Hopkins Homes and Tilia Homes have completed a merger to form a new housebuilding brand – untypical. The company is owned by the Hands Family Office and managed under European investment firm, Terra Firma.
untypicalhas set out its aim to become the UK’s most customer-centric housebuilder with a goal of making a positive difference in the UK housebuilding market by helping to provide greater access to homes that 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.
Tilia Homes and Hopkins Homes will continue as the customer-facing brands, enabling untypicalto 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 focusing on value for customers. With 62% of homebuyers now prioritising energy efficiency when they look for a new home, untypicalwill strive to meet this through innovative design, sustainable practices and industry partnerships.
Recently, Hopkins Homes became 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 £125million 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 working on developing 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, 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’sgrowth 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.”
