Sometimes purchasing a house and getting on the property ladder can seem unattainable, however there are plenty of Government-backed schemes to help make this dream become a reality.
A client recently got in touch to ask about one of these schemes, ‘shared ownership’, and to learn how it works. Howells Solicitors has extensive experience in the subject area that includes a wide variety of shared ownership/shared equity schemes and we were happy to answer the following question:
Q: I have been trying to buy a house of my own recently, but I am really struggling because the price of property is just so expensive. My colleague has said that I should look into shared ownership but, to be honest, though I have heard about it, I know nothing about it. What does buying ‘a share’ of a property involve?
A: Shared ownership combines renting with buying part of a property. It is available through housing associations who are sometimes called ‘registered providers’. You can buy from 25% to 75% and pay rent on the share you do not own.
You will need a mortgage to fund the share you buy, and a deposit or reservation fee may be payable. A mortgage valuation and/or survey fee will be payable, plus legal fees, search fees and Land Registry fees.
You can find out more about this in our post: ‘What is A Shared Equity Mortgage?’
If you buy a flat or a house that has the use of communal areas, you may also have to pay an annual service charge, so you have to budget carefully.
If you can afford it, you may buy more shares in your property (up to 100% in most cases) and this process is called ‘staircasing’.
Want to Learn More?
If you are considering purchasing a property via a shared ownership scheme, our team of legal experts will be happy to assist you throughout the process. Please call 0808 178 2773 to speak to our specialist conveyancing solicitors today.
Alternatively, check out our conveyancing FAQs to learn more about other common queries.
