An advantage of Shared Ownership is that you can buy more shares and, in most cases, eventually own your home outright. Buying more shares is known as 'Staircasing'. There are five steps involved in buying further shares in your Shared Ownership home.
Step 1
You need to arrange a valuation by a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) surveyor.
Choice 1 - choose your own surveyor from the national register
Choice 2 - choose one of our panel surveyors
Relevant information about your RICS Survey
- The surveyor needs to be independent and cannot be associated with any estate agents.
- The surveyor must not be related to you.
- The surveyor must not be employed by any bank/building society.
- The surveyor must be registered with a recognised qualification of FRICS, MRICS or RICS.
- We will require a copy of the valuation report; this should be valid for three months. (and should be valid until completion takes place).
- The report must include at least three comparable properties used to determine the value.
- The report must also state that we can use the contents of the valuation report.
- The surveyor will need to be informed of the remaining length of your lease and take this into consideration when valuing the property. The report should be annotated as such, to reflect this.
- On receipt of your own independent valuation report, please arrange for a copy to be sent to us.
- The report should be signed by your surveyor.
Step 2
We recommend that you speak to your current lender or a mortgage broker when deciding on the size of share that you can afford. We advise that you talk to a financial advisor before you start the process to see how much money you will be able to borrow.
Step 3
You’ll need to use solicitors when you buy an extra share in your home. Some people prefer to use the solicitor who dealt with their original purchase – they should have easier access to information about your property. If you prefer you can contact one of our panel of solicitors.
Step 4
We’ll need a copy of your lease to forward to our solicitors. You should have a copy of your lease from when you purchased your home; however, you may be able to get a copy from your solicitor or from your mortgage lender. You can also get a copy from the Land Registry if need be. You can call them on 0300 006 0411 or get a copy online by visiting their website www.gov.uk/land-registry
Step 5
You'll need the following information saved on your computer.
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Copy of your RICS survey report
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Copy of your lease
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Copy of any permissions for improvements to your home