I swapped my council house on Facebook

I swapped my council house on Facebook but HATED the decor – so I spent £6,000 transforming it into my dream home

•  Mum-of-two Olivia Clayton swapped homes but hated decor in her new house
•  Read more: Grade II listed London home once housed sugar merchant Henry Tate’s art collection – and its asking price has been cut by six figures

A woman has revealed how she now has her dream home, after swapping it on a Facebook group with another council house tenant – and renovating her new home.

Olivia Clayton, 26, from Newcastle, swapped her two-bed terrace house for another two-bed terrace after finding it on the group – and spotting its potential for a makeover.

Moving into her new home, mum-of-two Olivia knew the house wasn’t up to her taste, quickly realising that the carpets were covered in urine – and the walls were painted into an array of eyesore colours. 

The care assistant had searched on Facebook for a house swap in order to move to her dream location of Newcastle without paying any moving costs after agreeing with the current tenant to swap homes.

Even cutting her rent, Olivia has managed to save some money, as well as decorating it all herself by learning from YouTube videos.

Mum-of-two Olivia Clayton swapped her two-bed council house on a Facebook group but hated the decor in her new house – and set about renovating it

She explains: ‘You just advertise your house and put what you’re looking for and anyone on the page who has what you are looking for, you just swap your details, go and have a look around it and then fill in an application form and swap over.

‘I have tried for a few years to swap, but it is hard and not many people manage to do it. It’s fairly straightforward as long as you both have your rent paid and no repairs are needed.

‘I wanted to live in the specific area this house was in, as it was close to my family, and my rent even went down from £412 to £390 a month. It’s great.’

White-wash! Olivia hated the colour scheme in her new home – so reached for the paintbrush to add a more sophisticated feel

Trendy: One of the bedrooms as it looks now in subtle blush pinks, with pretty balloon stencils on the wall 

The property’s garden had been poorly cared for, with fence panels and paving stones littering the outdoor space

With two children to consider, Olivia set about slowly transforming the space

Ta da! Grey slate and a lick of paint for the fences has transformed the outdoor space

Trellis adorned with greenery and rattan furniture, as well as a white painted wall have dramatically changed how the garden looks 

The kitchen as it looked when Olivia moved in: the room was missing cabinet doors and was in need of some TLC

After covering work surfaces, adding new handles and painting the cabinets, the kitchen is fit for purpose once more

Olivia added her own slant on the interiors, putting in hanging plants and wooden shelves 

The moving process was easy, as Olivia didn’t have to deal with estate agents or pay out anything to move. However, she knew the house needed some decorating – and cleaning.

Saving money on moving, Olivia was able to spend £6,000 on decorating her new pad to her taste.

She adds: ‘It took me about three weeks to get my new house how I wanted it.

‘There were urine stains in the bathroom. With it being a council house, it’s had a lot of tenants and the bathroom was damp, and there was a strong urine smell that was ripped up pretty quickly.

‘A lot of it was done by me including the vinyl flooring and changing the kitchen cupboards. I’ve saved hundreds doing it myself.

Olivia decided to make the space as neat as possible, even fencing off an area for her wheely bins

New carpet: Olivia’s brother helped take out the old carpet and fit swish new ones 

Even the drab stairwell was given a makeover, with fresh painted walls and a new carpet

There was no task that Olivia wasn’t prepared to have a go at – reaching for DIY videos on YouTube to get both inspiration and practical tips.  

‘I changed all of the flooring, painted and wallpapered every room, I also changed the kitchen and just added my own decor. I learnt how to do it from YouTube.

She adds: ‘All in all, including the flooring, blinds, new kitchen, and new furniture, the redecoration cost me around £6,000. It’s all things I’ve been saving for and working towards.

 Not done yet! A swap for a bigger house could be on the horizon as her children get older, she says

Her family, including brother Oliver chipped in and helped, lifting carpets and laying new ones. 

She explains: ‘I am very independent. My family were at work, and I just got stuck into it. It just wasn’t to my taste, I know everyone likes different things and they were easily fixed.

And this may yet not be her only project – a swap for a bigger house could be on the horizon as her children get older. 

She says: ‘I am still looking for a three-bed as have a boy and a girl, and they need their own bedrooms. But I will stay here until I find a larger property. I will do the same thing and swap again.

After renting privately in the past, she says council accommodation gives her the stability she wants for her family – without individual landlords to deal with.  

Olivia says: ‘I would rather stay in council houses that have that stability. I know it’s going to stay as mine and know it won’t get sold so I can stay living here as well as knowing that my rent won’t go up too much.

‘I have had private rentals a couple of times too, but because of stability, I choose council houses instead.’

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