SHARED EQUITY

Shared Ownership

Shared ownership schemes are provided through housing associations. You buy a share of your home (25% to 75% of the home’s value) and pay rent on the remaining share.

You will need to take out a mortgage to pay for your share of the home’s purchase price.

Shared ownership properties are always leasehold.

Eligibility

You can buy a home through shared ownership if:You are a first-time buyer (or you used to own a home, but can’t afford to buy one now)

  • You are a first-time buyer (or you used to own a home, but can’t afford to buy one now)Your household earns £60,000 a year or less (or £66,000 a year or less in London for a 1 or 2-bedroom property, or £80,000 a year or less in London for a 2 or
  • Your household earns £60,000 a year or less (or £66,000 a year or less in London for a 1 or 2-bedroom property, or £80,000 a year or less in London for a 2 or more-bedroom property)You rent a council or housing association property
  • You rent a council or housing association property.
Equity

People with disabilities

Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities (HOLD) can help you buy any home that is for sale on a shared ownership basis if you have a long-term disability.

You can only apply for HOLD if the properties available in the other Help to Buy schemes don’t meet your needs, e.g. you need a ground-floor property.

Buying more shares

You can buy more shares in your home any time after you become the owner. This is known as ‘staircasing’.

The cost of your new share will depend on how much your home is worth when you want to buy the share. If property prices in your area have gone up, you’ll pay more than for your first share.

If your home has dropped in value, your new share will be cheaper.

The housing association will get the property valued and let you know the cost of your new share.

You will be required to pay the valuer’s fee.

Selling your home

If you own 100% of your home, you can sell it yourself. When you put it up for sale, the housing association has the right to buy the property back first. This is known as ‘first refusal’ and the housing association has this right for 21 years after you fully own the home.

If you own a share of your home, the housing association has the right to find a buyer for it.

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