What are Help to Save accounts and who are they for?
In times like these, it may be hard to find the incentive to start saving. But there are schemes available that can turn this around!
Who is the Social Housing Regulator and why should you care?
The Regulator works with government, Housing Ombudsman and housing providers to make sure that social homes are safe, decent and sustainable.
HomeSwapper Timewasters: what we’ve done
We asked you, of course! And you gave us some great suggestions for changes that could be made to the site.
The census is coming: Why is it Important?
A large-scale data collection exercise, the cencus influences how public services like GPs and green spaces are planned and funded.
Who is the housing ombudsman?
In our last blog post, we spoke about what an ombudsman is and how they can work with you to sort out issues with complaints across most areas of your life. This week we are talking specifically about the Housing Ombudsman, who is the last port of call for when communication breaks down following a complaints procedure. The Housing Ombudsman service is responsible for working out if a [...]
What is an ombudsman?
Sometimes organisations don’t behave as they should. In the worst cases, there are impartial bodies that can help deal with this.
First aid training – be a hero!
Some housing providers in the UK want to help you protect your family and community and are offering first aid training for free.
What is the Good Work Standard?
At HomeSwapper, we take a look at one scheme called the Good Work Standard in more detail. Read all about it here.
What is community-led housing?
Here we’re giving you a breakdown of the different types of Community Led Housing schemes and how you can get involved within your own community.
Consolidating your pension
The idea of a job for life and a pension to come along after is a thing of the past. Read our blog post about consolidating all your pensions.
Wintry days: Preparing for the colder weather
The colder months are drawing in, the days are getting shorter and most of us are spending more time at home than we bargained for. Making sure that your home is ready for this cold spell can help you stay warm and healthy as well as save a little on those winter bills! There’s lots to look forward to in the winter; from those cosy nights, to catching up with [...]
Sarah Jayne Tells – Finding the Right Swap
We were lucky enough to talk again to Sarah Jayne about how she makes a swap on HomeSwapper smooth sailing.
Swapper Stories | Sarah-Jayne tells us how to get organised
HomeSwapper user, Sarah-Jayne spoke to us about how she keeps on top of all the HomeSwapper ads she’s actively engaging with.
What benefits are available at pension age?
Getting older often means accepting more support than we needed before. Retirement has an effect on the spare money we have to spend on the more exciting things in life. For those nearing that time we’ve put together a list of the help that’s out there to support us:
NHS Healthy New Towns
NHS Healthy Towns proposes that homebuilding and town planners think of health, economic growth, infrastructure, housing and environment as factors that are interconnected.
Why swappers are moving house
It’s very rare that the majority of people living across the world have the same experience as one another. Here at HomeSwapper we have been noticing some changes in the reasons you want to move…
Moving? Putting your unwanted stuff to good use
Congratulations! You’ve found a swap, your application has been approved and now all that’s left to think about is the move itself. Moving home is a chance to shed some of the possessions that over time, have turned into clutter. Instead of sending them to landfill there are places you can put them so others can find your unwanted goods. When preparing for a big move, items hidden [...]
What does a Member of Parliament do?
With all the current goings on, the news has been filled with our Members of Parliament (or MPs). Especially at this time, it can feel as though a lot of decisions about our day-to-day lives are being made for us. But who are the people that are making them and how can you have your voice heard? This week we’re giving you the lowdown on what an MP is and [...]
Building Better, Making Our Streets Safer
Over the last 5 months you may have noticed new pop-up barriers for wider pavements and cycle lanes that have been put in place to take the strain off public transport and help people safely social distance while getting around. According to Cycling UK, 11,000 people have reached out to councils across England to support these temporary barriers, paving the way for these to become a more permanent change. Those [...]
Void Properties: What this means
Have you ever looked on HomeSwapper and seen a property that’s labelled ‘No swap needed’? This is what’s called a ‘void property’, which means that it is immediately available to be moved into! On HomeSwapper, landlords are able to upload any properties that they have that might be sitting empty and need a tenant. Why are there void properties? As of 2019, there are an estimated 216,000 empty [...]
How the Customer Support Team works
During your time using HomeSwapper, you’re almost certain to chat to our fantastic Customer Support Team. It may be that you’ve got a question about how certain functions work or perhaps you’d simply like to know how you can get the best out of the system. If you can’t find the answer to your query on our Help Centre, our Customer Support Team are here to help. While the [...]
Could you become a Local Councillor?
Across the UK, the outpouring of those protecting and nurturing their communities has been overwhelming. It may sometimes seem that the problems facing us all are too big to address - but that’s why small actions to impact your immediate environment can be the best way to start. Over the past few months, we’ve been writing our series on ‘What local councils are responsible for’ and it got us thinking… [...]
Meet the Customer Support Team: Lynn
This week we’re revisiting our Meet the Team series, where we introduce you to the members of our Customer Support Team that many of you will have spoken to during your time on HomeSwapper. We’re chatting to Head of Customer support , Lynn Darling about customer focus and the ways in which she works every day to ensure the best experience for all. First of all, tell us [...]
Switching Energy Providers
We’ve all been spending more time at home than we usually would and that may mean that use of electricity and gas in households will likely have risen. It’s estimated that by switching energy providers, a single household could save up to £350 per year! Read on for our tips on finding the cheapest option and how to go about switching. Switching energy supplier may seem like a [...]
When to report another swapper
We can’t control the behaviour of others and on HomeSwapper we want to protect our users from negative contact as much as we can. Using the report button means we can take action for you and make sure that your time on HomeSwapper is enjoyable and safe. Blocking another user If another swapper is harassing you or being rude, it is possible to block them from sending you [...]
Features you may not know about: Sharing contact details
We want you to be able to use HomeSwapper to its fullest potential and so this week we are continuing with our blog series, highlighting some of the clever features that exist within HomeSwapper that you may not have seen before. Here we’re taking a look at… Sharing contact details There is a function within HomeSwapper that allows you to share your contact details publicly. It is of [...]
Changes to overdraft fees
We understand that at this particular time, we may all be a little anxious about what the future holds. And while the world’s news is full of stories about the global coronavirus pandemic, we want to draw your attention to another piece of news that may affect some of you, so that you can make sure that you’re better prepared for some changes that will be coming in next week. [...]
What local councils are responsible for – Northern Ireland
We’ve come to the last instalment in our series on how local government works in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland lies across the Irish Sea from mainland Britain and local councils there hold different responsibilities than those in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland there are 11 councils run by elected councillors. Only in 2015, Northern Ireland put reforms in place around how local councils work in the country. [...]
Features you may not have seen: Customising location
This week we’re carrying on with our blog series letting you know about some of the clever tools within HomeSwapper, designed to make your HomeSwapper journey even easier. This time, we’ll be taking a look at… Quick Answer Dashboard > Menu > My Details > The Home I Want Type the area you want and click on the Map icon On the larger map Zoom in and out +/- and [...]
Carl’s Swapper Story: Taking the perfect picture
Remember Carl? A few months ago we spoke with him on how he used HomeSwapper to swap across a few different properties to finally move to his family’s dream home in Dorset. When we chatted to Carl, he also gave us lots of advice on how to prepare your home for the kind of pictures that are going to get your house attention on HomeSwapper. Most homeowners use the [...]
What local councils are responsible for – Scotland
This week we are continuing our trip around the UK, taking a look at what local authorities are responsible for in the different countries that make up the UK. Scotland’s local governments have developed over the ages from ancient ‘Burghs’. They watch over thriving big cities like EdinBURGH and the sparsely populated areas of outstanding natural beauty in the Highlands. Local councils in Scotland have to manage the delivery of [...]
Features you may not have seen: Already messaged
Continuing our blog series highlighting some of the clever tools within HomeSwapper that you may not have used before, we’re taking a look this month at the… Already messaged function When you go to your Matches you’ll see a list of all the properties that you could try to form a swap with. It will look something like this: Now, we all know the best way to [...]
Housing and happiness
Home is where the heart is, so the old saying goes. Beyond bricks and mortar the safety and stability of a home is key to our happiness. According to Shelter, in the UK 85% of people living in social housing are happy in their homes. These numbers are in line with those who own their homes and far higher than those privately renting. Here we’re celebrating social housing and the [...]
Round up of 2019
It’s been a busy year for us at HomeSwapper and as 2019 comes to a close, we’re looking back at all the great things that have happened. We wanted to share with you all some of the best bits from the past year… The Prize Draw First up, we're celebrating all of our winners from the year! Congratulations once again to: January’s winner: Carys, tenant of Guinness Partnership February’s [...]
Beating Christmas Stress
Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but there’s no doubt that it can come with high expectations of perfect, happy families enjoying celebrations and gifts. Because of this, many of us can end up feeling stressed trying to live up to it all. With tensions potentially running high, even acknowledging that it may not be ‘perfect’ can make it a calmer affair. In this week’s article we’ve been thinking about [...]
Features you may not have seen: Amenities tab
Last month we started our new blog series that highlighted some of the clever tools within HomeSwapper that you may not have used before. Each month we’ll be giving you our top pick of functions for you to start using - and this month we’re drawing your attention to the… Amenities tab When you click onto another swapper’s advert, you’ll see this screen: Now, you’ll probably be [...]