What should I check on the day I get the keys?
The hour of checking on handover day that protects your deposit, your bills and your first week.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min read
Household Admin
Paperwork, renewals and the annual jobs.
258 guides in Money & Practical
What do I need to declare on an insurance policy?
The duty is broader than the questions asked, and the cost of getting it wrong is total.
beginner20 min2 min readDo I pay tax on money I make selling things online?
Clearing out your own belongings is not trading and is not taxed. Buying or making things to sell is, and platforms now report seller data to HMRC — which is why so many people got letters.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I spot a scam?
The patterns behind almost every scam — urgency, unusual payment methods, and unsolicited contact — and what to do if you've been caught.
beginner20 min3 min readWhat changed for renters in England under the Renters' Rights Act?
The main tenancy reforms commenced on 1 May 2026 in England: no more fixed terms, no more section 21, new rent-increase rules, a cap on rent in advance and a right to ask for a pet. What is live and what is still to come.
intermediate15 min6 min readWhat does home insurance actually cover?
Buildings against contents, what the common exclusions are, and the two mistakes that void claims.
beginner25 min2 min readWhat should I do immediately after damage at home?
The order of the first hour — stop it, make it safe, record it, report it — and the mistakes that cost a claim.
beginner1 hr4 min readWhere can I get free, independent money help in the UK?
Which free service does what — guidance, rights, debt, complaints and regulation — so you go to the right one first and never pay for something available free.
beginner15 min3 min readDo I need probate?
Probate is not needed for every estate. What decides it is how assets were owned and what each institution's own threshold is, not the size of the estate alone.
intermediate20 min3 min readDo I need to fill in a self assessment tax return?
The situations that trigger a return, the ones that only look like they do, and the checker that answers it definitively in two minutes.
beginner15 min3 min readDoes insurance cover storm and flood damage?
What counts as a storm, why gradual damage is excluded, and the two conditions that most often defeat an otherwise valid claim.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I stop a recurring payment my bank cannot see?
Why some payments do not appear in the direct debit list, what a continuous payment authority is, and your right to stop one.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I take a complaint to an ombudsman?
The two conditions that must be met first, which scheme covers which sector, and what to send them.
beginner45 min4 min readHow does redundancy work, and what am I entitled to?
What makes a dismissal genuinely a redundancy, what consultation should look like, and the three separate payments that fall due — which are frequently confused with each other.
intermediate20 min3 min readHow much maternity leave and pay am I entitled to?
Maternity leave is a day-one right and maternity pay is not. The two qualifying tests, the deadlines that actually matter, and how 52 weeks of leave maps onto 39 weeks of pay.
intermediate18 min6 min readWhat do I do about a payment I do not recognise?
Identify it before reporting it — most unfamiliar payments are legitimate under an unfamiliar name.
beginner30 min2 min readWhat is a lasting power of attorney and which type do I need?
Two separate documents with different rules about when they can be used. Both have to be made while capacity is intact, which is the whole difficulty.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I make a will, and do I need a solicitor?
The formalities that make a will valid, the decisions to make before drafting, and the situations where a DIY will reliably goes wrong.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I replace a lost birth certificate or passport?
Which document to replace first, the official routes and what they cost, and why the order matters.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I set up post redirection?
What redirection does and does not cover, how far ahead to apply, and why it is not a substitute for telling people you have moved.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I switch broadband provider without losing service?
Who arranges the switch, when you should and should not cancel yourself, and the checks that avoid a week with no connection.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I write a formal letter or complaint?
A structure that gets a result — facts, dates, what you want, and a deadline.
beginner30 min2 min readHow is a contents sum insured worked out?
Room by room at replacement cost, the categories people forget entirely, and why under-insuring reduces small claims too.
beginner45 min4 min readWhat are the last posting dates and how do I plan around them?
How the deadlines work, why they are earlier than people expect, and the planning that makes them irrelevant.
beginner30 min4 min read
Going deeper: ToolFoundry
Interactive calculators — quantities, conversions, costs and sizing — rather than prose.