Whether you are looking to buy or rent your first home, looking to move to a new home or need emergency housing there are a range of options to consider depending on your age and personal circumstances.

Social housing is housing that is let at low rents and on a secure basis to people in housing need. It is generally provided by councils and not-for-profit organisations such as housing associations.

A mutual exchange is a home swap with another tenant and could involve any property type. You can swap homes with any Council tenant or Housing Association tenant in the UK providing they have the right to mutual exchange and want to swap homes with you.

Private renting offers you greater freedom to find the type of accommodation you require in the area you wish to live but, because of the high demand for properties, rents can be higher than in the private sector.

Managing your finances is an essential element to running your own home to ensure that your rent or mortgage, utility and other bills are paid on time and the best way to achieve this is by maintaing a budget.

Buying and/or selling a property is a complex process and can take several months through to completion particularly if you are part of a chain of buyers and sellers. There are several distinct steps and many important decisions to be made along the way.

Moving is an extremely expensive exercise and if you need extra room for an expanding family staying put and improving or extending your current property will save on the hidden high costs of moving:

With so much to do and so many things to remember, moving house can be stressful and hard work. It is important to start to plan your move well in advance to ensure that there are no last minute problems.

Neighbourhood problems such as disputes with a neighbour or anti social behaviour can be settled in a number of ways – either by taking action yourself, requesting help from Citizens Advice or similar organisations or contacting your landlord, the police or your local authority.

Local environmental issues such as litter, dog fouling, neighbour noise and abandoned vehicles are very important to people in their everyday lives and should be reported to the approriate authority immediately that they arise.