Shared Ownership helped thousands get onto the property ladder. But for some homeowners, getting off it is proving far harder than getting on.
Shared Ownership has helped thousands of people buy a home they might otherwise have struggled to afford. But when it’s time to sell a shared ownership house or flat, some homeowners are discovering that the route out can be surprisingly complicated.
Buying a share of a home can sound refreshingly simple.
You buy the percentage you can afford, take out a smaller mortgage and pay rent on the part owned by the housing association. Then, over time, you may be able to buy more through a process known as staircasing.
For many people, it has provided a genuine route into home ownership. The scheme has grown fast: the number of Shared Ownership households in England rose from 161,000 in 2019-20 to 252,000 in 2024-25, according to the government’s English Housing Survey.Â
But what happens when you need to move?
That’s where the experience can look very different.
The National Audit Office — Parliament’s independent public spending watchdog — reported in March 2026 that Shared Ownership is now the largest government-backed home ownership scheme in the country, following the closure of Help to Buy and new restrictions on Right to Buy. Its investigation found that the complexity around service charges and staircasing means many people who take up the scheme don’t fully understand the longer-term financial risks until much later.Â
And for some homeowners, the question is no longer simply:
“How much is my home worth?”
It’s:
“How do I actually get out?”
Why is it harder to sell a shared ownership property than to buy one?
If you own an ordinary property, you can generally put it on the market and sell it to any willing buyer.
Shared Ownership can be different — and the same core rules apply whether you’re trying to sell a shared ownership house, flat or maisonette.
If you own less than 100%, you normally need to notify your housing association first. It may then have a nomination period of four, eight or twelve weeks, depending on the lease, during which it has an opportunity to find a purchaser for your share. A RICS valuation is normally required and the incoming purchaser may also need to satisfy Shared Ownership eligibility requirements.Â
That immediately reduces the pool of potential buyers.
But there’s another problem.
The person considering your property isn’t simply looking at the mortgage on your share. They will also have to consider:
- Rent on the remaining share
- Service charges
- Estate or management charges
- Future rent increases
- The cost of buying additional shares later
- Potential major works
- The restrictions contained within the lease
Government guidance confirms that Shared Ownership households can face mortgage payments, rent, a service charge, an estate charge, a management fee and contributions to a repairs reserve fund all at the same time.Â
What looked affordable when the property was originally purchased may therefore look very different to the next buyer.
“I own 25% — why am I responsible for all of this?”
This is one of the areas that can come as the biggest surprise.
Buying 25% of a home does not necessarily mean paying 25% of its ongoing property costs.
Shared owners can still be responsible for service charges and other leasehold costs relating to the property and development. Rising service charges have become enough of a concern that the Government recently acknowledged, in a written parliamentary answer, that they can affect a homeowner’s ability to staircase to greater ownership.
For someone already paying mortgage, rent, service charge and household bills, a significant increase can have a real impact.
And when those costs increase, they don’t just affect the current owner.
They can make the property less attractive to the next buyer too.
That creates a difficult cycle:
Higher costs → fewer buyers → longer sale → more months paying those costs.
Staircasing can help — but it isn’t always straightforward
One potential route is to purchase more of the property.
For most Shared Ownership homes, owners can eventually staircase to 100%, although there are exceptions. In some “designated protected areas,” the maximum share you can buy is capped at 80%, and Older Persons Shared Ownership homes are capped at 75%. The price of additional shares is based on the property’s value at the time, usually supported by a RICS valuation.Â
But there’s an obvious problem.
If someone is already struggling with the cost of their home, asking them to find tens — or even hundreds — of thousands of pounds to buy the remaining share isn’t necessarily a realistic solution.
However, there is another route that is less widely understood.
Staircase and sell at the same time
Some leases allow simultaneous staircasing — sometimes called a “SIM sale” in the industry.
Rather than the homeowner buying the remaining share, waiting for the transaction to complete and then selling the property, the final staircase and sale can happen together.
The incoming purchaser’s money is used as part of the transaction to acquire the remaining share.
That can allow the property to be sold at 100% ownership, rather than limiting the sale to another Shared Ownership purchaser.
For some sellers, that can substantially increase the potential buyer pool.
But — and this is important — not every lease allows the same thing.
A property may remain leasehold after reaching 100%. Some restrictions can continue. The housing association may have particular requirements around the purchaser. There are also usually legal, valuation and administration costs involved — and because the seller technically passes through full ownership for a moment during the transaction, Stamp Duty Land Tax treatment on the final tranche can be a genuine grey area, so it’s always worth getting specialist advice on how it applies to your specific sale.
The lease ultimately decides what is possible.
What about the equity in your share?
For some sellers, this is the part that’s hardest to judge from the outside.
How much equity is actually available depends on several things at once — your mortgage balance, the housing association’s own valuation of its share, and the costs involved in the sale. That mix is different for every property, which is why two people who each own “25%” can end up in very different positions.
It’s not something you can safely estimate from a generic rule of thumb online. It depends on your specific lease, your specific mortgage, and a proper valuation of your home.Â
We’ve already purchased Shared Ownership properties directly from homeowners in this exact position, so it’s usually quicker to just ask than to try to work it. Call us today on 0800 389 7305 and we’ll be happy to review the options with you.Â
Why homeowners can feel trapped
Most people buying their first home aren’t property lawyers.
They’re thinking about:
Can I afford the deposit? Can I afford the monthly payment? Can I finally own my own home?
They may not be thinking about a hypothetical sale five or ten years later.
- What happens if the service charge doubles?
- What happens if I separate from my partner?
- What if I need to relocate?
- What if I can’t find another eligible Shared Ownership buyer?
- What if I own 25% but don’t have enough equity to fund an exit?
- What if my housing association requires a particular resale process?
The Government itself now acknowledges that affordability pressures, transaction costs, service charges and wider housing-market conditions can make staircasing harder for Shared Ownership homeowners. The National Audit Office has separately found that gaps in government data make it difficult to say clearly whether the scheme is working well for everyone across its full lifecycle, from purchase through to resale.Â
The problem is that when someone finally needs an answer, they’re often presented with more process.
A housing association.
An estate agent.
A RICS valuer.
A mortgage lender.
A solicitor.
A managing agent.
Potentially a freeholder.
And several hundred pages of lease documentation.
For someone already under pressure, that’s a lot to navigate.
What can you do if you need to sell your shared ownership property?
The first thing is don’t assume you have no options.
Depending on the property and your lease, you may be able to:
- Sell your existing share to another eligible buyer
- Sell on the open market once your housing association’s nomination period ends
- Staircase to 100%
- Sell at 100% through simultaneous staircasing
- Explore a housing-association buyback in exceptional circumstances
- Sell your Shared Ownership property to Any House Wanted
The right solution depends on the property, the lease, your mortgage and the amount of equity available.
If you’ve already been struggling to sell your shared ownership property and what you need most is certainty and a clear way forward, it may be worth finding out if we can help.
Frequently asked questions about selling a shared ownership property
Can you sell a shared ownership house or flat?
Yes — you can sell a Shared Ownership home at any time. If you own 100%, you can normally sell it on the open market like any other property. If you own less than 100%, you must first tell your housing association, who then has a nomination period to try to find a buyer.
How long does it take to sell a shared ownership property?
There’s no fixed timeline, but the nomination period alone typically runs four, eight or twelve weeks, depending on your lease, before you’re free to market the property yourself if your housing association hasn’t found a buyer.Â
Can I sell my shared ownership property on the open market?
Usually only once your housing association’s nomination period has ended without a buyer being found, or once you’ve staircased to 100% ownership. A small number of leases — typically in “designated protected areas” — require a mandatory buyback instead, so always check your lease.Â
Do I need a RICS valuation to sell a shared ownership house?
Yes. The sale price of your share has to be based on a valuation from a surveyor registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and you’ll usually need to pay for this yourself.Â
Can I sell my shared ownership home at full market value?
Only for the percentage you own — the housing association’s share is valued separately. To sell at 100% of the property’s value, you’d typically need to staircase to full ownership first, or use simultaneous staircasing to do both at the same time.
Could Any House Wanted buy your Shared Ownership home?
We’ve already purchased Shared Ownership properties directly from homeowners in exactly this position. So if you’re wondering whether there’s a way through, it’s worth finding out rather than assuming there isn’t.
Depending on your mortgage balance and whether your lease allows it, we may be able to arrange a direct purchase — without you having to fund the remaining share yourself.
Not every property will qualify.
But you shouldn’t need to understand every clause in your lease before asking the question. Simply tell us:
- What percentage you own.Â
- What your property is worth.Â
- Approximately how much is left on your mortgage.Â
- Who your housing association is.
We’ll look at the position and tell you clearly whether we believe there is a viable route forward.
