What Is Shared Ownership?

In addition to a deposit for buying your new home, you will need to allocate money towards the buying process. Below is a rough estimation of the money you will need:

Reservation fee: £500
Solicitor fee: £1000
Other legal disbursements: £500
Mortgage valuation fee: up to £600
Mortgage arrangement fee: up to £999 (this can sometimes be added to your mortgage instead)

Stamp Duty: Depending on the value of the property, you may need to pay stamp duty. You have the choice of paying a single payment based on the total market value or paying in stages. If you pay in stages, there is no Stamp Duty until you staircase up to an 80% share in the property. Please speak to your solicitor for further details.

For exact reservation fee it is best to ask your Sales Executive as it can vary based on the property you buy. Again, Solicitor fees can vary and it will depend on your personal needs, they can always estimate the fees required, so ask upfront. Depending on your mortgage advisor you may have to pay them a fee, but there are free financial advisors available. Our Sales Executive will be able to recommend independent mortgage advisors if you require.
 

You are eligible for Shared Ownership as long as you meet the other eligibility criteria, but you are likely to need a higher deposit  for your share. Your mortgage will also still be subject to the lender’s conditions and it is worth speaking to a Financial Advisor for the latest acceptable mortgage criteria.

When completing our affordability checks we need to ensure of a stable income. If you are self-employed we will need to see audited accounts for the last two years and an estimate for the current year or the previous three years tax returns and SA302 statements.

If you are in doubt, it is always worth speaking to us. We are happy to help and can refer you to a free Financial Advisor to check your affordability and mortgage options so you can understand what you can afford.

You can sell your home at any time. If you still own a % share of the property, the lease will note that Square Roots has exclusivity to sell the home for a certain period of time. This means we will try and find a buyer in the first instance. If this period ends and we have not found a buyer, you are free to sell your home on the open market. The amount of money you receive through the sale will depend on your % share in the property. If the value of your property has increased since you bought, so will the value of the share you receive from the sale.

Our developments are all pet friendly, but before you buy it is best to discuss this with your Sales Executive to understand the full terms, like any leasehold property there may be restrictions depending on the type and size of the pet to reduce the risk of disturbing other residents. 

The monthly rent you pay does not contribute to increasing the share you own. This money is paid on the remainder of the property that you don’t own in the same way you would pay rent to a landlord, but it is at a reduced rate. You still have the benefits of a homeowner, it is your permanent place to live without a risk of end of tenancy (unless you do not keep up your payments). You can reduce your monthly rent by increasing the share you own in the property (staircasing) over time as your savings grow until you own 100%.

This is known as staircasing and enables you to gradually increase the amount of the property you own once you have owned your shared ownership property for a certain period of time. Please view our STAIRCASING GUIDE for more information.

If you buy through Shared-Ownership, we are delighted to say this means you are considered a homeowner.

This means you have the same rights and responsibilities as a typical homeowner. You are responsible for all bills related to the home including service charge and ground rent as well as its general maintenance. You can decorate your home as you wish. As a leasehold property, it is advisable you check your lease before making any big changes as you may need to seek permission for certain items. If you are looking to make structural changes such as moving a wall, you must get our approval first.

Please note The Help to Buy: Equity Loan is no longer available

Shared Ownership (and previously Help to Buy) is a government backed scheme that has helped thousands of people get on the property ladder. 

Shared Ownership – this is a part-buy, part-rent scheme that allows you to secure your home with a much smaller deposit. You only put down a deposit for the share you are buying, not the whole property. The minimum % of your home you can buy is usually 25% and the maximum initial amount you can buy is 75%. The beauty is you can buy more later when your savings have grown and you are in a position to afford a bigger share. As your share increases, your monthly rent will reduce because you own more of the property. You can be a first-time buyer or homeowner, as long you selling your property before buying through Shared Ownership.

Help to Buy: Equity Loan – This scheme was for first time buyers only and helped keep your mortgage payments lower for the first 5 years. If you paid a 5% deposit on the whole property value (and can be qualified for a mortgage on the full remainder), you could have been eligible to borrow an equity loan from the government that was interest free for the first 5 years (20% loan outside of London, 40% loan in London). The equity loan was based on the value of the property. If you had a 20% equity loan and the value of your home increased, you would have paid back 20% of the new value. Your mortgage payments would have been lower because you only then needed a mortgage for the remaining 75% (or 55% in London) of the property. 

Although Help to Buy is no longer available, our parent company London Square has a number of other buying schemes available, including a 5% deposit boost. For more information VISIT LONDON SQUARE

Only you can decide if this scheme is a good idea for you financially. But we are happy to assist you in finding the best way for you to get on the property ladder with affordability checks and introducing you to an independent Financial Advisor. We always recommend looking at what options are available to you before making a decision. If it is something you can’t afford right now, you may be able to set up a plan to afford Shared Ownership in the future. 

We bring with us the support and knowledge from our award-winning parent company London Square. For over a decade they have developed state-of-the-art homes, created successful communities where people want to settle and belong and have achieved multiple awards for customer service as well as design and build. We are backed with their expertise, enabling us to capitalise on the shared knowledge to build and create affordable quality homes that people actually want to live in. Each location is carefully chosen by our team while employing a bespoke approach to architecture, design, and residential needs specific to that location. For more information about London Square, please visit their WEBSITE.