You could buy a home through Shared Ownership in England if:
- Your household earns £80,000 a year or less
- You are a first-time buyer, you used to own a home or have now sold your property and can’t afford to buy one now without assistance
- You are an existing shared owner looking to move.
The Shared Ownership scheme at Jigsaw Homes is managed by Snugg Homes.
As your financial situation and circumstances change you can increase the amount you own up to 100%, unless your lease has placed a cap on the amount of equity you can own. This is known as ‘staircasing’.
The rules for staircasing vary depending on when your home was built and the government funding programme in place at that point. You can get more information from the Leasehold and Service Charge team at: servicechargeleasehold@jigsawhomes.org.uk
You will need to pay for repairs and maintenance no matter what share you own and have your boiler serviced annually by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register. Some costs might be covered by the building warranty, or by Jigsaw if your home has an ‘initial repair period’ as outlined in your ‘Key Information Document’.
Not all shared-ownership properties have an initial repair period so please check your lease.
External and structural repairs
The building warranty will usually cover the cost of structural repairs in the first 10 or 12 years for new-build homes.
If your lease includes an ‘initial repair period’
If you bought a shared ownership home in 2021 or after, it might have an ‘initial repair period’ in the lease.
During the initial repair period, Jigsaw is responsible for the cost of some repairs and cannot:
- Use the reserve fund (‘sinking fund’) to pay for repairs that are our responsibility
- Use the service charge to pay for external and structural repairs
An initial repair period usually lasts for 10 years and only applies if you own less than a 100% share of your home. After the period ends, all repairs are your responsibility.
What repairs are included
During the initial repair period, Jigsaw is responsible for the cost of:
- Essential repairs to the outside of the building
- Essential structural repairs to walls, floors, ceiling and stairs inside your home
- You can also claim up to £500 a year from the Jigsaw to cover repairing, replacing (if faulty) and maintaining fixtures and fittings that:
- Supply water, gas or electricity – for example sinks, baths or pipes
- Heat your home, for example a boiler or radiator
It does not include:
- Installing other fixtures (such as kitchen cabinets) and fittings (such as a bed or sofa)
- Installing appliances that use your gas, electricity or water supplies, such as ovens or washing machines
- Repairs covered by the building warranty or any other guarantee
What to do if your home needs essential repairs during this period
You must tell us that the repairs are needed. We will decide if they are essential and we have the right to inspect your home when making a decision.
You’ll need to arrange the repairs yourself and claim a repairs allowance from us to cover the cost. You can claim up to a certain amount a year (usually £500). You’ll need to pay for costs above this amount yourself.
You must use a Trustmark-approved tradesperson and you will have to provide proof of this. You can find a local tradesperson on the Trustmark website.
If you do not claim the full repairs allowance in one year, a maximum of one year’s allowance will roll over to the following year.
The repair process sits within our Development team. For all queries please contact: DevelopmentInbox@jigsawhomes.org.uk
