information about finding housing in the UK and sorting out utilities

1. Integrated Support
Housing & Utilities and
Entrepreneurship

2. Housing and Utilities
 Birmingham Geography
- Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.
- It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom.
- with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West Midlands metropolitan county
- By 1791, it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world"
- Birmingham is considered to be the social, cultural, financial, and commercial centre of the Midlands
- Birmingham was the third most visited city in the UK by people from foreign nations.
- There are 571 parks within Birmingham
- Christianity is the largest religion within Birmingham, with 34% of residents identifying as Christians in the 2021
Census.
- The following towns roughly encircle Birmingham Plateau: clockwise from the north - Stafford, Rugeley, Lichfield,
Tamworth, Atherstone, Nuneaton, Coventry, Stratford, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Stourbridge, Tettenhall, Penkridge,
Stafford.
The upper Tame which runs south-east from Wolverhampton cuts the plateau in two from west to east

3. Five travel to work areas
The 3-LEP area represents a coherent functional economic area in its own
right, encompassing separable sub-regional functional economic areas.
• Birmingham – including Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove,
and Tamworth
• Dudley – including Dudley, Oldbury, Tipton, Wednesbury, Halesowen
and Stourbridge
• Wolverhampton & Walsall – including Wolverhampton, Walsall,
Cannock and Lichfield
• Coventry – including Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth and Rugby
• Leamington Spa – including Warwick, Leamington Spa and Stratford

5. REFERENCE
 https://blog.bham.ac.uk/cityredi/the-economic-geography-of-the-west-midlands/
 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/trav
eltoworkareaanalysisingreatbritain/2016
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham
 https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Birmingham_(England)
 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20057/about_birmingham
 https://uk.hotels.com/go/england/fun-things-about-birmingham
 https://brbgonesomewhereepic.com/facts-about-birmingham-england/?utm_content=cmp-true
 https://visitbirmingham.com/
 https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/10-fascinating-birmingham-facts-that-may-surprise-you-3371694
 https://www.britannica.com/place/Birmingham-England
 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50268/joint_strategic_needs_assessment_jsna/1332/local_area_health_prof
iles

6. NEIGHBOURING PROFILES
 Birmingham has 5 localities each made up of
2 constituencies. These are:
• Central: Hall Green and Selly Oak
constituencies
• East: Hodge Hill and Yardley constituencies
• North: Erdington and Sutton Coldfield
constituencies
• South: Edgbaston and Northfield
constituencies
• West: Ladywood and Perry Barr
constituencies.

7. CENTRAL LOCALITY
• The 2011 census showed
that 45% of this area’s
population are made up of
BAME groups (15% England).
• The Central locality has a
population of
approximately 229,099
(20.1%) of Birmingham’s
population

8. EAST LOCALITY
 East locality is made up of Hodge Hill and
Yardley constituencies.
 The 2011 census showed that 50% of this area’s
population are made up of BAME groups (15%
England)
 The East locality had a population of
approximately 241,929, 21.2% of Birmingham’s
population.
NORTH LOCALITY
 North locality is made up of Erdington and Sutton Coldfield
constituencies.
 The North locality has a population of approximately
197,274, 17.3% of Birmingham’s population, with an average
age of 39.6 years.

9. SOUTH LOCALITY
 South locality is made up of Edgbaston and
Northfield constituencies
 The South locality has a population of
approximately 208,304, 18.3% of Birmingham’s
population
WEST LOCALITY
 The west locality is made up of Ladywood and
Perry Barr constituencies.
 West locality had a population of
approximately 263,919, 23.1% of Birmingham’s
population

10. WHAT IS COUNCIL TAX AND WHY PAYING
 Council Tax is an annual fee your local council charges you for the
services it provides, like rubbish
collection and libraries.
 Normally you pay it in ten monthly installments, followed by two months
of not making any payments.
 What does Council Tax pay for? Local services are funded by Council
Tax. This includes:
• police and fire services
• leisure and recreation projects, such as maintaining parks and sports
centres
• libraries and education services
• rubbish and waste collection and disposal
• transport and highway services, including street lighting and cleaning,
and road maintenance
• environmental health and trading standards
• administration and record-keeping, such as marriages, deaths and
birth, and local elections.

11. COUNCIL TAX INCLUDING DISCOUNT
You’ll need to know 3 things:
1. The valuation band for your home in England and Wales or in Scotland
2. How much your local council charges for that band
3. Whether you can get a discount or exemption from the full bill
DISCOUNT
You may be able to get Council Tax Reduction (this used to be called Council Tax Benefit)
 If you’re on a low income or get benefits.
 You can challenge your Council Tax band if you think your home is in the wrong valuation
band
 A full-time student living in a property solely with another full-time student
 You could be entitled to a 25% discount on your Council Tax if all residents are full time
students except one other adult who is not a student.

12. TENANCY AND DEPOSIT SCHEME
 Your landlord must put your deposit in a government-approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme
(TDP) IF YOU RENT YOUR HOME ON AN ASSURED SHORTHOLD TENANCY that started
after 6th April 2007.
Your Deposit can be registered with:
 Tenancy Deposit Scheme
 Deposit Protection Service
My Deposits - including deposits that were held by Capital
If your landlord has not protected your deposit within 30 days, you can take legal action
against them, including claiming back up to 3X the original deposit amount as compensation

13. TENANT/LANDLORD RESPONSIBILITY
Landlord responsibilities
 Making repairs
 Rent increases
 Settling disputes
 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) : Rent to more than one
household
 Paying tax and National Insurance: Landlord pays tax when rent
return is more than £1,000 - £2,500 / year
 Changing a regulated tenancy (fair rent): special rules for
changing rents and terms for regulated tenancies

14. CONTENT INSURANCE
What is contents insurance?
 Home contents insurance covers the cost of replacing your belongings in your home if
they are damaged, destroyed or stolen.
 As a general rule, your 'contents' are the items you would take with you if you moved
home.
 These include, but are not limited to:
 Furniture: bed, sofa, wardrobe, dining table and chair
 Kitchenware: cutlery, cookware, microwaves and kettles
 Entertainment: video games, toys, DVDs and CDs
 Soft furnishings: cushions, curtains and bedding
 Electricals: TVs, laptops and game consoles
 Clothes and jewellery
 Ornaments and antiques

15. CONTENT INSURANCE (CONT’D)
 Contents insurance can be bought as a standalone policy
or as part of a combined home insurance policy with
buildings insurance.
Claiming on contents insurance
 For all types of home insurance, if you need to make a
claim, your provider will settle this on either a 'new-for-
old' or 'indemnity' basis (Taking the age of the product into
consideration).
HOW DOES CONTENTS INSURANCE WORK?
 Make contacts online with insurance companies that
provide such services and find out further e.g
 https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/home-and-
mobile-insurance/home-insurance-explained/contents-
insurance-explained-aFqaX6Q67MwX

16. MORTGAGE
How to get a mortgage for your first
home
 Save a deposit, which is the amount you put towards buying your home
yourself
 Look into the schemes that help first buyers, e.g shared ownership, help
to buy,
right to buy
 Make sure you can afford a mortgage e.g All the charges associated to a
mortgage buying
 Find a property
 Decide what type of mortgage is right for you
If you need further advice, you may talk to your bank of Find a mortgage
advisor

17. TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF MORTGAGE COST
Expense Typical cost
Deposit 10% £20,000
Booking fee £100
Arrangement fee £1,000
Survey fees £400
Transfer fee £35
Valuation fee £200
Moving home £450
Solicitor’s fee £1,200
Broker or adviser’s fees £500
Mortgage capital repayment £180,000
Mortgage interest at 3.53% £91,271
Total cost £295,156
• Using the examples above,
factoring in the fees, deposit
and mortgage interest
payments, buying a property
worth £200,00 would cost
you a total of £295,156.
• Of that, £23,885 is the
deposit and additional fees,
that are typically paid up
front.

18. WATER
Save on water bills
 Unlike gas and electricity companies, you can't choose who supplies your water, but
there are still ways that you can save money on your water bills.
 How are my water bills calculated?
 What is rateable value?
 Can I reduce my water bills? Am I eligible for any discounts off my water bills?
 How could the Priority Services Register help me?
 Should I get a water meter? If there are more bedrooms in your home than people, or
the same number, check out getting a meter.
 Can I switch to another water supplier: NO
 https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/save-on-water-bills/

19. ELECTRICITY AND GAS
Understanding the average use for gas and electricity
Gas and electricity bills are calculated partly on how much energy you
use, as well as things like
Network and wholesale costs. Your usage depends on many factors,
including:
 The size of your home
 The energy efficiency of your home
 How many people live in your home
 The energy efficiency of your appliances and how often you use them
 Your health.

20. TELEPHONE AND BROADBAND
 Key points
• Make sure that the broadband deal you choose matches
your needs
• Compare broadband deals to find the best provider for you
• Check that your chosen broadband deal is accessible, fast
and secure, as well as having good download limits -
especially if you stream a lot or play games online
• Consider whether a bundle broadband deal is right for you,
but don’t let it limit your choices

21. ENTERPRENEURSHIP
SET UP A LIMITED COMPANY STEP BY STEP
 Check if setting up a limited company is right for
you
 Chose a name
 Choose directors and a company secretary
 Decide who the shareholders or guarantors are
 Prepare documents agreeing on how to run your
company
 Check what records you’ll need to keep
 Register your company

22. YOU CAN REGISTER A COMPANY
THROUGH:
Post
Using an agent
Using third-party software

23. REFERENCES
 https://www.broadband.co.uk/about/frequently-asked-questions
 https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/communications
 https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/02/broadband-affordable-
tariffs-social-tariff/
 https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/what-is-broadband
 https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/energysavingadvice/?utm_campaign=b
eis_consumer&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_source=bing&utm_keyword=uk_ene
rgy&utm_content=generic_phrase&ds_rl=1298969&utm_source=bing&utm_medium
=cpc&utm_campaign=02937103_BEIS_BEIS_H4H%20ENERGY%20SA
 VING_BOA_BSTART_BBF_W01_024Y_Paid%20Search_SE__GCS-Y_Generic%20-
%20Energy%20Reduction%20%20PM&utm_term=uk%20energy&utm_content=Generic
%20%20Energy%20Saving%20%20PM&ds_rl=1298969&gclid=51f74717d53d16fbf96a23
08f6626a74&gclsrc=3p.dsml

24. REFERENCES
 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice
 -households/average-gas-and-electricity-use-explained
 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support
 /energy-bills-support-factsheet-8-september-2022
 https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/guides/your-energy-bill.ht
 https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-
savings/save-on-water-bills/

25. REFERENCES
 https://www.money.co.uk/mortgages/how-to-get-your-firstmortgage
 https://www.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme
 https://www.gov.uk/help-to-buy-equity-loan
 https://www.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home
 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-95-mortgage-scheme-launches
 https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/home-and-mobile-
insurance/home-insurance-explained/contents-insurance-explained-
aFqaX6Q67MwX
 https://www.gov.uk/renting-out-a-property
 https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection
 https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/council-tax

26. REFERENCES
 https://hoodmaps.com/birmingham-neighborhood-map
 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20057/about_birmingham/1294/popula
tion_and_census/2
 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/areaprofiles
 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20057/about_birmingham/665/wards_
and_constituencies
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_of_Birmingham

27. REFERENCES
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/birminghamprivatelandlords/
 https://www.placebuzz.com/property-for-rent/west-midlands/birmingham
 https://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/birmingham/ ………… Share
 https://movingsoon.co.uk/locations/west-midlands/birmingham/rent/dss-
accepted/
 https://www.coworker.com/united-kingdom/birmingham……….formeetings
and office rent.
 https://www.roomgo.co.uk/west-midlands/birmingham-and-west-
mids/birming
 ham-flatshare/cheap-rooms-to-rent

28. REFERENCES
 FACEBOOK MARKET
 https://centrick.co.uk/birmingham/
 https://www.your-move.co.uk/properties-to-rent/birmingham
 https://www.gumtree.com/flats-houses/property-to-rent/house/uk/birmingham
 https://www.onthemarket.com/to-rent/property/birmingham-and-surrounds/
 https://paulcarrestateagents.co.uk/lettings
 https://www.thehouseshop.com