Is this guidance for you?
Use this page if you are an existing Shared Ownership customer thinking about buying more shares in your home. It explains how staircasing works, what to check before you apply, and when your lease may affect your options.
Once you have purchased your home through Shared Ownership, you may be able to buy more shares. In most cases, this means you can eventually own your home outright.
Important note: There are some situations where you may not be able to buy additional shares. This could be because:
- Your home was built specifically for customers over the age of 55.
- Your lease is fixed at a specific percentage, which means you can only staircase up to a certain amount.
- Your home is in a rural area where the Shared Ownership scheme is designed to be offered again to other first-time buyers in the future.
You should check your lease to confirm whether you can staircase to 100%.
The process of buying more shares is known as ‘staircasing’. There are six steps involved in buying further shares in your Shared Ownership home.
Once you have completed the relevant steps and have your documents ready, you must use the ‘Apply now’ button below to submit your staircasing application under Step 5.
Please make sure you are aware of our charges and our policies.
Step 1 – Arrange a RICS valuation
Step 1: Arrange a RICS valuation
You need to arrange and pay for a valuation to be carried out on your home by a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) surveyor.
Option 1: Choose your own surveyor
Option 2: Choose one of our panel surveyors
You can choose a surveyor from our panel.
Relevant information about your RICS survey
- Your RICS valuation must meet the following requirements.
- The surveyor must be independent and not associated with any estate agents.
- The surveyor must not be related to you or employed by any bank or building society.
- The surveyor must hold a recognised qualification: FRICS, MRICS or RICS.
- We require a copy of the valuation report. The report should be valid for three months and until completion takes place.
- The report must include at least three comparable properties used to determine the value.
- The report should state that we can use its contents.
- The surveyor should be told the remaining length of your lease and must take this into consideration when valuing the property. The report should reflect this.
- The surveyor should sign the report.
- Once you have received your independent valuation report, please send us a copy.
Once you have received your independent valuation report, please send us a copy.
Step 2 – Check what you can afford with your lender or broker
We recommend speaking to your current lender or a mortgage broker to help you decide the size of the share you can afford to buy.
You should also speak to a financial adviser before starting the process, so you understand how much money you may be able to borrow.
Step 3 – Instruct a solicitor
You’ll need a solicitor when you buy an extra share in your home.
You can use the solicitor who dealt with your original purchase, or you can choose one from our panel of solicitors.
Step 4 – Send us a copy of your lease
We’ll need a copy of your lease so we can forward it to our solicitors.
You should have a copy from when you purchased your home. If you do not have one, you can request a copy from:
- Your solicitor
- Your mortgage lender
- The Land Registry by calling 0300 006 0411
Step 5 – Submit your staircasing application with the required documents
You must submit your staircasing application using the ‘Apply now’ button below.
Before you apply, make sure you have the following documents saved on your computer:
- A copy of your RICS survey report
- A copy of your lease
- A copy of any permissions for improvements to your home
Step 6 – Complete the legal work before the valuation expires
Your solicitor will complete the relevant legal work and coordinate with our solicitor.
Please remember that your RICS valuation is valid for three months. You must complete the transaction within this period. If the transaction is not completed in time, you will need an extension or an updated RICS valuation at your own expense.
If you are staircasing to 100% and live in an apartment where Guinness is the landlord, you will continue to own your home as leasehold. You will also continue to pay a service charge for communal areas.
If you live in a house, Guinness may transfer the freehold to you, depending on your specific lease. In some cases, you may still own a leasehold interest so that service charges for common areas can be collected in the future.