The council wouldn’t give me a new kitchen so I did it myself – but people say I should have been ‘grateful’ for what I was given

A woman revealed she transformed her dated council house kitchen herself after her local authority refused to complete the works.

Lauren Keeble, from the UK, took to TikTok to showcase the transformation in her rented three-bedroom house, however the post sparked a wave of backlash. 

The mother-of-two has lived in the home for more than two years – and claimed the kitchen was ‘due a refresh’ 

However after numerous requests to the council for repairs and upgrades, the she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She revealed that she found a second-hand kitchen on Facebook Marketplace at a bargain price, and she rolled up her sleeves to do the work herself.

Taking to her TikTok @laurenkeeble08, the savvy mother shared the incredible transformation in a clip that racked up over 325,000 views. 

Showing off the dated kitchen she wrote: ‘When the council won’t give you a new kitchen.

‘You do it yourself with a second hand kitchen of Facebook Marketplace [sic].’

The after photos revealed a stunning DIY transformation, featuring sleek cream cupboards paired with a stylish wooden worktop that gave the kitchen a fresh, modern feel.

She completed the makeover with chic herringbone-effect lino flooring, adding a touch of elegance that instantly elevated the entire space. 

The before-and-after snaps went viral on social media, with many praising Lauren’s DIY skills and determination. 

But not everyone was supportive with some commenters accused her of being ‘ungrateful’ for living in council housing at all.

One person said: ‘Why do people think they are entitled to a brand new kitchen from tax payers money when the kitchen they have is fully functional and looks OK?’

Another added: ‘Most of us work hard to be able to buy our own new kitchens not begging someone else to provide it for nothing.’

Someone else said: ‘Why would the council give u a new kitchen!!’ To which Lauren replied: ‘Because it was due one.’

A fourth added: ‘When will people learn it’s not the council giving you this stuff? It’s us hard working tax payers that give it to you. Be grateful.’ 

Another added: ‘So there was no need for the council to spend tax payers cash on a new kitchen then’ 

Other’s claimed the mother-of-two will have to rip out the new kitchen and replace it with the old one before she moves out of the property. 

One person said: ‘And if you have to leave they will make you put the old back’

Another said: ‘I replaced mine and when I moved out I was charged because I didn’t have permission and it wasn’t signed of by housing officer and I was told to either put the original kitchen back or pay for they to put there standard if kitchen in when I moved, even when they came to do the yearly check it was never mentioned until I moved.’

Someone else added: ‘We moved out after replacing the old kitchen. Lovely new one. They billed us to rip out and put back in a standard council kitchen. Nearly £3,000.

A fourth added: ‘This happened to me then a few months later they said I’m due a new kitchen and ripped it out and put the basic council one back in.’ 

To which Lauren replied: ‘Not leaving we are buying.’ 

It comes after another mother spent £3,000 renovating her rented two-bedroom council house – estimating she has saved around £10,000 by doing the work herself.

Celene Francis, 26, from Sheffield, started renting her council house in April 2020 and renovated the property to make it feel like more of a home.

When she moved in, she said the house was in a ‘dire condition’ with plaster all over the floor, yellow ceilings and wallpaper peeling off the wall.

Celene said that she saved a fortune as she did her DIY herself and bought furniture from shops like B&M Bargains, Primark and Ikea.

Now the house has been completely transformed from ‘bad to boujee’ and features a monochromatic modern interior and decorations.

Celene, a student midwife and mental health support worker, said: ‘When we moved in the house was in a terrible state.

‘It was just full of wallpaper – the doors were purple, and the flooring was terrible.

‘The person who previously lived here was a smoker, so all the ceiling and woodwork was yellow, and the garden was overgrown – it was a mess really.

‘I am still doing bits now – I have been renovating the house bit by bit.

‘I have saved myself loads of money – I have bought a lot of items from B&M Bargains and Primark.

‘I love the H&M home section, but you walk into B&M Bargains and can get the same stuff for a fraction of the price.’

Celene has lived in her council home with her daughter Indie, three, and her partner for three years.

She said the house has two bedrooms but it classed by the council as being a three-bed – and has a front and back garden.

She pays £370 a month in rent and an additional bedroom tax of £65 a month. After council tax, water, gas and electricity bills and Wi-Fi, her total monthly bill comes to £750.

After getting the keys, she said the house was in an absolute state, desperately needing some care.

She said: ‘Once we moved in, I just had to gut everything. We got everything out, that’s why I went for all-white walls as it was easy and clean.

‘I started off doing up the main rooms, the bedrooms and the living room.

‘I painted the whole house white – I’ve put new flooring in, changed the kitchen completely by painting the cupboards and adding a new worktop.

‘I have done panelling and slack walls throughout the house – I have tried to keep it all running in the same theme.’

Always on the hunt for a bargain, Celene would often shop at cheaper high street brands like Home Bargains as she didn’t have ‘money to throw’ into the renovation.

Celene said: ‘The hardest bits for me were the cost, I didn’t have loads of money to throw at it.

‘That’s why I have been doing it gradually since I moved in, and I still have some bits left now.

‘I have saved loads of money – I absolutely love B&M Bargains and Primark home section.

‘I think I spent around £150 completely changing my kitchen.’

Celene posts on TikTok under the username @61thecouncilhouse and is hoping one day to buy her house.

But some viewers were left slightly confused that she had invested so much money into the property without actually owning it.

In one video captioned ‘POV: You live in a council house but nobody can tell,’ one was quick to point out: ‘Fingers crossed you can buy it next year as this is MAD expense to put into a house that isn’t your currently’;

‘NO BC ARE U ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO RIP THE TILES OFF THE WALL?’;

‘What If the owner decides to kick u out’; ‘I wanna rip my bathroom up but I’m broke’;

‘Girl you did all that and you RENT????? brave braveeeeeee.’

Celene’s says her top tip for anyone starting a renovation project is to have a vision of how you want the whole property to look.

She said: ‘You need to have a plan of how you want the house to look before you start.

‘Have an idea about how you want your home to feel, you don’t want all the rooms to be different colours.

‘You want them to flow so every room ties in, keep colours the same throughout.

‘I think people should also think outside the box, get panelling or a slat wall, something unique to your home.’