Skip to content

Affordable home ownership schemes

Shared Ownership

In our district, you can buy a home through the shared ownership scheme if you cannot afford all of the deposit and mortgage payments for a home that meets your needs. To find out more about the shared ownership scheme, click here.

Prospective buyers can now purchase a shared ownership property directly through providers within our district. To find out which organisations sell shared ownership in South Oxfordshire, click here.

First Homes

What is a First Home?

The Government’s First Homes scheme is designed to help first-time buyers and key workers in England purchase a discounted new-build property.

The scheme has the following features:

  • First Homes are discounted by a minimum of 30% against the market value.
  • the discount will apply in perpetuity, meaning it will be passed on to the next buyer each time the home is sold. Subsequent buyers must meet the First Homes eligibility criteria (see below). On the first sale, a restriction will be registered on the property’s title at HM Land Registry to ensure the discount and other restrictions apply to future sales.
  • the first sale must be at a price no higher than £250,000 after the discount is applied. The price cap will not apply to any subsequent sales.
  • First Homes are intended to be used as a person’s sole or primary residence.

Who is eligible to buy a First Home?

Purchasers must be first-time buyers (as defined in paragraph 6 of schedule 6ZA of the Finance Act 2003) and have a household income not exceeding £80,000.

Purchasers must use a mortgage or home purchase plan (if required to comply with Islamic law) to fund at least 50% of the discounted purchase price.

In addition, we may apply our own eligibility criteria to certain schemes. This may involve lower income caps, a local connection test, or criteria based on employment status.

If you currently own and live in your own home, you may not be able to apply for an affordable home ownership option, so please contact our Housing Team for more information.

Contact us - Housing lettings

01235 422436
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialing)

Related information