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The New Shared Ownership Model

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A new programme has been introduced for new homes delivered under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.

Whilst providers continue to deliver homes under the current 2016-2021 programme, there will be a transition period in which both models will be available for some time. Therefore the model you purchase under will be subject to the development and property you choose to purchase. 

Please refer to your Sales Consultant to confirm which model you’re purchasing under. 

Here's everything you need to know about the New Shared Ownership Model

From minimum share percentages to 1% staircasing as a Shared Owner, watch our latest video on the New Shared Ownership Model.

Key changes:

  • The minimum initial share purchase is being reduced from 25% to 10% 
  • There will be a 10 year repair period for essential repairs which the landlord is responsible for
  • Lowered the minimum staircasing amount from 10% to 5% and introduced a 1% gradual staircasing model enabling you to purchase smaller shares each year 
  • A reduction from 8 week nomination period to 4 weeks enabling greater control for those looking to re-sell their existing shared ownership home 
  • A 990 year lease term 

Key Differences:

The introduction of Key Information Documents:

  • Key Information about the home
  • Summary of Costs
  • Key Information about shared ownership

These documents will be provided to you prior to your reservation to enable you to make an informed decision before purchasing your home.

Initial share purchase

The minimum share for purchase has reduced from 25% to 10%. The share you purchase will still be determined following an affordability assessment to ensure you can afford and sustain the property you’re purchasing.

10 year repair period:

The majority of works will be covered through your build warranty, non-structural repairs will benefit from a £500 per year allowance which carries over any remaining balance to the following year.

Staircasing under the new model

Shared Ownership customers can increase the share they own in their property at any time subject to any restrictions in the lease.

For homes provided through the 2016-2021 programme and prior to this, the minimum staircasing transaction will be 10%.

For homes provided through the 2021-2026 programme, customers will have the option to purchase 1% for the first 15 years. And the minimum staircasing transaction will reduce to 5% from 10%.

Changes to Selling your Shared Ownership Home

The nomination period to find a purchaser for your property has reduced from 8 weeks to 4 weeks.

A 990 year lease term

All properties under the new model will have a lease term of 990 year as a minimum.

PH SHARE OWNERSHIP GUIDE THUMBNAIL HR PH SHARE OWNERSHIP GUIDE THUMBNAIL HR

Step by step, a guide to Shared Ownership

Download our latest Shared Ownership guide to find out whether Shared Ownership is a suitable route for you.

Download Shared Ownership Guide

Most buyers who can’t afford to buy a home outright can apply to buy through shared ownership.

We may also be able to help if you need to move because of a relationship breakdown or if your work requires you to live in an area outside your price range.

In order to buy through the Shared Ownership scheme, you must be able to demonstrate that you can afford and sustain home ownership. If you proceed with Shared Ownership you will be required to undertake an affordability assessment.

You must meet our adverse credit policy, if you have a history of adverse credit you are unlikely to be accepted depending on individual circumstances.

There's 10 key steps to buying a home with us, and our aim at Platform is to make the buying process run as smoothly as possible for you, we outline the full process when buying through Shared Ownership here.

Our team are here to help you every step of the way.

Shared owners still have to pay many of the usual costs involved in buying a home.

Reservation fee

We will ask you for a £250 deposit to reserve your chosen home. When the sale goes through we put this towards your purchase payments. However, we cannot refund it if the sale does not go through.

Mortgage deposit and fees

Most mortgage lenders will ask for a 5% or 10% deposit towards the price of the share you want to buy. They are also likely to charge a valuation fee and administration fees.

Legal fees

Solicitors’ charges can vary so it is best to get a few estimates. You will also have to pay Land Registry and local search fees, and may have to pay stamp duty depending on the value of the property.

After you've moved in

You also need to budget for the ongoing costs of owning a home.

Mortgage repayments

You will have to make monthly mortgage repayments to your lender. Depending upon the type of mortgage you have, these repayments may vary as interest rates change.

Rent

You pay a subsidised monthly rent to us on the share of your home which we own. The amount is reviewed on the 1st April each year.

Service charges

You will have to pay a small charge if your home has any facilities or communal areas which we maintain, such as shared entrance halls, lighting and grounds. Your service charge will also include your buildings insurance and your management fee.

Household bills

These include your council tax and utility bills for water, gas and electricity.

Repairs

We will arrange for any defects on new-build homes to be repaired during a set time period. After that time has elapsed, you will be responsible for arranging and paying for all repairs to your home.

Home contents insurance

We provide buildings insurance with the cost of your service charge but this does not cover your belongings. We strongly recommend you arrange your own home contents insurance.

On the property listings for some of our shared ownership homes, you will see that we state a local connection to the area is required.

This generally applies in rural areas and small villages where land has been made available specifically for affordable housing to meet the needs of local people, rather than for private development.

These are known as ‘rural exception sites’ or 'protected areas' and are controlled by ‘Section 106 Agreements’. They aim to help local people and families afford homes in the area where they grew up.

The local connection criteria can vary between different developments, but is usually based on the following:

  • applicant was born in the area and has lived there for a number of years
  • applicant has permanently lived in the area for a number of years
  • applicant used to live in the area for a number of years but had to move away because of the lack of affordable housing
  • applicant has been permanently employed in the area for a number of years
  • The number of years is usually between 2 and 5, although this differs by local authority

Usually priority is given to applicants with a local connection to the parish. If there are still properties remaining, allocation will be opened up to surrounding parishes and then to the whole of the local authority area. This ensures that the homes are occupied by residents as local to the area as possible.

If you want to find out more about the local connection criteria for a particular development, or check if you qualify, please email sales@platformhg.com

Much will depend on your other financial commitments and what property/share you want to buy. We don't want you to be overstretched, so we need to be sure that you can afford to pay your mortgage and rent. We look at each application individually and will advise you on your options.

Shared ownership schemes are backed by government funding to help people on smaller incomes. So you will not qualify for most shared ownership schemes if your household income is less than £10,000 or more than £80,000 a year.