I wanted to fix the nasty grout in my council house kitchen before having my baby – all I needed was a £10 Wickes buy
A WOMAN has revealed that she has given the grout in her council house kitchen a mega makeover.
Using a £10 buy from Wickes, Celene Francis, 27, a mother who lives in a two-bedroom house in Rotherham with her young daughter, has given her kitchen tiles a total transformation, all whilst on a budget.
With not much money to spare, the student midwife and mental health support worker has shared how she gave her kitchen a stylish overhaul on the cheap, leaving many open-mouthed.
So if you want to give your tiles a fresh new look, then you’ll need to check this out.
The savvy mum, who is currently pregnant with her second child, took to social media to share the process of tiling and grouting her kitchen, as she explained that her pregnancy has got her in full nesting mode.
She said: “Can someone tell me why I thought tiling my council house kitchen would actually be a good idea?
“I think at this point I actually wish we had paid somebody to do it, because yes, it has saved us a hell of a lot of money, but it has also taken ages for it to get finished because we have literally just been doing it bit by bit.”
As she showed off the unfinished tiling, she added: “Here we are with an unfinished kitchen months later.
“Obviously no pro here – we have never done this before, we are not tilers, so things are not perfect, but that’s absolutely fine because it’s all just a learning curve and it was a fun little project for us to do.
“Also, doing this at 32 weeks pregnant is absolutely not the one, but here we are.
“If anyone has any tips on grouting, please comment down below, because I am gonna start this tomorrow.”
In a follow-up clip, Celene documented the grouting process, as she explained: “If I’m not clearing drawers, I’m starting new DIY projects, and Connor says that I am in full blown nesting mode now, which to my defence, this kitchen has been going on for far too long.
“I just wanna get this kitchen finished before the baby arrives now and that is not long. So today we are gonna grout the kitchen.
“We have never done this before. We’ve never tiled before, so it was all a project and a learning curve.”
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 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.
Celene used the Anti-Mould Flexible Coloured Grout, which you can pick up from just £10 from Wickes, as she explained: “So we picked up this grout – we’ve gone for black grout and we got it from Wickes.
“Whoever commented saying it is absolutely terrible to get off and clean up once you’ve done it, thank you very much. You were absolutely right. This literally sent me into panic mode.”
I think it looks so much better now it’s being grouted
Celene Francis
Celene gave her followers a close-up look at how the grout is applied to tiles, as she shared: “So we added water to the grout and mixed it up. It needs to be like an ice cream consistency – not too thick, not too thin, basically.
“We used this little tool from Wickes – basically just push the grout into the gaps and then go down it in a diagonal way.
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
“It is a messy job, I’m not gonna lie. And you’re gonna need plenty of sponges and towels and things like that.”
But despite the cleaning needed after, Celene beamed: “I do think the cleaning part is probably the most time consuming bit, because you do have to keep going over it and over it and over it, because it feels like the more you just clean it, the more mess it makes.
“But this is where we’re at today. I think it looks so much better now it’s being grouted.”
‘Looks ace’
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @61thecouncilhouse, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 38,600 views.
Looks good now though so worth the faffing
TikTok user
Social media users were left impressed with the kitchen makeover and many flocked to the comments to express this.
One person said: “Looks amazing.”
Another added: “Looks good now though so worth the faffing.”
A third commented: “So worth it though as [the] tiles are popping now.”
Whilst someone else beamed: “Looks ace.”