Buying more shares in your Shared Ownership home

Buying more shares in your Shared Ownership home

Venturing into homeownership through Shared Ownership can be a practical stepping stone for many first-time buyers. However, many Shared Ownership homeowners eventually look to increase their equity by buying more shares in their property. Higham Critchley Barrows is here to guide you through the process, known as ‘staircasing’.

Understanding Shared Ownership and staircasing

Shared Ownership is a scheme that allows you to buy a share of your home (between 25% and 75% of the property’s value) and pay rent on the remaining share. Once you own a Shared Ownership property, there’s an option to buy more shares when you can afford to. This process is called ‘staircasing’.

The process of Staircasing

Increasing your share in a Shared Ownership home involves the following steps:

1. Valuation: You’ll need to get your property valued by a RICS qualified surveyor. The cost of buying more shares will be determined by this valuation.
2. Affordability assessment: A mortgage advisor, like Higham Critchley Barrows, can help you assess how much more you can afford to buy.
3. Legal process: Once you’ve decided how much more you can buy, a solicitor will handle the legal side of things, including adjusting your lease to reflect your new ownership.
4. Completion: After all the legalities are dealt with, you can pay for the additional shares and complete the staircasing process.
   Benefits of Staircasing

Staircasing can offer several advantages

1. Reduced rent: The more shares you own in your property, the less rent you’ll pay on the remaining share.
2. Closer to Full Ownership: Each time you buy more shares, you’re one step closer to owning your property outright.
   Increased property value: If your home’s value increases over time, owning a larger share means you’ll benefit more when you sell.

How Higham Critchley Barrows can help

At Higham Critchley Barrows, we offer expert financial advice to help you navigate the staircasing process seamlessly:

1. Expert advice: We provide personalised advice based on your financial circumstances to help you make an informed decision about staircasing.
2. Affordability checks: Our advisors will carry out an in-depth affordability assessment to determine how much more you can buy.
   Future planning: We can help you plan for future financial commitments, ensuring you maintain financial health throughout your homeownership journey.

Conclusion

Staircasing your Shared Ownership property can be an effective way to increase your equity and move closer to full homeownership. However, it’s crucial to navigate this process with expert guidance.

Higham Critchley Barrows, with our dedicated team of mortgage advisors, is ready to guide you every step of the way on your staircasing journey. If you’re considering buying more shares in your Shared Ownership home, contact us today for expert advice and guidance tailored to your unique situation.