Questions to ask at a house viewing

Shared Ownership is a great way to get on the property ladder, but you don’t want to rush into anything without first doing your due diligence.

When you find an ideal Shared Ownership home that matches all of your criteria – whether that’s a one-bedroom apartment in West London, or a three-bedroom family home in Birmingham – your next step is to attend a viewing to really get a feel for the place. 

But when you take the time to view your potential new home, how do you make the most of your time there? What are the best questions to ask at a house viewing, to make sure you get all of the information you need?

We’ve compiled a selection of the best questions to ask about buying a Shared Ownership property, but if you need further information, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly team.

Along with these questions to ask, it’s always a good idea to benchmark your affordability when looking at Shared Ownership properties. You can get started on this with our handy Affordability Calculator, but make sure to speak with a budget planner as early in the process as possible, too.

How much does the Shared Ownership home cost? 

This is one of the key questions that people will ask at a house viewing. Although you can likely find lots of information about pricing online, it helps to speak to a representative of the housing association in person to understand the kind of financial commitment you’ll be making. 

They’ll also be able to break the costs down into categories such as rent, mortgage, and service charge (though these can vary depending on the percentage share that you choose to buy).

Are any neighbours also part of the Shared Ownership scheme?

It’s a good idea to learn as much about your prospective neighbours as you can, and one of the first things it may be worth discovering is whether they’re also on the Shared Ownership journey. This will open up a great source of first-hand information to help you make a decision on any details around Shared Ownership that might prove useful.

How does staircasing work with this property?

If you’re not overly familiar with Shared Ownership, this may be one of the questions you wouldn’t know to ask – but it’s very important! Especially if you plan to increase the share that you own. 

Staircasing is a method of incrementally raising the percentage share that you own, and it can work differently depending on the specific location or the housing association managing a property. 

For some homes, you may be able to raise your share to 100% and own the home in freehold. For others, there may be limitations on this. Make sure that you know how the process works ahead of time; even if you don’t think you’ll raise your share just yet.

Will the property be furnished upon purchasing it?

When planning your budget for the big move, this is an essential question to ask at a house viewing. Don’t fall in love with a particular sofa or lamp if it isn’t going to be included when you come to own the home. 

Equally, you may be able to save a large amount of money on new furniture if the white goods and fittings are included – money that you could then spend on things like wallpaper and paint to really make your new Shared Ownership home your own.

Can you have pets in your new Shared Ownership home?

When making the move to a new home, you’ll always want to check whether your furry friends (or scaly, depending on your preference) can come with you. 

Most housing associations will allow pets, but it’s always worth checking beforehand to make sure you don’t have to make any changes or difficult decisions down the line. If you have a particularly exotic pet, it’ll also be worth getting written consent to make sure you’re allowed to keep them in your new Shared Ownership property.