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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Molly Dowrick

Council Home Swap couple complain houses are too 'council estatey' and small for them

A couple from the South West say they're desperate to swap their two-bedroom council flat for a bigger property with enough room for themselves, their four children and their dog - but have been finding that all the council properties available are too small or too "council estatey".

Dave and Fran from Christchurch in Dorset were on our screens last night in the fourth episode of new Channel 5 show Council House Swap, which follows UK couples visiting others' council homes and their attempts to swap for a bigger, smaller or better-located property.

Currently, under a government scheme called HomeSwap Direct, tenants living in a council or housing association home are easily able to move into a property elsewhere in the country by "swapping" with the tenants in that property.

Dave and Fran hoped to be able to convince people renting in a larger property to swap for their flat but - perhaps understandably - have little luck.

As well as two teenage children, the couple also have two toddlers - so are keen to find a larger property with enough room for the whole family (Channel 5)

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The couple's current home in Dorset is "bursting at the seams," Channel 5 explained ahead of the episode being aired on Wednesday evening, as the pair are "crammed into their two-bed flat with two teenagers, two toddlers and a dog".

"We wanted a baby and then we had two," Fran said. "So we have four girls between the two of us! Space is our trouble - and storage. We are looking for a bigger property to fit us all in. It is getting very urgent right now."

But the couple's quest to find a suitable, larger property comes with many challenges.

With four kids and a dog, the couple have their work cut out for them to find a property that suits them (Channel 5)

Firstly, the family visit a three-bedroom house in Harlow in Essex, which would cost them £500 a month if they lived there, not a far cry from their current £400 per month rent in Dorset.

The Essex home is currently rented by Kate, a professional cleaner, who said she has swapped council homes 10 times so far. Whilst Dave, who is originally from Essex, is impressed with Kate's home, Fran said she fears the third bedroom is "too small" for their youngsters, despite the fact her current flat only has two bedrooms in total.

The couple visit a range of different council properties around the UK, but find most are too small or too "council estatey" for what they're looking for (Channel 5)

The family then visit a property in Plymouth in Devon, but are not impressed by the neighbourhood the property is in, dubbing it "very council estate-y".

The couple are left further shocked as they venture into the property's garden and hear a neighbouring house blaring loud music.

The next property they visit is a roomy three-bedroom home in Langport in Somerset, Dorset's neighbouring county, and whilst it appears to be the sort of property the couple have been looking for, the current tenant unfortunately doesn't want to swap homes with them.

The couple visit homes in Devon, Somerset and Essex but struggle to find a suitable property to 'houseswap' (Channel 5)

Still keen to move house, Fran and Dave are advised to try and arrange a "multiswap," involving them swapping homes with tenants of a different home who in-turn swap with tenants of a different home, who swap with Fran and Dave, but it's clear this would be difficult to manage.

To avoid this challenge, Fran said she'd consider finding a new home locally and renting privately.

Council Home Swap continued next Wednesday at 9pm on Channel 5

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