Shared ownership houses for sale | What is shared ownership?

How does it work?

Eligibility

Staircasing

Considerations

Shared ownership houses

Shared ownership

Goddard Street

by Guinness Homes

Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3DY

Last 2 bedroom house

£82,000 for a 40% share
(£205,000 Full Market Value)

Discover Goddard Street A beautiful community located in the Cheshire town of Crewe. This brand-new collection of 2 bedroom shared ownership houses in Cheshire are just moments away from the vibrant town center but with the benefits of living in a residential community of homes. They feature a private rear garden and allocated parking. Crewe is ideally situated for country walks, bike rides and fishing while local entertainment only 10 minutes away in Crewe Town includes theatres, dining, and retail, creating the perfect place to call home for families and first-time buyers alike. For those wanting to take advantage of the excellent transport links, Crewe’s historic train station is one of the biggest and best connected in the Northwest. so you can enjoy the best of all worlds – not just great local amenities, but fast connections to stunning rural settings and major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and London for work and play. Apply now for your chance to reserve

Shared ownership

Witham Gate

by Platform Housing Group

Witham St Hughs, Lincolnshire, LN6 9XN

2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses

From £91,875 for a 35% share
(From £262,500 Full Market Value)

Witham St. Hughs is a village located approximately 6 miles south of the city of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is part of the North Kesteven district and is known for its residential character, peaceful atmosphere, and proximity to both rural countryside and urban amenities. It offers a range of amenities, including a pharmacy, hairdressers, beauticians, schools, parks, and shops, making it an ideal location for families and professionals alike. Shops include a Morrisons, Aldi, Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's all within 15 minutes drive. The village provides excellent transport links, conveniently located near the A46, providing direct access to the city of Lincoln and other major towns in Lincolnshire. The road network makes commuting to nearby areas easy and efficient. Public transport options include buses that connect Witham St. Hughs to Lincoln and neighbouring villages. The nearest railway station is located in Lincoln, where residents can access national rail services. Close by are picturesque parks and reservoirs to explore, including Whisby Nature Park and Millennium Lakes.

Shared ownership

Knights Reach

by Latimer Homes

Dartford, Kent, DA2 8DE

1 bedroom apartments

£104,000 for a 40% share
£260,000 Full Market Value

Welcome to Latimer at Knights Reach. This outstanding development offers a range of one and two bedroom apartments, as well as spacious two, three, and four-bedroom houses with the shared ownership scheme. Latimer at Knights Reach is located on the site of a former chalk quarry in Dartford, Kent. This development is set to become a vibrant new community, offering high-quality homes surrounded by beautifully landscaped open spaces. Residents will enjoy a peaceful environment, with excellent transport links to Central London in under an hour. Viewings by appointment only! Availability: Apartments available to reserve, please register your interest to submit your application. Eligibility: Please note we will prioritise applicants with a live/work connection to Dartford. A priority point scoring system will be used to assess housing need, following Homes England guidelines, based on meeting the connection criteria.

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: