC and I had a vision for the room. 'We did a rough estimate of how much it would cost to completely replace the kitchen from a family friend and we were looking at quite a lot of money - around £2,000 to £3,000 - which was money we didn't have. 'I decided that I was going to do a budget-friendly makeover instead.' Swapping pricey new units for a few tins of paint and rolls of vinyl, Natalie roped in her partner and sister to help freshen up the cupboards, wrap the worktops and breathe new life into the handles. She bagged cupboard paint for under £15 a tin, snapped up bargain vinyl from B&Q and picked up all her decorating bits from B&M to keep costs down. The makeover took around a month, squeezed in between shifts and weekends, but the results speak for themselves - the once gloomy kitchen now bright, airy and looking brand new. Natalie said: 'Our original budget was £250 - I didn't want to spend more than that, so to come so far under budget was amazing. 'It was quite a dark room - dark floors, worktops and cupboards and I really wanted to lighten the space up as because of the extension on the back we don't get that much natural light. 'We found the vinyl easy on the straight parts of the worktops, around the sink was a bit fiddly, we watched a few tutorials on YouTube on how to do it around the sink to try and minimise any mistakes. 'My partner Chris actually did most of the sink area as I ran out of patience with it. We repurposed the handles that were already on the units as to replace 14 handles in matte black was quite expensive. 'We gave them a light sand and then we sprayed them with Rust-Oleum black matte spray paint and then sealed with a matte sealant spray. 'We got all our painting supplies from B&M to keep the costs down and budget-friendly - they sell such an amazing range of painting and decorating tools to help with projects like this. 'I spent some time researching how to vinyl worktops watching videos on YouTube and TikTok. 'I also got lots of tips from my friend who has done lots of vinyling to change up her rental home.' Natalie, who documented her journey on TikTok, says the whole project took around three to four weeks to complete as she picked it up on days off and weekends. She said: 'It definitely wasn't a quick transformation but that was fine with us, we loved seeing it slowly come together. 'The hardest part for me was probably the vinyling, simply because it took more brain power than the rest, and a lot of patience - something I'm known to not have a lot of. 'We didn't encounter any mistakes, we just took our time with the project - apart from when I spilt paint on my hob. 'If I was to start this project again, I wouldn't change anything - I love how we took our time and worked together to get our final look in here. Rome wasn't built in a day and sometimes time and money restrict a quick transformation. 'I'm all for realistic budget makeovers and those take time. 'The difference it's made is amazing, it's now light and airy, it's really brightened up the room, I'm still obsessed with it now two months down the line. 'We've had such an amazing reaction to our makeover, my friends and family said it looks like a brand new kitchen and it's had such a good response both on my Instagram and TikTok. 'My advice would be to take your time, it's okay if you don't get a transformation like this done in a day like you can sometimes see on social media. 'My second piece of advice to make sure the longevity of your makeover is prep, prep, prep. 'Spend time prepping your units and surfaces for painting, you'll thank yourself later. 'It just goes to show, you don't always need a big budget - sometimes a bit of patience and a few clever tricks can completely change your home.'
The Sun
22-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
I asked ChatGPT how to jazz up my council house porch for under £100 – my budget privacy screen & Temu buys look fab
A DIY enthusiast was desperate to jazz up her council house porch, but didn't know where to start. As a result, Emily Beatrice, a mum-of-five from the UK, asked ChatGPT for advice on how to add style to her space. 2 2 Using bargain buys from Amazon and Temu, the photographer was able to totally transform the front of her home, without breaking the bank. In fact, the DIY makeover cost Emily less than £100 in total - yes, you heard that correctly. Posting on social media, the bargain hunter and interior lover shared a before and after look at her 'budget transformation.' She then explained: 'I asked ChatGPT how I could improve my council house porch for less than £100.' What was once a blue door with wellies and shoes all over the floor, has since been transformed into a stunning, as well as neat and tidy space. Emily was keen to 'make full use of space,' as she added: 'I wanted everything to have a place and a bit more privacy. To carry out the makeover, step one involved Emily sanding her front door. Following this, she then filled in any dents and added a primer. Once this was done, she added a black trim and gave the door a fresh lick of paint using Frenchic in the shade Wise Old Sage Al Fresco. She even painted her floor a bright blue colour too. I didn't want to fork out hundreds for a new front door but a 99p Shein buy & a lick of paint worked wonders To finish off the space she added shoe racks, a privacy screen to the window of her front door, and a gorgeous wreath for added style. Emily confirmed that she bought her privacy film from Temu and nabbed a pack of two wall welly boot racks from Amazon for just £15. Not only this, but she also revealed that she is 'tempted' to add a light to the space too. Emily confirmed that it cost her less than £100 in total for the DIY project, which included the cost of paint, brushes and primer. 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. She acknowledged that she has 'plenty left for other projects' and already owned a sander, which cost her £50 in the Homebase sale. Showing off the final result, she beamed: 'Looks so much more inviting now!' DIY fans beam The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ emily__beatrice, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 133,400 views in just 13 hours. Not only this, but it's also amassed 6,050 likes, 122 comments and 235 saves. Social media users were impressed with Emily's mega makeover and eagerly rushed to the comments to express this. One person said: 'Love it, what a glow up.' Another added: 'Wooooooow.' A third commented: 'Looks lovely…I love ChatGPT.' Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'Looks amazing!! Well done you.' Whilst another DIY fan chimed in and wrote: 'This actually looks so cute!!!' However, at the same time, one user advised: 'Black rug would have been smarter.' home!' Black just says 'hi, I'm a rug!''
The Sun
14-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
I couldn't afford a new patio, so used a 10p hack to transform it with flowers – it's so colourful & stops weeds growing
A new patio in the UK typically costs between £80-£150 per square meter, but it depends on the materials and layout. So a typical homeowner could end up paying a few hundred, to thousands to get a new one. Amy on Facebook didn't have that kind of money to sort her patio out. 2 Instead, she came up with a genius idea to transform her wonky slabs, into an area she would love. Posting in the Facebook group Garden Makeover Ideas On A Budget, she said: "On a very tight budget, I couldn't stretch to funding a new patio. "So, last year, I bought some ground covering seeds and planted them between some of my wonky pavers. "I'm thrilled with how they now look but, the amount of bees that have been collecting the nectar from them is incredible. I'm so pleased." She added a photograph of the results, showing her wonky patio slabs covered with gorgeous purple, white and blue flowers. As for what flowers she sowed, replying to a comment, Amy said: "Mixed ground cover," and said it "will bring new life to your garden/patio". She "added a little sand to the compost" which she was advised to do so by her local garden centre because "the sand stabilises the wonky pavers". Her post has received 11,000 likes so far and hundreds of comments. One replied: "I absolutely love this idea! I have a horrible concrete area that I cover with benches and pots! Also have an old paved area all sunken forever taking out the weeds in between! Thank you for the great idea x." Can you find the hidden bee amongst the flowers in this tricky brainteaser- Someone else wrote: "I think that looks lovely & far nicer than a new boring patio, it looks how nature would have intended it to look with plants tumbling out if cracks & crevices." One comment read: "It looks so pretty! Love your solution and how nice that it's attracted pollinators too." Another said they make a great replacement for pesky weeds: "Oh I love this. I'm going to pulled out those weeds and put in seeds." Someone else was keen to know if any weeds grew amongst her flowers. They asked: "That looks lovely. Do you have any problems with weeds pushing through too?" Amy replied: "I have had a couple yes, but by and large, the flowers are winning the 'cosy' and limited space." 2 How to grow flowers between your patio slabs 1. Clean the area Remove any weeds or debris from the cracks between your patio slabs. A weeding tool or a stiff brush can help with this. Make sure the holes are at least six inches deep to help roots develop. 2. Fill with soil and compost Use a mix of soil and compost to fill the cracks. 3. Choose your plants Opt for low-growing, spreading plants that can tolerate foot traffic. Some good choices are: thyme, chamomile, creeping speedwell, dwarf mondo grass, daisies. 4. Plant If using seeds, mix them with a little compost and sand and push them into the cracks. For plug plants, carefully remove and gently plant them into the cracks. Fill any surrounding gaps with compost. 5. Water Water the seeds thoroughly and continue to water regularly, especially during dry spells, until the plants are established. June gardening jobs The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you should take this month. Stake out leggy perennials With all the dramatic weather we've been having, it's definitely time to stake out your leggy perennials (the ones that come back every year). Heavy rain and growth spurts, can make them collapse and flop. Picking out the slugs and snails Hopefully as we move into summer they will do less damage as the plants get bigger. The best way is still to go out at night with a head torch to find them. Pick elderflower heads You can use them to make your own cordial, or add to cakes, champagne or even fry them in batter. Get on top of weeds It's around now that weeds really ramp up in the garden, so keep on top of them with hoe-ing - or just the traditional 'on your knees with a hand fork'. Try and avoid chemicals - remember weeds are just plants in the wrong place. Up the mowing You'll need to mow your lawn weekly now - if you've got time, weed it beforehand as once you mow you chop off the leaves and its harder to see them. Check on your tomatoes Your tomato plants will need attention - water, feed and regularly and pinch out the sideshoots. Chelsea Chop There's still time for the Chelsea Chop - plants like Rudbeckia's, Asters, Penstemons, Sedums and other perennials can be cut back by a third to help them get a bit more bushy, and prolong the flowering period. Sort out your tulips If you can be bothered and have space - lift and story your tulip bulbs to ensure colour next Spring. Deadheading your roses Take them down to the first set of healthy leaves - which will ensure more flowers for longer. Enjoy your space Take some time to sit and enjoy your garden or outside space - it's great for your mental health. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
