FAQs

Shared Ownership is a scheme designed to help people who want to buy a home of their own, but who can’t afford the cost of buying the whole property outright.

Shared Ownership is a great solution if:

• you’re a first-time buyer
• you used to own a home, but can’t afford to buy one now
• you own a home and want to move but can’t afford a new home suitable for your needs
• you’re forming a new household – for example, after a relationship breakdown
• you’re an existing shared owner and want to move

For more information visit our Shared Ownership page.

You can check to see if you are eligible for shared ownership by visiting Gov.uk website.

For further information visit our Shared Ownership page.

You may increase your ownership in separate stages or one stage to 100% (depending upon the restrictions in your lease).

For a standard Shared Ownership lease you can purchase a minimum share of 10%. For new model Shared Ownership lease this is 5%, although with an option to purchase 1% shares each year over 15 years. Please check your lease for more information.

For more information about staircasing please read our guide to Staircasing or our Staircasing FAQs 

The current market value of your property is determined by the Surveyor. We’ll also receive a valuation figure disregarding the uplift in value of the property due to any improvements you have made; this is the value we use to calculate the cost of the additional shares you wish to purchase.

For more information about staircasing please read our guide to Staircasing or our Staircasing FAQs 

We don’t charge an administration fee for processing your staircasing application.  However, you’ll need to pay the cost of the valuation, your legal costs and any costs imposed by your mortgage company.  Please refer to the Shared Ownership Administration Charges Guidelines and Fees on our Shared Ownership page.

It’s important to think about all the costs involved in a staircasing application before you decide to go ahead.

For more information about staircasing please read our guide to Staircasing or our Staircasing FAQs 

This is a condition in your lease and is to make sure that a true open market value is determined, so that you get the true price of your equity share.

For more information contact our Property Sales team.

We’ll advertise your property with our Sales Agents, who hold a database of potential purchasers and promote on different home selling websites.

For more information contact our Property Sales team.

We’d normally expect the resale to complete within 3 months during the period that the valuation is valid; however there are occasions when it may take longer.

For more information contact our Property Sales team.

All our market rent properties are advertising through our Lettings Agent, Wards.

If you’d like to register your interest for a market rent property at one of our new developments you can email us at market.rent@goldinghomes.org.uk. Please let us know the names of all applicants, job titles, level of income, property size required, availability to move, and whether you have any pets.

We don’t accept Housing Benefit for private market properties.

We undertake referencing and affordability checks through an independent company. For more information on the level of income required and the benefit payments that can be taken into account please view our Renting a Home page.

Please contact us to find out if we have any commercial units available to rent. You can call us or send an email to commercials@goldinghomes.org.uk.

Please let us know the details of your business and what your current situation is, i.e. have you got an existing business or do have you a history of running a business, etc.

The majority of our commercial leases stipulate that rent is due in advance of every quarter – 1 April, 1 July, 1 October and 1 January. In some circumstances we’ll agree that you can pay by a monthly Direct Debit.

Our Residential and Commercials Lettings Officer will be able to help you with your enquiry. You can call them or email at leasehold@goldinghomes.org.uk.

As a leaseholder you can pay your service charges in full in April when you are sent the estimated bill. Alternatively you can pay monthly over 12 months, by Direct Debit. We also accept this payment by Standing Order.

We understand that major works bills can be sizeable and ask that leaseholders make financial provision for works that may be undertaken in advance. When you receive the invoice you can pay in full, or monthly over a twelve month plan from the date you receive the invoice. Further information on paying major works bills can be found by visiting our Residential Leaseholders page.