A COUPLE who live in a two-bed council house with their four kids are turning to strangers online to help them pay for the renovation of the run down home.
The Austins knew they would “get some hate” when they took to TikTok to plead with people to “pay for our house”.
“But it’s not what you think,” mum Nicole said in the video.
“We don’t need your money. We just need your engagement.
“Yes, we’re a family on Universal Credit. Yes, we are in a council house.
“My husband does work full time and I stay at home with the kids.
“But with the cost of living crisis, our money is just enough to survive.”
Nicole added that everything was half finished around the house as her ex left it in a state, and they haven’t had the spare funds to be able to fix it all.
They also weren’t provided with any flooring when they moved into the council property, so have been having to manage the best they can.
“Our mission is to make our kids have a nice family home,” she said.
“Now, I may add, this is not our forever home, as we have four children.
“We just want to make it livable and forget all the bad memories.
“So please give us a follow like share and repost. We’ll be so grateful.”
Speaking to Fabulous about their decision to take to social media to try and raise money, Nicole explained that they’ve seen other smaller creators making it big on TikTok, so wanted to see if they could also “make a living on the Internet”.
And while their controversial methods have the “full support” of their friends and family, lots of people online have had less than pleasant things to say.
“We have had a lot of hate, a lot of people have been quite nasty,” Nicole sighed.
“But we did expect it – I think if you post online, you’ve got to accept that people are gonna judge.”
Many comments took aim at the lack of cleanliness in the house, which Nicole said she “won’t disagree with”.
“The trolls do you have a point, our cleanliness is the first thing we need to work on,” she said.
“Having four children and neurodivergencies isn’t for the weak!”
But she urged people to “be kind”, adding: “Have we learnt nothing from Caroline Flack?”
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.
As for exactly how they hope to make money from social media, their account has yet to reach 10,000 followers – which means they have yet to be able to use the content creator program.
But in the meantime, they are hoping to find success through their TikTok shop.
They’ve only made £20 through TikTok shop so far, but have gained an incredible 1,000 followers overnight since posting the video.
“We have started to build a lovely community of followers who are constantly watching our videos and commenting,” she added.
And when it comes to what they are hoping to get done in their house – they want the flooring and painting done, as well as replacing some broken household essentials such as the tumble dryer, vacuum cleaner and the washing machine which is “on its last legs”.
“There is also some repairs at the council need to do,” Nicole said.
“They are treating us very well and getting them all done.
“Once all of these things are done, our home will be happy and safe for kids.
“It’s going to be a lengthy road but we’re excited to start.”
