Shared Ownership is an affordable home ownership scheme which makes it easier for eligible purchasers to get on the property ladder. Buyers get a mortgage for the share they can afford, and pay rent on the remaining share.
No – this is a common misconception but the ‘shared’ aspect of the scheme simply means you’re sharing ownership of your home with a housing association.
If you decide to buy a Shared Ownership home in Essex, you’re effectively purchasing a portion of your property. Your initial share will usually be between 25% to 75%, paying a mortgage on the part that you own and a below market value rent on the remaining share.
Yes – Shared Owners can choose to buy additional shares in their property by ‘staircasing’.
When buying a Shared Ownership home, you will initially purchase a minimum percentage somewhere between 25% to 75%. Down the line, if you find that your financial circumstances have changed, buyers will have the option to buy more shares.
If you choose to buy a higher percentage, your mortgage repayments will increase while the rent you pay will decrease. In the majority of cases there aren’t any restrictions and you can buy 100% of your home – in this instance, you would become the outright owner.
As a home-buying product aimed at helping those who can’t afford to purchase a property on the open market, there are certain requirements that buyers will need to meet to be considered eligible for Shared Ownership.
For example, there are caps on household income which means that you must earn less than £80,000 to be eligible for the scheme – or less than £90,000 if you would like to buy a home in London. The criteria also states that buyers must be at least 18 years of age and do not own another property either in the UK or abroad.
Shared Ownership properties enable you to put down a smaller deposit compared to those required on the open market – buyers will usually need to put down 5% to 10% of the share that they’re buying, rather than the full market value of the home.
On a monthly basis, buyers will be required to pay their mortgage, a subsidised rent and service charge on their home, however, these repayments often work out cheaper than or equal to renting privately in the same area. Other costs to consider when buying a home include solicitor and mortgage broker fees – you can find out more about these costs on Share to Buy.
Share to Buy lists thousands of Shared Ownership homes all across Essex and beyond – including new build properties and those available through resale.
Shared Ownership is available on a variety of homes including cosy studios, stylish apartments and traditional family homes. Check out our property search tool to start looking for your new home today!
The major providers of Shared Ownership, Help to Buy and other affordable ways to buy a home in Essex and nationwide have their homes listed on Share to Buy.
Share to Buy is the leading online portal for Shared Ownership properties. Established in 2004 as the UK’s first specialist online mortgage broker for affordable home ownership products, the site has since developed into a one stop shop for first time buyers, offering the country’s largest listing of Shared Ownership homes from many of the UK’s biggest housing providers.
Share to Buy is the nation’s biggest and best established affordable home ownership property portal, making it the ideal website for first time buyers looking to take that first step onto the property ladder.
Using our property search tool, you can search for homes that suit your needs via filters such as location, number of bedrooms, monthly outgoings and deposit amount. You can also set up alert preferences so you’ll be notified when new properties that meet your search are announced by email.
Acting as a one stop shop for first time buyers, Share to Buy also offers handy FAQs and guides, interactive mortgage tools, mortgage broker and conveyancing panels, and live events to help potential purchasers on their home-buying journey.
If you are a housing association or developer selling properties through Shared Ownership, Help to Buy and other affordable home ownership schemes, we can list your new build and resale homes on the Share to Buy property portal.
As well as working alongside Registered Providers, we also partner with private sellers who are looking to sell their current Shared Ownership home.
Find out more about advertising your Shared Ownership property on Share to Buy.
“The huge number of properties listed on the Share to Buy website gave me a lot of choice all in one place, even with my limited budget. Shared Ownership meant I could afford a brand new home in Zone 3, which I didn’t think I would be able to manage in a million years for my first home.”
“If you are considering Shared Ownership, I would 100% recommend using Share to Buy to learn more about the scheme and assess your options. Shared Ownership is an excellent stepping stone into the property market – it’s worked so well for me. It’s given me a freedom and flexibility I wouldn’t have had if I bought on the open market!"
“The landlord at our old place kept threatening to sell up and leave us in the lurch, which produced a lot of anxiety. Now we’ve got a stake in something, we aren’t at the mercy of someone else - we wouldn’t have that freedom if we stuck in renting or bought somewhere outright. Shared Ownership has been a perfect solution.”
For first time buyers who believe that purchasing their own home is out of reach, Shared Ownership homes in Essex can help them to take those vital first steps on to the property ladder. Help to Buy homes in Essex can also help potential purchasers to put down roots in an area they love, and finally find a place to call their own.
If you want to keep up to date with Shared Ownership and Help to Buy homes in Essex, all you have to do is sign up to Share to Buy and register to receive alerts. We’ll then automatically notify you when new properties become available.
With its unique placement within the London commuter belt, the home county of Essex provides many of the benefits of living in the capital without London prices.
Essex is home to several speciality museums, including Hollytrees and Chelmsford Museum; these stand proudly alongside theatres, such as the historic Westcliff, live music venues big and small and some truly breath-taking architectural wonders from across the ages. This is all without even mentioning the parks – both amusement and natural – the zoo, restaurants, clubs, bars and, of course, the many seaside towns.
For sports fans looking for a local game to watch or a team to support, the county has two football teams, a speedway team, an ice hockey team, a cricket club, volleyball club and more. You can even spend a day at the races thanks to the county’s excellent racing venue: Chelmsford City Races. Essex’s love affair with sports has produced world-class athletes across several sporting disciplines. And it shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.
The housing market is set to see some significant updates next year Following the change in government earlier in the year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her first Autumn Budget on October 30th 2024, outlining the Labour Party’s key priorities. Here’s what you need to know about the impact the Budget will have on the housing…
Dreaming of owning your own home in London, but feeling overwhelmed by rising private rents and the cost of living? You’re not alone. Many people wonder how to break into the London property market without stretching their finances to the limit. The answer may be simpler than you think: Shared Ownership. Let’s break down Shared…
One bedroom apartments available in Winchester now! Saving enough for a deposit on a home is arguably the biggest obstacle facing house hunters today, and it’s largely due to the rising costs of everyday essentials and high mortgage rates we’re all experiencing. A recent survey from Nationwide found that 88% of aspiring homeowners have had…
