What happens if someone dies without a will?
The intestacy rules decide who inherits, in a fixed order that ignores what anyone intended — and leaves unmarried partners with nothing.
intermediate15 min3 min read
Money & Practical
Budgeting, bills and buying decisions, described as processes you can follow. These guides explain method — how to work something out for yourself. They are not financial advice and recommend no specific products.
425 guides
What household admin should I do in which month?
A calendar built round your own renewal dates rather than a generic list — what belongs in each month, and the one recurring slot that carries most of it.
beginner40 min3 min readWhat is a standing charge and can I avoid it?
The daily fee you pay before using any energy, why it exists, and the trade-off in tariffs that reduce it.
beginner15 min2 min readWhat is the difference between exchange of contracts and completion?
Exchange makes the sale legally binding and fixes the date; completion is when the money moves and you get the keys. What each one actually does, what changes at exchange, and what happens if either goes wrong.
beginner10 min5 min readWhat paperwork should I keep, and for how long?
What to keep forever, what to keep for a few years, and what can go today.
beginner45 min2 min readWhat should I ask before buying a leasehold flat?
The specific questions that decide whether a flat is a good buy or an expensive mistake — lease length, ground rent, service charge history, planned works, building safety and the restrictions in the lease.
intermediate14 min5 min readWho pays for a funeral, and what does it actually cost?
The estate pays first, banks will normally release funds before probate, and the price range between the cheapest and the traditional option is enormous.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I decide how much to spend on something?
Price tiers are not a quality ladder — they are different products for different use. How to place yourself on the tier honestly, and where paying more genuinely returns the money.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I decide which repair to do first when money is tight?
A triage order that puts safety first, then damage that is getting worse, then things that cost you money every day, then everything else.
beginner25 min3 min readDo I need a TV licence, and how do I cancel one?
What triggers the requirement is watching live broadcasts on any service, or using iPlayer at all — not owning a television.
beginner12 min3 min readDo I need travel insurance?
What it actually protects against, why the medical section is the part that matters, and the declarations that decide whether a claim is paid.
beginner30 min5 min readDoes home insurance cover working from home?
The line between clerical work and business use, what is not covered by default, and the one phone call that resolves it.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I agree a gift limit with family?
Raising the subject without awkwardness, the arrangements that work, and how to make a limit stick once it is agreed.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I avoid regretting a big purchase?
Regret comes from three specific causes, and each has a preventive step taken before you buy rather than a cure taken afterwards.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I build a weighted comparison table for a big decision?
A scoring grid that gives more weight to the things that matter more — how to build one in ten minutes, and the two ways it goes wrong if you are not honest with it.
beginner40 min3 min readHow do I cancel a subscription?
Cancelling properly so it actually stops, including the ones that hide the cancel button or refuse to have one.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I challenge a council tax band?
The two-step check that decides whether you have a case, and the free process — with an honest note on the risk.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I challenge a service charge I think is wrong?
There is a specialist tribunal for this, it is designed to be used without a lawyer, and the sequence before you get there is what usually resolves it.
advanced2 hr3 min readHow do I chase something that has gone quiet?
Chasing effectively without escalating too early — what to include, when to send it, and where to go when chasing stops working.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I check I am being paid the minimum wage?
The rate is only half the calculation — which hours count is the other half. Travel between jobs, sleep-in shifts, trial shifts and deductions all change the answer, and each has a specific rule.
intermediate13 min6 min readHow do I choose trainers for what I actually do?
Matching the shoe to the activity, why fit beats every specification, and the honest position on pronation and cushioning.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I cut my subscription costs?
How to find every recurring payment you have, decide which to keep, and stop the ones you don't from renewing quietly.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I extend the lease on my flat?
The statutory route and the informal route, why eighty years is the number everyone talks about, and what to establish before you start. Written without a single figure, because the valuation rules are mid-reform.
advanced16 min6 min readHow do I get a document witnessed or certified?
The difference between witnessing, certifying and notarising, who can do each, and what they actually have to write.
beginner45 min3 min read
Going deeper: ToolFoundry
Interactive calculators — quantities, conversions, costs and sizing — rather than prose.
ToolFoundry is in development — GuideHQ covers the practical answers in the meantime.