We did a council house swap -the place was a mess when we moved in but now people are shocked by our ‘work of art’ home
A COUPLE who took part in a council house swap have revealed the dramatic transformation they have given the home.
Claire West shared details of her and her husband's home renovation via a video posted to her TikTok channel @mr_and_mrs_west.
Sharing footage of what their council house looked like when they first moved in, Claire revealed that the place was a mess, with paint peeling off the walls and ugly green carpets.
Claire said that when the couple accepted the swap, they had had no idea how much work needed doing to the place.
They set to work straight away, plastering the ceilings, putting new flooring in and installing brand new doors.
When ripping up the old carpets, the couple discovered that they were flea ridden and quickly discarded them.
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They also painted their kitchen units, wrapped the kitchen counter and installed downlights in the hallway.
Now that the project has been finished, the house looks unrecognisable.
In the living room, an enormous corner soda is laden with patterned cushions, and a cosy looking rug rests on the floor.
In the main bedroom, a stylish wicker lampshade hangs from the ceiling and a full length mirror hangs from the wall.
The house is decorated with artsy canvas prints, potted plants and elegant vases.
Claire revealed that people think that council houses are going to be a dump, before describing her property as a "work of art".
TikTok users raced to the video's comments section to share their thoughts on the couple's home renovation.
One person said: "I might just have to do a council house swap!"
Another person said: "I did a swap five years ago and was the best thing I’ve ever done.
"The house needed so much work but it’s our forever home."
A third person chimed in: "Brilliant job, well done".
What is a council house swap?
A council house swap, also known as a mutual exchange, is a scheme for people who live in a council or housing association property who would like to swap their home with another tenant.
People often swap to get a larger or smaller home or to move to a different area.
When you mutually exchange your home, you are swapping tenancies with someone else.
Anyone with a full secure or fixed term social housing tenancy in their name with a clear rent account can do a mutual exchange.
You cannot swap your home if you:
- have an introductory tenancy
- have a probationary tenancy
- are in temporary housing
Council tenants are allowed to make alterations and renovations to their homes.
However, they must make sure that any work conforms to building regulations and planning permission.
Council houses are provided by local authorities to those in need.
They are often cheaper than renting private housing and can also offer greater security from eviction.
Council houses are allocated to prospective tenants via a points based system, with those in greater need given homes first.
The council will contact you about an available property when you are high enough up the waiting list.
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More than one million people are currently waiting for social housing in the UK.
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