How do I buy more of a share in a Shared Ownership property

Once you have bought a property you are able to buy additional shares by a process known as ‘staircasing’. The price for additional shares will depend on the value of the property at the time you buy that extra share. This means it will cost more than your first share if property prices have increased. There are also additional costs which will be payable in addition to the price.

Usually staircasing must be in 5% shares or more at a time, however properties purchased from 2021 may allow staircasing of 1% shares at a time.

It should be noted that Shared Ownership properties located in what are known as ‘designated protected areas’ may limit staircasing to a maximum ownership of 80%, and even if this is not the case, it is usually a requirement to sell back to the landlord or another eligible buyer that the landlord nominates.