London Home Show Countdown: Catalyst New Homes
Back to basics – what is Shared Ownership?
Buying your first home can feel like a daunting experience. With all sorts of jargon surrounding the purchasing process, we wanted to take you back to basics.
Joe Farrington, Senior Sales Manager for Catalyst and London Home Show Ask the Expert Panellist, gives you the lowdown on Shared Ownership.
Shared Ownership is a fantastic alternative home buying scheme, that helps thousands of first time buyers onto the property ladder every year, across London and beyond.
It’s a government-backed part-buy, part-rent scheme that allows buyers to purchase a percentage share of their home and pay rent on the remaining portion. This initial share purchased can be between 25-75%, giving buyers the flexibility to purchase what they can afford.
Buyers will usually need a 5-10% deposit and mortgage to cover the share they are buying. This can mean that buyers need considerably lower savings to get on to the property ladder, compared to buying on the open market.
To be eligible for the scheme you must be a first time buyer so you cannot already own a home, or part of a home, at the time of completion. Additionally, your household income cannot exceed £90,000 – or £80,000 if buying outside of the capital.
It’s a common myth that Shared Ownership homes are only available in low value areas, miles from shops and transport links! In reality, Shared Ownership homes can be found in really high value areas. For example, for those looking to step onto the property ladder in pricey South West London, The Switch is Catalyst’s collection of one to three bedroom Shared Ownership apartments, equidistant between buzzing Wimbledon and the yuppie and growing family hotspot of Earlsfield. Prices at The Switch start from just £77,500 for a 25% share of a studio apartment.
In another highly sought-after area, The Folium offers one, two and three bedroom Shared Ownership apartments in Coppets Wood, a short walk from the affluent North London enclave of Muswell Hill. Apartments at The Folium are available through Shared Ownership. Prices start from £167,000 for a 40% share of a one bedroom apartment (FMV: £417,500).
Don’t forget, Shared Ownership isn’t just available in London. We have a whole host of homes available outside the capital too. For example, Newman Place in Oxford offers one to four bedroom Shared Ownership properties, priced from £68,750 for a 25% share of a one bedroom apartment.
Got a question for Joe, or just want to hear more about Shared Ownership? Join Joe at his Ask the Expert session at the London Home Show at 12:05pm.
To find out more about homes available with Catalyst, visit Catalyst at the London Home Show or visit catalyst.homes
The capital’s no.1 first time buyer event is returning to the QEII Centre in Westminster on Saturday 18th September! Register for your FREE ticket to the London Home Show to find out more about Shared Ownership, Help to Buy and the buying process.