The shared ownership mortgage scheme works by property buyers 'sharing' the ownership of the property. On the initial purchase you will typically buy 25/50/75% of the total property value. The remaining 75/50/25% of the property is owned jointly, usually with a housing association. They charge you a 'rent' for the 'share' you do not own.

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The main benefit of getting a shared ownership mortgage is that you get a foothold on the housing ladder and benefit from the potential increase to the value of your 'share'.

 

Also these schemes are unique in that you can 'staircase' up your ownership of the property; meaning you have the ability to buy additional sections of the property at a later date. Therefore you can start off by buying 50% of the property initially, then in 2 years buy another 25% and finally the last 25% so you own the entire property. This saves you the cost of having to 'size up' during your working life. As you increase your ownership of the property your rent decreases to reflect the increased ownership.