Shared ownership houses for sale | What is shared ownership?

How does it work?

Eligibility

Staircasing

Considerations

Shared ownership houses

Shared ownership

Newsam Rise

by Home Reach

Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 9AD

2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses

From £133,485 for a 30% share
(From £444,950 Full Market Value)

This exciting development at Skelton Gate is surrounded by the West Yorkshire countryside, close to the pretty River Aire yet only 6 miles from Leeds city centre. Our range of 2-, 3-and 4-bedroom homes embrace contemporary design, while retaining classic architecture and traditional build quality. They include popular features such as open-plan living areas, stylish fitted kitchens, french doors and spacious master bedrooms with en suites. So, if you’re looking for an impressive new home in the Yorkshire countryside but within easy reach of Leeds, your search ends here! PEA - A Images are for illustrative purposes only. Please speak to Sales Adviser for full details

Shared ownership

Waterloo Sidings

by Persona Homes

Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 0JY

2 & 3 bedroom houses

From £53,750 for a 20% share
(From £268,750 Full Market Value)

Discover Waterloo Sidings, a beautiful new community of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes in Halton Moor, available with shared ownership - making it easier to own the home you’ve been dreaming of. Thoughtfully designed for modern living, these homes are ideal for first-time buyers taking their first step, families looking for more space, or anyone ready to embrace a fresh start.

Shared ownership

The Homesteads

by Home Reach

Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, S63 9FL

3 & 4 bedroom houses

From £143,997 for a 60% share
(From £239,995 Full Market Value)

The Homesteads is a stunning development of 3 and 4 bedroom semi-detached and detached homes, located within the popular village of Goldthorpe. Ideally positioned close to the A635 and A1(M), the larger towns of Barnsley and Rotherham and the city of Doncaster are all within a 20-minute drive. Perfect for first-time buyers, families and downsizers EPC rating: PEA- B

Shared ownership

How does Shared ownership work?

Shared ownership allows you to buy a share of a new house and pay rent on the remaining part. It is a government-backed incentive scheme, primarily aimed at helping first time buyers onto the property ladder. You can also use it to buy a bigger home than you can afford on the open market.

The percentage you can purchase may be different depending on where you buy the home:

In England, you can buy shares of between 10% and 75% of the full market value
In Scotland, you can buy a 25%, 50% or 75% share
In Wales, you can buy shares of between 25 and 75% of what the home is worth

Shared ownership is also known as ‘part-buy, part-rent’.

You will purchase your shared ownership property via a housing association or council. The home will be a new build or a re-sale of an existing shared ownership property, of which you’ll need to purchase the same percentage of shares as the existing owner, or more.

You will need a deposit and a mortgage on your share of the property that you are buying. The remaining share is owned by the housing association or council, and you will pay rent comprising up to 3% of this amount.

Although the housing association may have shares of up to 90% in your home, you will become the owner of the lease. As the leaseholder, you will be responsible for repairs inside the property and the housing association will take care of the outside.

To cover any costs that might be necessary for outside work, you will need to pay a service charge, usually paid monthly. It is a good idea to find out how much the service charge is and factor that into all monthly outgoings before you agree to buy.

Shared ownership eligibility

In England, this scheme is available to those in a household with a combined income of less than £80,000 a year (or £90,000 in London), and you are unable to afford a deposit and mortgage payments on a suitable property for you and your family. In Wales, you must have a combined income of less than £60,000.

There are other criteria you must meet, such as:

being a first time buyer, or
if you used to own a home but can no longer afford to buy outright, or
you want to move from one shared ownership property to another, or
you're setting up a new household, for example after a relationship breakdown, or
you currently own a home, and wish to move but cannot afford to buy outright.

You will also need to have no outstanding credit issues, so make sure you get your finances in order before you apply.

Criteria varies by country, so be sure to check before applying.

A development of Shared Ownership homes in England

What is Staircasing in Shared ownership?

You can buy additional shares of your home, usually in increments of 10%, until you own the majority or all of your home. Some older leases set the minimum amount at 25%, and newer ones may allow you to buy as little as 5% at a time. There are some instances where you may be able to buy 1% shares.

This process is called staircasing and allows you to own more of your home as you earn more money or can afford a bigger mortgage. Each time you wish to purchase more shares, these will be based on the value of the home at the time of buying the shares, and not the value of your home when you first bought it.

You will need to pay for a professional valuation of your property to determine the value of the shares before you can buy them. Buying more shares in your home will also mean paying less rent.

Things to consider before buying a Shared ownership home

There are other factors which may impact your decision on whether shared ownership is right for you:

You will still need a deposit for the mortgage portion of your home, usually between 5% and 10% of the value of the mortgage.
All usual moving fees apply including surveys, stamp duty and legal costs.
If you’re aged 55 or over, you may be eligible for Older People’s Shared ownership (OPSO) but bear in mind, you will only be able to own up to 75% of your home.
If you are a key worker, then a percentage of properties through housing associations will be allocated to those who work for the NHS, police, local authorities, Ministry of Defence and many more. Ask the housing association for more information.

Useful links

Find out more about shared ownership in England

Find out more about shared ownership in Scotland

Find out more about shared ownership in Wales

Shared ownership providers

The following housing associations and developers have shared ownership properties available throughout the UK which you can enquire via this website: