Whether you’ve been living in one place for a while, or have just moved, home security is always a hot topic. It’s often only after a break-in that many people realise just how many spots around their house are vulnerable, but in fact many of these could be prevented or deterred with some simple security changes. Nobody likes to think about something like this happening, but prevention is always the [...]
This Thursday was Cycle to Work Day, so we’re giving some thought to some of the great cycling schemes around! One of the best ways to get to know your neighbourhood is by bike. Cycling to work, school or on days out can be quicker, more flexible and healthier – not to mention better for the environment! Councils and urban planners are increasingly encouraging cycling and building in cycleways [...]
Whether you’ve been on HomeSwapper for a little while, or you’re fairly new to swapping, you’ll know that using HomeSwapper, you’re able to take a look through other swappers’ adverts and eventually, find your swap. But what happens after you’ve agreed a mutual exchange? Once you’ve found your swap, your time on HomeSwapper will have come to an end. Now, both of you involved in the swap will [...]
In the UK there is one person that we can all agree is a national treasure: David Attenborough. For years he has been campaigning for us to make changes to help save the environment and people seem to be starting to listen. Plastic free July has been taking over social media for the last month - but trying to make more eco-friendly decisions can be intimidating and it’s hard to [...]
We’re continuing with our financial advice series and this week we’re looking at credit unions. If you’ve decided that mainstream banking isn’t for you, a credit union could be a great alternative! A credit union is a cooperative model of banking, which is owned and run by the very people putting in their money – you! They provide savings, loans and financial planning for their members and any money made [...]
In this week’s article we’ll give you a few tips for keeping those passwords secure and we’ll show you a way to make sure you never forget another password! It might be for your utility bills, your studies, garden centre or even HomeSwapper account - the truth is we are all drowning in online passwords! Some of them are more sensitive than others; our medical or financial information needs [...]
A few weeks ago we wrote about tools and tips for improving your credit score. This week we’re looking at basic bank accounts, which have been designed for those with low credit scores who can’t get – or don’t want – a standard bank account. A basic bank account offers a place for you to store your money and pay your money from, without an overdraft – which means the [...]
The areas we live in can mean ‘home’ to us, just as much as the property we’re living in… and the people who know what’s best for a street, community or public space are the people who live in it every day: you! Is there a space in your local community that could do with some love and care? Could you plan to bring your neighbours together through an event? [...]
If you’ve got a spare room, you may be affected by ‘Bedroom Tax’ and looking for an option that allows you to stay in your home. Getting a lodger in could be a great way of solving this – and you’ll even make some extra income in the process. As of October 2013, social housing tenants have been able to rent out their spare room, although some people may not [...]
Social housing is an important part of our society, with over 4 million social housing homes across the UK. The boom of social housing came from some of the greatest times of social unity in our country, when we had come through the struggle and suffering of the Second World War. Following the 75th anniversary of D-day we are telling the story of the co-operation amongst British people from all parts [...]
It’s always a good idea to spruce up your home every so often, whether it’s for yourself or for potential viewings. Little changes can make a big difference and they don’t all have to be DIY projects; some of them can be little fixes that will breathe new life into your home. Here we’re listing out how you can give your home a lift all year round… [...]
In the next article of our series introducing you to the Customer Support Team, we speak Tammy. She filled us in on why she loves working with the Customer Support Team and what she finds most rewarding about the role… First up, tell us about your role I know and work across all of the Housing Partners products, but the main product I work on is PRAH, which [...]
If you are an adult it is likely that you have a credit score. Why is it important? What is it? And how can you look after yours? Why it's important These days, many companies who lend money or offer important services such as home rental, gas & electricity and even mobile phones, want to understand their customers and their financial ability. One of the ways they [...]
We love hearing about your experiences on HomeSwapper – it’s always great to know when you’ve found your new home! When letting us know that you’ve swapped, many of you also share good tips for other swappers out there. Here, Angela* (*not her real name) gives her advice on going through the swapping process. “I have successfully swapped twice through HomeSwapper now, both short and long distance. Having gone [...]
Here at HomeSwapper we want to make sure that it’s as easy as possible to find the home you need. We know it can be frustrating when a property seems perfect, so you’ve started chatting to the other user, but then one missing specification means that you’re no longer a match and you both end up disappointed. On HomeSwapper, we’ve built in a lot of features that you can use [...]
We love hearing stories from HomeSwapper users about their home swaps, so we were really excited to talk to Melanie* from London (*not her real name) about her experience a few years ago. Mel used a MultiSwap to find her new home and so we asked if she found it easy to use and why she would recommend giving MultiSwap a go. Mel, who was living on her own [...]
Writing a great advert could be the difference between a quick and easy swap and months spent looking for one. To get other people interested in your property, you'll need to tell them all the reasons you love being there. There are a lot of things you can do to make your advert as appealing as possible and it’s important to have a think about it from different angles - [...]
Once you’ve found your swap and made it through the swapping process, you can get moving! When it comes to moving house though, it’s not just about the big things… there can be so many small details to remember. It’s no wonder that there are some things that slip minds. We’ve written this guide to work as a helping hand on moving day. 1. Label boxes This might [...]
We can’t deny it - moving house is a stressful experience and when you add pets into the equation, it can take it to another level. Cats and dogs in particular become very attached to their own territory and a house move can be disruptive and disorientating for them. So, we’ve put together a list of do’s and don’ts to help your pets feel at home as quickly as you [...]
This week we’re chatting with our Customer Support Team Leader, Nirvana! She’s just come back from maternity leave, so we’ll be talking about how she’s been getting back to grips with working life, what she loves about working on HomeSwapper and how her team have been making her proud… You’re back! How’s it been getting back into the team? I’ve touched base with them throughout the year, so [...]
We've been really busy the past couple of months creating a new Help Centre website for all tenants who are either using, or thinking about using HomeSwapper. And we’re now very pleased to say that it’s launched! The new Help Centre website is packed full of useful tips and advice for using HomeSwapper to make sure that everyone is getting the most out of it and using it [...]
You’ve been chatting to another swapper for a while, you both like the sound of each other’s homes on paper and the pictures look good… time for that all-important viewing! But how to prepare? We’ve heard so many times of swappers going to view another person’s home and when they get there, the home isn’t quite what they thought. It’s so important when viewing a property to be able [...]
This week we’re bringing you the third in our Meet the Team series with Customer Support Team member, Dot. We asked her about what working for HomeSwapper tenants mean to her. First of all, tell us about your role I work on everything and anything! Across the Customer Support Team most of us are ‘product champions’, which means we have one specific Housing Partners product that we specialise [...]
As all active swappers will know, back in September 2018 we started to make updates to the HomeSwapper site in order to persuade some swappers to use the site better. Here we look back at how these changes have made a difference to how the site is being used. As a result of feedback from all swappers out there, first up in our changes was an update to [...]
We’ve all heard stories of tenants finding a swap, only to be let down at the last minute; even when a council or housing association approves a mutual exchange they can still fall through. When this happens at the last minute it can be heartbreaking, not to mention expensive. But are those who pull out breaking the law? Why would your landlord refuse a swap? And what can you do [...]
With passwords needed for almost everything we do these days, it can be easy to forget one from time to time! But on HomeSwapper if you do, don’t worry! It’s very easy to reset it to something more memorable… and here’s how. Signed up with email? When you go to the login page of HomeSwapper, underneath the boxes for username and password, you’ll see a [...]
In a nation divided by whether you pronounce it ‘scone like moan’ or ‘scone like gone’, whether the milk goes in before or after the tea, as well as the more serious stuff, there is one thing almost all of us agree on: We love the NHS. As well as providing front line care in emergencies, bringing us into the world and looking after us as we get older, [...]
Over the past 30 years, technology has been changing the way we live and in more recent times, it’s also been transforming the way we work. As part of this change, running a business from home is becoming more and more common. But where do you stand as a social housing tenant looking to start running a business from your home? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at any [...]
This week we’re bringing you the second in our Meet the Customer Support Team series with Support member, Abi. We chatted with her about why she loves her job, what the HomeSwapper tenants mean to her and her own experiences with social housing. First of all, tell us about your role I spend my day mostly answering email tickets – these are the queries that customers send in [...]
If you’ve changed your mind about the areas you’d like to live in, then don’t worry – we’re really flexible! Our simple guide will show you how you can update the locations you put in at the start, whether you want to add to them, delete some, or change them completely. Access your locations First, go to your Dashboard. In the menu at the top, you’ll see My details [...]
Anne works for one of the landlords who have signed up to HomeSwapper. She helps their tenants find out all about HomeSwapper - a job perfect for her, as she herself has used HomeSwapper to find a new home in the past. Read her story here: I have personal experience of just how HomeSwapper can improve lives. In our early fifties, we found ourselves living in a 3-bedroom council [...]
We asked our community of swappers for some advice on how we should think about changing the badges system to make HomeSwapper work better for them. We had a great response and some really helpful suggestions. Following this feedback, we will soon be reducing the number of badges offered to swappers on HomeSwapper. While getting a badge for logging in on Christmas Day is fun, it won’t really help [...]
When winter arrives and it gets freezing cold, we also know that it’s this time of year when energy bills can soar. We’ve put together a quick guide on tips and tricks to help you keep those energy levels down: Keep your curtains drawn at night – you’d be amazed at how much heat escapes from your windows! If you’ve got blinds, unfortunately, they do not stop heat escaping… [...]
It’s the first in the Meet the Team series and we’re kicking it off with Team Leader, Debbie. She’ll be telling you all about her day-to-day activities, what she’s responsible for and her love for HomeSwapper! First things first, tell us about your role I’m the Team Leader on the Customer Support Team, which is more of a mixed bag than you’d think! First and foremost, I’m the line [...]
We sometimes hear stories from the landlords signed up to HomeSwapper that really touch our hearts and make us glad to come to work in the morning. Most recently, we were chatting to David from Walsall Housing Group who had this to tell us: 'I’m David Brown and I’m the technical specialist for mutual exchanges at WHG. This means I look after mutual exchange applications from start to finish, [...]
The HomeSwapper Customer Support Team are a hugely important part of the HomeSwapper team; they’re the ones you’ll get in touch with if you want to talk through any technical difficulties, or if you’re confused by a process on the site. Many of you will have spoken with our Customer Support Team over email for one reason or another during your time on HomeSwapper. We’ll be writing a new [...]