East Anglia based Hopkins Homes is now part of a new housebuilding company, in partnership with Tilia Homes.
untypical is owned by the Hands Family Office and managed by European investment firm, Terra Firma.
The company aims to address challenges in the housing market, including affordability and sustainability.
It aims to deliver over 2,000 homes per year in the near term, with plans to become a leading UK housebuilder over 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 new homebuyers.
However, despite the financial headwinds affecting homebuyers, buying a home remains a deeply emotional transaction, with 83% of buyers looking to buy a property that they are proud of.
A spokesman says that untypical aims to build the homes that people want, need and are proud of. Tilia Homes and Hopkins Homes will continue as the customer-facing brands, allowing untypical to dual brand appropriate sites and provide a range of homes from entry-level to premium properties across four regions in England, including East Anglia.
The company is committed to building sustainable homes, with 62% of homebuyers prioritising energy efficiency when looking for a new home
Hopkins Homes is already a pioneer in this area as 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 ÂŁ125 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.
Guy Hands, owner of untypical and founder of investors 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.”
*Source: Terra Firma consumer research survey of 5,500 people in England, conducted by strategy consultancy The Forge between 9 May and 18 June 2024.
