Hopkins Homes and Tilia Homes unite under new company: ‘untypical’

Today marks the launch of untypical, which brings together two trusted UK housebuilder brands – Hopkins Homes and Tilia Homes – under one company, owned by the Hands Family Office and managed by Terra Firma, the European investment firm.

untypical is guided by its ambition to become the UK’s most customer-centric housebuilder. By putting people and the planet at the heart of the communities that it builds, untypical aims to make a positive difference to the UK housebuilding market and help to provide greater access to homes which are affordable for buyers. Underpinned by the support of its shareholder and financial partners, untypical is working towards the delivery of over 2,000 homes per year in the near term, with plans to grow further over the longer term to become a leading UK housebuilder.

This mission comes at a critical time. A recent survey of 5,500 people across England found that homebuyers are acutely concerned by the impact of the challenging macroeconomic environment, with interest rate changes, mortgage affordability and paying a fair price for a property stated as the top three concerns for those looking to buy a new home.

However, despite the financial headwinds affecting homebuyers, buying a home remains a deeply emotional transaction, with 83% of buyers still looking to buy a property that they are proud of.

With an unwavering focus on quality and a commitment to placemaking, untypical will look to build the homes that people want, need and are proud of. Tilia Homes and Hopkins Homes will continue as the customer-facing brands, enabling untypical to dual brand appropriate sites and provide a range of homes from entry-level to premium properties across four regions in England: the Midlands, the West, the East and East Anglia.

As part of its ambition to bring positive change to the housebuilding sector, untypical is committed to building homes which are sustainable and better for the planet, while also driving value for customers. With 62% of homebuyers now prioritising energy efficiency when they look for a new home, untypical will strive to meet this growing consumer demand through innovative design, sustainable practices and industry partnerships.

Hopkins Homes has already established itself as a pioneer in this area, becoming the first UK housebuilder to offer customers a ten-year Zero Bills guarantee in partnership with Octopus Energy. Tilia Homes earlier this year secured a £125 million sustainability-linked loan with HSBC UK and Homes England, acting as a lever to acquire new sites and enable growth, while aligning its financing to its long-term sustainability targets.

untypical is pushing forward to develop house types that are fit for the future, with an ongoing pilot to explore a range of low-embodied carbon house archetypes. These house types are designed to significantly surpass current building regulations and have been submitted for planning permission in Tilia Homes’ Landimore Park development in Northampton.

Guy Hands, owner of untypical and founder of Terra Firma, the European investment firm, said: “As an investor in the UK housing market since 1996, it is clear the traditional industry model is unable to meet the wants and needs of the modern homebuyer. By building homes based on robust customer insight, we see an opportunity to do things better and bring about positive change. The launch of untypical is just the starting point on our journey, but we believe that it has the potential to be transformative – not just for our business but for the whole housebuilding industry.”

Chris Severson, Chairman of untypical, added: “By combining the strengths of the Hopkins Homes and Tilia Homes brands, we will design and build the homes that people really want and are also good for the planet. untypical’s growth will be underpinned by deep technical expertise, a strong, supportive shareholder and driven by a team of industry leaders. With a focus on affordability, sustainable materials and long-term community building, our untypical approach will aim to not just meet expectations, but push boundaries and redefine industry standards.”