H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E J O I N T S E R V I C E H O U S I N G A D V I C E O F F I C E
j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0
Featured:
Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers in Scotland
BUYING A HOME IN SCOTLAND
H O U S I N G S U P P O R T , A D V I C E
A N D S T A N D A R D S T E A M
www.mod.uk/jshao
c o n t e n t s
Published for The Joint Service Housing Advice Office by Method Publishing,
Sutherland Press House, Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland KW10 6RA
Telephone (01408) 633871 Fax: (01408) 633876
email: [email protected] to whom all enquiries regarding advertising
should be addressed.
Design and Typography: @ Method Publishing 2009
Editorial Matter: ©Crown Copyright 2009
No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in this magazine can be accepted
by the Publishers or Printers or by the Ministry of Defence. Advertisements are accepted on the
express condition that the advertiser warrants that they in no way contravene the provisions of the
Trades Descriptions Act 1968 nor any other prevailing legislation in the United Kingdom.
The Publishers reserve the right to refuse acceptance of any advertisement, either before or after
receipt of copy, without stating a reason.
4 LOW-COST INITIATIVE FOR FIRST TIME
BUYERS IN SCOTLAND – NEW SUPPLY
SHARED EQUITY
10 BUYING A HOME IN SCOTLAND
14 HOUSING IN SCOTLAND
17 BUYING A HOUSE ON-LINE?
19 HOUSING SUPPORT, ADVICE AND
STANDARDS TEAM
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E J O I N T S E R V I C E H O U S I N G A D V I C E O F F I C E
J A N U A RY / F E B R U A RY 1 0 I S S U E 8 7
c o n t e n t s
r e g u l a r s
M O D n e w s
R e g i o n a l P r i c e s
C o n t a c t s
S a l e s L i s t s
j s h a o s t a f f
telephone numbers:
01722 436 + last 3 digits of extension
or Salisbury Mil (9)4331 + Ext
Ext
Commander Bob Cribb
RN (Retd) OIC (2)571
Mr James Turner Team Manager 01722 437 947
Flight Sergeant Andy Varley
Office Manager (2)574
Miss Miranda Morse Senior Housing Advisor (2)573
Mrs Rebecca Mills MOD Referrals (2)572
Mrs Julie Layton Housing Advisor (2)575
Mrs Andrea Emmens Housing Advisor (2)575
Miss Natalie Dew Asst Housing Advisor (2)575
Fax: (2)577
Email address: LF-[email protected]
Website: www.mod.uk/jshao
The Joint Service Housing Advice Office, HQ Land Forces,
Erskine Barracks, Wilton, Salisbury SP2 0AG
Well, I start by wishing you
all a Happy New Year. I
appreciate that for many of you
the last months have not been
easy and planning for the future
takes a backseat by comparison
with issues of the minute. That
said, it is really interesting to
note the numbers of you who
have been contacting the
JSHAO expressing interest in
the variety of housing schemes
on the market at present.
Just to summarise what is
available and what has
changed in recent times. Firstly the government Shared Ownership and
Shared Equity programmes are means which allow potential home
purchasers who cannot afford outright purchase to get in to the market.
These schemes are invariably advertised through the Regional HomeBuy
network and as Key Workers you will usually have some priority. While
these schemes are only available in England they have Scottish and
Welsh equivalents. Furthermore, a number of home providers are
running commercial equivalents. Some of them advertise in Housing
Matters.
For those of you leaving who cannot afford to buy, you should be
aware that Time spent in Service Accommodation does count towards
establishing a local connection. Be aware however of the shortage of
rental social housing and be very careful before turning offers down.
Moving out of Service Accommodation is as difficult now as it ever
was. The difference now is that we are here to help you. Call us, come
and attend one of the Housing briefings we are running in your area,
read Housing Matters and have a look on our website www.mod.
uk/jshao .
Page 3
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
T HE M AG A Z IN E O F T H E J O IN T SE R V I CE H OU S I NG A DV I C E O F F IC E
j an u a r y /f e b r u ar y 2 0
1 0
Featured:
Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers
BUYING A HOME IN SCOTLAND
H O U S I N G S U P P O R T , A D V I C E A N D
S T A N D A R D S T E A M
www.mod.uk/jshao
What is New Supply
Shared Equity
and how does it
operate?
The New Supply Shared Equity
scheme aims to help people on
low incomes who wish to own
their own home but who cannot
afford to pay the full price for
a house. It is part of the range
of assistance from the Scottish
Government under LIFT, the
Low-cost Initiative for First-Time
Buyers.
New Supply Shared Equity is
administered by the Scottish
Government, the City of
Edinburgh Council and Glasgow
City Council.
The Scottish Government gives
grants to registered social
landlords – normally a housing
association or housing co-
operative – to help them build or
buy new homes specifically for
New Supply Shared Equity. The
homes that are provided are for
a variety of household sizes and
are designed to meet a range of
housing needs.
Registered social landlords
offer New Supply Shared
Equity properties for sale on a
‘shared equity’ basis. Shared
equity means that the Scottish
Government will keep a financial
stake in the property so you do
not have to fund all of it. You
will pay for the majority share in
the property (normally between
60 and 80 per cent) and the
Scottish Government will hold
the remaining share under a
shared equity agreement which
they will enter into with you. You
will own the property outright
but the interests of Scottish
Government will be secured by
a mortgage (or standard security
as it is known in Scotland) on
your property.
If you can afford a 75 per cent
share of a property the Scottish
Government’s contribution will
make up the remaining 25 per
cent. You will have a 75 per
cent stake in its value, whatever
changes there are to the
property’s value over time. The
price that the property is worth
when you buy it is worked out by
the District Valuer.
You will have to appoint a
solicitor to act on your behalf
to complete the work involved
in buying a home. A solicitor
acting on behalf of the Scottish
Government will deal with the
Scottish Government’s interest in
the purchase.
You will pay for your share of
the purchase price in the usual
way, along with legal costs,
survey fees and any other costs
associated with the purchase.
You will also pay for the
documenting and securing of
Scottish Government’s interest
including all registration dues
and (if applicable) stamp duty.
You do not pay any form of rent
on the property.
Who is it for?
New Supply Shared Equity
mainly aims to help first-time
buyers, such as people living
in social housing, people in
the Armed Forces or veterans,
and people living in private
rented housing or with relatives.
But it can help others too. For
example, it may be able to help
you if you are looking for a new
home after a significant change
in your household circumstances
or if you have a disability and
own a house which doesn’t
suit your needs. If you currently
own your home or part-own a
property you will need to sell
your interest in that property at
the same time that you buy a
home through the New Supply
Shared Equity scheme.
In a small number of locations
where you might own a home
affected by demolition plans, New
Supply Shared Equity may be able
to help you buy a replacement
house in the same area.
How do I know if I’m
eligible?
The property that you buy must
be your only home. Although
it should be suitable for your
current housing needs, you can
if you wish buy a home that is
a little larger than your current
requirements. You will be able
to purchase a property two ‘bed
spaces’ more than the number
of people in your household.
For example, a couple would be
eligible to buy a house with two
double bedrooms, or a double
and two single bedrooms.
As the New Supply Shared Equity
scheme is aimed at low income
households, you will be assessed
by the registered social landlord
to see whether or not you
qualify. To allow this to happen,
a form of ‘means testing’ will be
carried out. Because housing
costs vary so much from area
to area there are no national
criteria for this test. Instead,
the registered social landlord
involved in the scheme will agree
on a local set of criteria with
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 4
LOW-COST INITIATIVE FOR FIRST
TIME BUYERS IN SCOTLAND
– NEW SUPPLY SHARED EQUITY
Page 5Page 5
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 5
the Scottish Government, or the
City of Edinburgh Council or
Glasgow City Council if you live
in those areas.
You will need to show that you
cannot buy a house suitable for
your needs without help from
the New Supply Shared Equity
scheme.
The amount that you contribute
must be the maximum mortgage
you can reasonably obtain – the
registered social landlord will
be able to give you information
on the income multipliers it uses
when considering the level of
mortgage finance you can raise
– plus any personal contribution
you are able to make. The
overall amount must be enough
to pay for your stake and cover
all the costs of buying a home,
such as survey and legal costs.
The stake that you hold will
normally be determined by the
maximum mortgage that you
can obtain and afford plus any
personal contribution that you
are able to make towards the
purchase. For example, if a
property is valued at £100,000
and you can afford to contribute
£70,000 (the maximum
mortgage that you can raise plus
any personal contribution) you
would hold a 70 per cent stake
in your home.
When you apply to buy a house,
you will have to state all your
sources of finance. Your funds will
be considered to be the total of:
• gross earnings, per single
person or couple, as
appropriate;
• any other income,
comprising sickness benefit,
unemployment benefit, bank
interest, superannuation
or pension from previous
employment, working families
tax credit, widow’s pension
and shareholder’s profits; and
• personal contributions.
Personal contributions may
is set by the District Valuer or
another professionally qualified
valuer.)
You will not be asked about
your financial circumstances
again after you have bought
your home. Before you increase
your stake in your property, you
are advised to take independent
financial and legal advice.
What responsibilities
does a shared equity
owner have?
When you buy through the New
Supply Shared Equity scheme
you own the property outright
– you will have full title to the
property.
Like other home owners you
will be responsible for all
maintenance, insurance and
repair costs, as well as making
your mortgage repayments and
paying tax to your local authority.
You are responsible for keeping
your property in a good state of
repair. If the property has common
and shared areas (flats for
example) you will be responsible
for paying any common
maintenance or service charges.
You will need to take these costs
into account when assessing
whether you can afford to buy
a property. You should seek
independent financial and legal
advice on the responsibilities that
come with being a home owner
both generally and in relation to
any particular property you select.
You are only allowed to let or
sub-let your property with the
In all cases, the maximum initial
stake that you can take will be
80 per cent of the price of a
property.
In the majority of cases, you
will have the option to increase
your stake after two years to
100 per cent subject to payment
of all valuation and other legal
costs and expenses. However,
in certain circumstances the
Scottish Government will keep a
20 per cent stake in the property.
This is known as a ‘golden
share’ and is likely to happen in
areas where there are only small
amounts of affordable housing
and few opportunities to build
more affordable homes.
When New Supply Shared Equity
properties are advertised, the
registered social landlord will tell
you whether a golden share will
be retained.
After two years, if you have a
stake of less than 80 per cent,
you can increase this stake to
80 per cent (or more if there
is no golden share). This first
increase must take the stake to a
minimum of 80 per cent.
At least one year after this first
increase (and again assuming
that there is no golden share) you
may increase your stake once
more. This increase must take
your stake up to 100 per cent.
You can increase your stake
in your home regardless of
whether the market value of
the property has increased or
decreased. (The market value
include, for example, savings
and gifts. The definition of
savings that we use includes:
cash; Premium Bonds; stocks
and shares; unit trusts; bank
or building society accounts
and fixed-term investments;
the surrender value of any
endowment policies; property;
redundancy payments; and
pension lump sum payments.
You may keep £5,000 of any
personal contribution you can
make. Above this amount, 90
per cent of the balance will be
treated as a contribution towards
the cost of buying your home.
What percentage of
a home can I have?
The stake that you take will
normally be between 60 and
80 per cent of the price of
a property, according to the
maximum mortgage that you
can obtain and the personal
contribution that you are able to
make. In most circumstances you
will have to take a stake of at
least 60 per cent of the price of
your property.
In exceptional circumstances
you may be able to take a
stake of less than 60 per
cent but not less than 51 per
cent. This is likely to apply,
for example, where you have
additional housing costs
because of your particular
housing needs which might
be related to a disability, or in
areas where house prices are
exceptionally high.
The registered social landlord
will tell you if you can take a
stake of less than 60 per cent.
If you have been affected by
a programme of demolition
and are looking to buy a
replacement house in the same
area, there will be no fixed
minimum percentage stake that
must be taken. You will, however,
be expected to invest the value
of your existing house in the
replacement house.
Page 6
Shared Equity will be from the
registered social landlords in
your area. If you don’t know who
they are, check the following
websites:
www.sfha.co.uk
www.scottishhousing
regulator.gov.uk
You will find some more general
information about the New
Supply Shared Equity scheme at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/LIFT
How do I apply?
If you see a property advertised
which you think you might be
eligible for, you should contact
the registered social landlord
responsible for the project. They
will be able to give you further
information on the New Supply
Shared Equity scheme and how
to apply.
The registered social landlord
needs to know details of your
income, the size of the mortgage
and personal contribution
you will be able to make,
and information about your
household and your current
accommodation.
Once all the details needed are
fully completed and submitted,
the registered social landlord will
write to you to tell you whether
or not you are eligible to buy a
property. If you are successful,
the registered social landlord will
tell you about the next steps in
buying your new home.
Source: http://www.scotland.
gov.uk
Scottish Government’s prior
written consent. If you are given
permission to let your property
you will only be able to do this
for a limited period of time. This
is because you are expected
to live in the property as your
only home. You must therefore
receive written consent agreeing
the start and finish dates for the
period of letting. If the Scottish
Government does not provide
written consent you must not let
your home.
Further information on your
obligations as a shared equity
owner will be available from
the registered social landlord
developing the New Supply
Shared Equity properties and also
from your own legal adviser.
What happens
when I want to sell
my shared equity
property?
If, for example, you have an 80
per cent stake in your property
when you want to move, then
you will get 80 per cent of the
selling price when it is sold.
The Scottish Government will
receive the remaining 20 per
cent. The percentage you get
is not affected by changes
in the value of your property
over time. In this example,
if the value of your house
increases, you will benefit
from 80 per cent of the
increase. The other 20 per
cent of the increase will go to
the Scottish Government.
If you have made any
improvements to your home,
these will be reflected in the
valuation. You will not be
reimbursed for the cost of any
improvements made at your
own expense. The amount you
sell your house for will be split
in proportion to the stakes
held by you and the Scottish
Government.
You will be responsible for
meeting the costs of marketing
your house if you sell it on the
open market.
What else do I need
to know?
Registered social landlords will
have more information on the
requirements of the New Supply
Shared Equity scheme. However,
you are also strongly advised to
take independent financial and
legal advice before agreeing to
take part in the scheme.
YOU SHOULD ALSO ENSURE
THAT YOUR SOLICITOR
ADVISES YOU ON THE TERMS
OF ALL DOCUMENTATION
AND THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED
WITH THOSE TERMS BEFORE
AGREEING TO ENTER INTO
ANY LEGAL COMMITMENTS.
The shared equity arrangements
will include the granting of a
mortgage (or ‘standard security’
as it is known in Scotland)
to secure the rights of the
Scottish Government. YOU
SHOULD CHECK THAT THIS
MORTGAGE WILL MEET YOUR
NEEDS IF YOU WANT TO
MOVE OR SELL YOUR HOME,
OR IF YOU WANT YOUR
FAMILY TO INHERIT IT.
How do I find out
more?
New Supply Shared Equity
projects are developed and
promoted by registered social
landlords and may be advertised
through a variety of local
and national media and the
internet. The best place to find
information on New Supply
Page 7Page 7
Blueforces have been providing
property purchase assistance
to Armed Forces personnel
wishing to purchase property
in England and Wales for the
last 7 years. In November it
finally started helping those who
want to buy north of the border in
Scotland!
Originally Blueforces were set up
at the request of the Army to help
soldiers find, finance and manage
the property purchase processes
and then provide a letting
service which took over complete
management of the property.
Because the property buying
and letting laws are different in
Scotland, Blueforces had not until
recently arranged legal support or
adapted its operations to cater for
those differences.
All that has now changed.
Blueforces now help as many
people buy property to live in, as
they do people who want to rent
out. It has expanded its services
to provide a range of property
purchase and management
services. Those services are
available to all branches of the
Armed Forces as well as MOD
Civil Servants and attached
civilian employees, regardless
of where they are serving in the
world.
Blueforces run a call centre type
operation based on Colchester
Garrison, supported by Regional
Liaison Officers. They provide
unique services including property
searching, advice, finance and
practical support for those wishing
to purchase property in the UK.
If you want to purchase property
Blueforces will talk through your
objectives and then advise you on
the best way to achieve them.
If you don’t have much money do
not panic! Blueforces will advise
you what discounts, grants and
incentives you may qualify for
and then structure the best deal
that meets your circumstances. In
many cases it is possible to own
your own property with as little
personal deposit as £1,500.
For those wishing to remain in
Service accommodation and rent
out their properties, Blueforces
offer a range of management
services, including a unique
management service which
collects rents and pays all bills,
including mortgages, separate
from your normal everyday
finances. Blueforces even
complete Land and Property tax
returns for Landlords.
If you want to purchase in
Scotland, or have property you
want Blueforces to manage
at a discounted fee of 9.95%,
call them on 01206 560200
to discuss what options may be
available to you.
B L U E F O R C E S
M O V E N O R T H
O F T H E B O R D E R
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Authority
ExpEriEncEd in working with sErvicE
pErsonnEl and thEir familiEs
Full financial advice service available with
access to the whole market including mortgages,
insurance, pensions, savings and investments.
No obligation consultations at a time and
location to suit you.
Fully qualified male and female advisers
available (some have personal experience of
service life).
Property Sourcing Services
How to ease the cost of children at university.
Serving overseas? No problem.
Phone: 0044 (0)1793 771205
Fax: 0044 (0)1793 772280
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.pearsonia.co.uk
Pearson Independent Advisers is a trading style of Mortgage Horizons Ltd
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a
mortgage or other loan secured on it.
P E A R S O N
INDEPENDENT ADVISERS
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 9
T H E M O D R E F E R R A L
S C H E M E
THE NEW YEAR – RESOLVE TO CONSIDER YOUR HOUSING OPTIONS
by Rebecca Mills
It’s 2010, and nearly 20,000
Service Personnel will be
making the transition to civilian
life this year (estimated from
DASA Quad-Service outflow
statistics). Whenever you are
due to discharge from the Armed
Forces, it is important that you
are prepared for this change,
particularly in securing housing for
yourself and your family.
If you are not in a position to be
able to purchase a property or
rent privately, you need to be well
informed about Social Housing
and how you can access this type
of accommodation.
Firstly, you should approach the
local council, if you have not
done so already. You can apply
to join the council’s housing
register far before you need
housing, so this is an action you
can take immediately, even if you
are not sure when you will be
discharging. Each Local Authority
will have different criteria for entry
onto its housing register, as well
as a different point system to
define priority. For information
on individual councils, visit the
Directgov website (www.direct.
gov.uk) and search by following
the navigation to ‘Home and
Community’, ‘Social Housing’, then
‘Applying for a Council Home’.
While the MOD Referral
Scheme cannot guarantee
housing, it is an option that may
prove successful and should run
alongside, but not replace, your
application to the council. The
objective of the Scheme, which
is operated by the JSHAO, is to
place into Social Housing those
Service Leavers that are in housing
need upon their discharge from
the Armed Forces. Applications
are accepted six months prior to
discharge, and information and
eligibility criteria can be found
on the JSHAO website (www.
uk/jshao).
The Scheme is reliant on Housing
Associations (HAs) contacting
us for referrals for their vacant
properties, and the properties
offered are not specifically
intended for, nor do they belong
to, the JSHAO. As a result,
we cannot estimate how many
offers we might receive, when we
will receive them or where the
properties will be located. So, in
order to offer a better service to
our applicants, we are widening
our approach to Social Housing
through the Scheme.
Upon consideration of your
application, we will assess the
areas where you would like to
live. Those requesting areas
covered by HAs offering referrals,
will be held on our database until
and if such an offer is made.
Applicants requiring housing in
areas managed by HAs that allow
us to refer to their waiting lists,
will be asked to complete the
relevant application form. Where
applicable, we will also direct you
to council Choice Based Lettings
(CBL) Schemes operating in your
specified areas. Even if a Housing
Association is not participating in
the MOD Referral Scheme, they
may form part of a Common
Housing Register. This means
that applicants requesting areas
not covered by those Housing
Associations that offer referrals or
hold their own waiting lists, may
be successful through CBL.
In accompaniment to these
processes, we will maintain
contact with you as you search
for Social Housing. In this way,
we will be able to ensure that you
have access to information that
will assist you, as well as guidance
through the homelessness process
if this becomes necessary in the
final stages.
As alternative options, Service
Leavers with families and
separated spouses with children
may also wish to contact the
Services Cotswold Centre,
which offers temporary
accommodation. Information,
advice and hostel accommodation
is also available from the Soldiers,
Sailors, Airmen and Families
Association (SSAFA) Forces Help.
Details for these Associations
can be found on our website.
Single Service Leavers should also
contact SPACES (Single Persons
Accommodation Centre for the
Ex-Services), who may be able to
help. For more information, go to
www.spaces.org.uk.
So, if you are one of many
due to discharge in 2010,
seeking Social Housing
and would like to register
for the MOD Referral
Scheme, please visit the
JSHAO website for more
information (www.mod.uk/
jshao), or telephone 01722
436572.
NEW ARMED FORCES HOME
OWNERSHIP SCHEME
MOD has given formal
approval to contribute £20M
over the next four years
towards a pilot Armed Forces
Home Ownership Scheme.
MOD has worked closely with
the Homes and Communities
Agency and the Department
for Communities and Local
Government, in order to deliver
a bespoke, shared equity scheme
designed to meet the needs of
Service personnel who wish to buy
a home in England. The scheme
will be targeted at those Service
personnel wishing to remain
in the Services and who have
between 4-6 years service at the
time of application. Look out for
further details about the scheme
including in next month’s issue of
Housing Matters.
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 10
What is in this information
The issues you need to consider
when buying a property are set
out here. The processes and how
they relate to each other are
explained stage by stage.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU
AFFORD
The first thing you need to do is to
decide how much you can afford.
You will need to look at how
much money you have available
yourself and how much you can
borrow. There are a number of
different financial institutions
that offer loans to people buying
property, for example, building
societies and banks. You should
find out if you are able to borrow
money, and if so, how much.
Some building societies now
provide buyers with a certificate
that states that a loan will be
available provided the property is
satisfactory. You may be able to
get this certificate before you start
looking for a property.
Before finally deciding how much
to spend on a property, you need
to be sure you will have enough
money to pay for all the additional
costs. These include:-
• survey fees – if you or your
mortgage lender require a
survey in addition to the survey
provided by the seller in the
Home report (see under the
heading The Home Report)
• valuation fees – if you or your
mortgage lender require a
valuation in addition to the
survey provided by the seller in
the Home report (see under the
heading The Home Report)
• stamp duty land tax – this is at
least 1% of the purchase price
and is payable on properties
which are sold on or after 3
September 2008 and before
31 December 2009 and cost
more than £175,000
• fees, if any, charged by the
mortgage lender or someone
who arranges the mortgage,
for example, a mortgage
broker
• solicitor’s fees
• VAT
• removal expenses
• any final bills, for example,
gas and electricity, from your
present home which will have
to be paid when you moves.
For more information about stamp
duty land tax, go to HM Revenue
and Customs website at www.
hmrc.gov.uk, or ring the HM
Revenue and Customs Stamp Office
enquiry line on: 0845 603 0135.
You should be aware that you may
still have some costs even if your
bid for a property is not accepted,
for example, you may already
have paid for a valuation and/or
survey. If the solicitor has started
any legal work you may also have
to pay for the work done.
You should also take into account
the running expenses of the
property you wish to buy. These
may include:-
• heating bills
• council tax
• insurance costs – including
life insurance, buildings and
content insurance.
The Home Report for the property
that you are buying will include
some information which might
help you to assess the running
costs. (see under the heading The
Home Report)
CHOOSING A
SOLICITOR OR
CONVEYANCER
When someone wishes to buy a
house, in almost all situations, it is
necessary to use a solicitor for the
legal work that needs to be done.
You should approach local firms
of solicitors and/or ask friends
and relatives to recommend a
suitable firm. Before making a
choice of solicitor, you should ask
for estimates of their charges for
buying a house. It is important to
contact more than one solicitor
as there is no set scale of fees for
purchasing a house and different
solicitors will make different
charges. You should:-
• check whether the figure
quoted is a fixed fee or
depends on how much work is
involved
• check that the figure includes
stamp duty, search fees, land
registration fees, expenses and
VAT and get a breakdown of
these costs
• find out what charges, if any,
will be made if a sale falls
through.
You cannot use the same solicitor
as the seller as the solicitor cannot
act for both buyer and seller. It
is an advantage to use a local
solicitor who will have a good
knowledge of the local housing
market.
What the solicitor or
conveyancer does
The main tasks of the solicitor will
be to:-
• discuss the buyer’s needs and
explain the procedure for
buying a house if required (see
under the heading The Home
Report)
• explain the Home Report, the
different types of survey and
arrange a survey for the house
• arrange a mortgage and
advise on the different methods
of loan repayment available.
• inform the seller’s solicitor
that the client is interested in
making an offer for the house
• draw up and submit a
formal offer for the house in
consultation with the buyer
• prepare mortgage documents
• check the legal ownership of
the property and prepare a
deed confirming the buyer’s
ownership. A deed is a
document which proves who
owns the property
• check the property certificate
from the local councils
provided by the seller to
find out if they are planning
any repairs or developments
affecting the house
• check that alterations to the
house have had planning
permission from the local
authority
• check the search of the official
records carried out by the
seller’s solicitor to see if there
are any problems with the
seller’s right to sell the property
• receive the money to pay for
the purchase and pay it to the
seller’s solicitor
B U Y I N G A H O M E I N
S C O T L A N D
Page 11
• check that the house is insured
• negotiate with the seller’s
solicitor in the event of any
dispute.
You can arrange some of these
things, for example a mortgage,
insurance yourself but will still
have to use a solicitor for the
legal side of the purchase.
It is now also possible to use an
independent qualified conveyancer
for this work. A list of independent
qualified conveyancers can be
obtained from:-
The Law Society of Scotland
26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh, EH3 7YR
Tel: 0131 476 8179
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.lawscot.org.uk
MORTGAGES
If you wish to buy a home you
may be able to borrow money to
do this. This is called a mortgage.
The loan is for a fixed period
called a term and you have
to pay interest on the loan. If
you do not keep up the agreed
repayments, the lender can take
possession of the property.
Types of mortgages
There are several types of
mortgage available. The most
common are:-
Repayment mortgage
This is a mortgage in which
the capital borrowed is repaid
gradually over the period of
the loan. The capital is paid in
monthly instalments together
with an amount of interest. The
amount of capital which is repaid
gradually increases over the years
while the amount of interest goes
down
Interest-only mortgage
With this type of mortgage
you pay interest on the loan in
monthly instalments to the lender.
Instead of repaying the loan each
month, you pay into a long-term
investment or savings plan which
should grow enough to clear the
loan at the end of the mortgage
term. However, if it doesn’t grow
as planned you will have a
shortfall and you will need to think
of ways of making this up.
There are three main types of
interest-only mortgages. These are:-
• an endowment mortgage.
This mortgage is made up of
two parts – the loan from the
lender and an endowment
policy taken out with an
insurance company. You pay
interest on the loan in monthly
instalments to the lender but
don’t actually pay off any of the
loan. The endowment policy is
paid monthly to an insurance
company. At the end of the
mortgage term, the policy
matures and produces a lump
sum which should pay off the
loan to the lender. In some
circumstances, an endowment
policy may produce an
additional lump sum. However,
there is also a risk that it will
not be worth enough to pay
off the loan at the end of the
mortgage term. If you have
been told by your endowment
provider that your policy will
not be enough to pay off
your loan, you should seek
independent financial advice.
You can get information about
dealing with endowment
policies from the Financial
Services Authority (FSA) at
www.moneymadeclear.
fsa.gov.uk
• a pension mortgage. This
mortgage is mainly for self-
employed people. The monthly
payments are made up of
interest payments on the loan
and contributions to a pension
scheme. When the borrower
retires, there is a lump sum to
pay off the loan and a pension
• an ISA mortgage. With an ISA
mortgage, you pay interest to
the lender, and contributions to
an Individual Savings Account
(ISA) which should pay off the
loan
Islamic mortgage
With an Islamic mortgage none
of the monthly payments includes
interest. Instead, the lender
makes a charge for lending you
the capital to buy your property
which can be recovered in one
of a number of different ways, for
example, by charging you rent.
WHERE TO GET A
MORTGAGE FROM
A mortgage could be available
from a number of different
sources. Some of the available
options are:-
• building societies
• banks
• insurance companies. They
only provide endowment
mortgages (see above)
• large building companies might
arrange mortgages on their
own new-build homes
• finance houses
• specialised mortgage
companies.
For some groups of people, for
example, first time buyers on
a low income, it may also be
possible to borrow some of the
money you need to buy a home
from other, government-backed
sources. You will usually need to
borrow the rest of the money from
a normal mortgage lender such as
a bank or a building society.
As well as standard mortgage
deals, lenders might also offer
deals which are especially
designed for people who don’t
qualify for a standard mortgage.
This type of deal is known as a
‘sub prime’ or ‘adverse credit’
mortgage. They are aimed at
people who have had financial
difficulties or credit problems
in the past. For example, you
might have had a previous
home repossessed or have been
declared bankrupt. You might also
have difficulty proving that you
have a regular or reliable income.
Sub prime and adverse credit
mortgages usually charge a
higher rate of interest than
standard mortgages. Lender may
also limit the amount of money
they are prepared to lend you.
Before taking out a sub prime
or adverse credit mortgage, you
should get some independent
financial advice.
If you’re thinking about taking
out a mortgage you should make
sure you look into all the different
options available and that you
only borrow what you can afford
to pay back. If you do not keep
up the agreed repayments, the
lender can take possession of your
property.
The Financial Services Authority
(FSA) has produced a helpful
guide to mortgages called ‘No
selling. No jargon. Just the
facts about mortgages’. You
can view the guide on the FSA’s
Moneymadeclear website at:
www.moneymadeclear.fsa.
gov.uk.
If in doubt, you may want
to consult an independent
financial adviser. For help with
finding a financial adviser, visit
the FSA’s website at: www.
moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk.
USING A BROKER
TO GET A
MORTGAGE
Instead of going directly to a
lender such as a building society
for a mortgage, a broker could be
used. A broker may be an estate
agent or a mortgage or insurance
broker. They will act as an agent
to introduce people to a source of
mortgage loan to help them buy
a house.
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 12
You may want to use a broker
because it can save you time
shopping around. However, some
lenders offer products direct to
customers that a broker may not
be in a position to offer. So, it
may be best to shop around, to
see what else is available.
A broker may be used when it
could be difficult obtaining a
mortgage directly from a lender,
for example:-
• the mortgage required is
particularly large
• the property is unusual in some
way
• more than two people wish to
jointly purchase the house
• the applicant is self-employed
and their income fluctuates.
There are rules about how much
a broker can charge for their
services. Also, brokers must not
discriminate against you because
of your race, sex, disability,
religion or sexuality when they are
offering you their services.
For more information about
mortgage brokers, go to the
Financial Services Authority
(FSA) website at: www.
moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk.
Making a complaint about
a mortgage lender
If you want to complain about a
mortgage lender or broker, you
should first discuss the problem
with them, and then consider
making a formal complaint. If
you think the mortgage lender or
broker has discriminated against
you, you can complain about this
as well. Each lender or broker
should have its own internal
complaints procedure. If you have
followed this procedure and are
still not satisfied, you can take
your complaint to the Financial
Ombudsman Service.
For more information about
making a complaint to the
Financial Ombudsman Service see
How to use an ombudsman
or commissioner in Scotland.
HOW TO FIND A
PROPERTY
There is a number of ways in
which someone could find a
property to buy:-
• using estate agents or
solicitors’ property departments
• visiting the local solicitors’
property centre
• looking at property pages in
local newspapers
• contacting house building
companies for details of new
properties being built in the
area.
DECIDING ON A
PROPERTY
When you find a property you
are interested in you should
arrange to look round it to make
sure it is what you want and to
check as far as possible on the
state of repair. You will need
to get some idea of whether
or not you will have to spend
any additional money on the
property, for example, on repairs
or decoration. It is common for a
potential buyer to visit a property
two or three times before
deciding to make an offer.
Warranties for newly-built
properties
If the property is a newly-built
property, check whether it has a
Buildmark warranty. Buildmark
warranties are organised by the
National House-Building Council
(NHBC) which is an independent
organisation with over 20,000
builders of new houses on its
register. Before being accepted
onto the NHBC register, builders
must be able to show that they
are technically and financially
competent and they must
also agree to keep to NHBC
Standards.
The Buildmark scheme covers
homes built by NHBC registered
builders once the NHBC has
certified them as finished. The
scheme will, for example, protect
your money if the builder goes
bankrupt after contracts have been
exchanged but before completion.
It also covers defects which arise
because the builder has not kept
to NHBC Standards. For more
information, go to the NHBC
website at: www.nhbc.co.uk.
ENERGY
PERFORMANCE
CERTIFICATES
If you are buying a house after 1
December 2008 you will get an
Energy Performance Certificate
(EPC) free of charge. This will
give you information about
the energy efficiency rating of
the house and suggestions of
cost effective energy saving
improvements. More information
about EPCs can be found on the
Scottish Government website at
www.scotland.gov.uk.
THE HOME REPORT
From 1 December 2008 most
houses which are marketed for
sale will require to have a Home
Report and to make it available
to potential buyers. There are
three parts to the report; a
single survey of the property, an
energy report and a property
questionnaire. More information
about the Home Report can
be found on the Scottish
Government website at www.
scotland.gov.uk.
GETTING A
SURVEY
If you are buying a house which
has a Home Report you will
get the single survey as part of
the Report. The surveyor who
produces the single survey has
a legal responsiblity to provide
accurate information to both the
seller and the buyer. The single
survey is broadly the same as a
scheme 2 survey. (see under the
heading The Home Report)
You should not buy a house
without getting it surveyed first. If
you are buying the house with a
mortgage, the lender may insist
on having a survey for mortgage
assessment carried out, to be
paid for by the buyer. There are
three main types of survey, or
inspection which you can get:-
• mortgage valuation report (scheme
1 survey). A mortgage valuation is
the least expensive type of inspection
and provides a valuation of the
property for the purposes of getting
a mortgage
• home buyers report (scheme 2
survey). The home buyers report will
consider not only the value of the
property but will also examine the
structure of the property and should
identify any existing or potential
problems
• full structural survey (or buildings
survey). A full structural survey is
expensive but provides a thorough
and detailed inspection of the
property.
The buyer’s solicitor should ensure
that the surveyor is a member of:-
• the Royal Institute of Chartered
Surveyors; or
• the Incorporated Society of Valuers
and Auctioneers: or
• the Incorporated Association of
Architects and Surveyors.
If the surveyor reports that there are
some problems with the property, you
will have to consider whether you still
want to go ahead with the purchase.
In some cases it may be necessary
to ask a builder or other workman
to estimate the cost of carrying out
necessary repairs.
WHAT KIND OF
OFFER TO MAKE
Unconditional offer
It is normal practice for the buyer
to arrange a mortgage and find
out as much as possible about
the house before making an offer.
The offer specifies the price to be
paid. Although this is called an
‘unconditional’ offer, it contains a
number of standard conditions. You
should not make an unconditional
offer without thinking about having a
survey carried out in addition to the
single survey provided by the seller.
You should also arrange a mortgage
before making any kind of offer for
the house.
Conditional offer
The conditional offer specifies the
Page 13Page 13
price to be paid but makes this
subject to the buyer receiving a
satisfactory survey.
The seller will rarely accept a
conditional offer but may indicate
that s/he will accept the offer if
the ‘subject to survey’ condition is
withdrawn. The buyer would then
have to get the property surveyed
very quickly.
A seller will almost always prefer
an unconditional offer. If the
house is advertised at a fixed
price there is little to be gained by
making a conditional offer.
MAKING AN OFFER
If you make an offer for a house
it may be accepted. Once
there is a binding contract, the
buyer cannot withdraw from
the contract without becoming
liable for compensation. Even
if the buyer or seller dies and
sometimes even if the house
burns down, the agreed price
must be paid.
If the house is advertised at a
Fixed Price this means that the
seller is willing to accept the first
firm offer at the price specified.
The price is likely to be on the
high side as it is the highest
figure the seller thinks the house
will fetch. The buyer should not
feel obliged to offer the amount
specified if the survey of the
house shows that a lot of repairs
are needed or if the house has
been on the market for a long
time.
If the house is advertised at an
Upset or ‘offers over’ price this
means the figure specified is the
minimum the seller would be
willing to accept. The seller will
normally wait until a number of
people have expressed an interest
in making an offer and then
announce a closing date. Sealed
offers are submitted on that date
and the seller chooses the best
one. You will have to decide how
much to offer based on the value
of the property to you and the
top price which you can afford
to pay. The surveyor’s valuation
will provide some guidance on
this but you should also take into
account the amount of interest in
the property, the amount of repair
the house needs and the current
trend in house prices.
ACCEPTANCE OF
OFFER
If you have made an
unconditional offer for the house
this will normally be accepted
or rejected by the seller straight
away. An acceptance may
be completely unconditional,
in which case there will be a
binding contract immediately.
Usually, however, the acceptance
will contain a number of
conditions and there will be no
binding contract until all of
those conditions have been
accepted by your solicitor.
COMPLETION
After a binding contract has
been agreed, called ‘concluding
Missives’, your solicitor will
complete the conveyancing
procedures and prepare
a number of documents,
particularly a ‘disposition’ which
will transfer ownership of the
house to you.The contract or
Missives will specify the date of
entry to the property. This is the
date on which you will have to
pay the seller the purchase price
of the property in return for the
Disposition and the keys to the
property. Your solicitor will make
all the arrangements for settling
the transaction on the date of
entry and for completing the
buyer’s loan at the same time.
This is called ‘completion’ of the
purchase.
Page 13
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 14
H O U S I N G I N
S C O T L A N D
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN SCOTLAND
Traditionally the bulk of rented housing in Scotland has been provided by District Councils. In April 1996 the 63 Scottish
Councils were reorganised into 32 new Council areas as shown on the attached list. Information on individual authorities is
available from JSHAO on request.
THE SCOTTISH COUNCILS:
Aberdeenshire 08456 081207 www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Angus 08452 777778 www.angus.gov.uk
Argyll & Bute 01546 602127 www.argyll-bute.gov.uk
Borders – Scottish 01835 824000 www.scotborders.gov.uk
City of Aberdeen (Home choice) 08456 080910 www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
City of Dundee 01382 434000 www.dundeecity.gov.uk
City of Edinburgh 0131 2002323 www.edinburgh.gov.uk
City of Glasgow 0141 287 2000 www.glasgow.gov.uk
Clackmannanshire 01259 450000 www.clacksweb.org.uk
Dumfries & Galloway 0303 333 3000 www.dumgal.gov.uk
East Ayrshire 01563 576000 www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk
East Dunbartonshire 08450 454510 www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk
East Lothian 01620 827827 www.eastlothian.gov.uk
East Renfrewshire 0141 5773001 www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Falkirk 01324 506070 www.falkirk.gov.uk
Fife 08451 550000 www.fife.gov.uk
Highland 01463 702000 www.highland.gov.uk
Inverclyde 01475 717171 www.inverclyde.gov.uk
Midlothian 0131 2707500 www.midlothian.gov.uk
Moray 01343 543451 www.moray.gov.uk
North Ayrshire 0845 6030590 www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire 01698 403200 www.northlan.gov.uk
Orkney Islands Council 01856 873535 www.orkney.gov.uk
Perthshire & Kinross 01738 475000 www.pkc.gov.uk
Renfrewshire 0141 8425000 www.renfrewshire.gov.uk
Shetland Islands Council 01595 693535 www.shetland.gov.uk
South Ayrshire 01292 612000 www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk
South Lanarkshire 08457 406080 www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Stirling 0845 2777000 www.stirling.gov.uk
West Dunbartonshire 01389 737000 www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk
West Lothian 01506 775000 www.westlothian.gov.uk
Western Isles 01851 703773 www.w-isles.gov.uk
Page 14
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES
IN SCOTLAND THIRD
QUARTER 2009
£125,418
Annual Change: -6.3%
Quarterly Change: +5.3%
(Figures sourced from www.
lloydsbankinggroup.com)
VETERANS SCOTLAND –
HOUSING FOR HEROES
In Scotland, housing and
accommodation for Veterans
and their dependants is provided
by a number of independent
charitable organisations. All of
these organisations are members
of Veterans Scotland and they
work together to provide the
best possible service to Veterans
and their dependants. All the
properties managed by these
charities can be accessed using
the single Application Form
to be found in the Application
Area of their website www.
veteransscotland.org.uk
Properties range from hostel
accommodation for single
people to fully adapted houses
for disabled Veterans. Some
properties are tied to particular
sections of the Veterans
community due to the original
covenants under which they were
gifted. You can contact them on
0131 551 1595.
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Details of some of the other Housing Associations operating in Scotland are shown below:
HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS
Grampian Housing Association Langstane Housing Association
Huntly House 680 King Street
74 Huntly Street Aberdeen AB24 1SL
Aberdeen AB10 1TD Tel: 01224 423000
Tel: 01224 202900
Castlehill Housing Association Margaret Blackwood Housing Association
4 Carden Place Craigievar House
Aberdeen AB10 1UT 77 Craigmount Brae
Tel: 01224 625822 Edinburgh EH12 8XF
Tel: 0131 3177294
Link Housing Association Cairn Housing Association
Watling House 22 York Place
Callendar Business Park Edinburgh EH1 3EP
Falkirk FK1 1XR Tel: 0131 556 4415
Tel: 0845 140 0100
Horizon Housing Association Key Housing Association
Leving House Savoy Tower
Fairbairn Place 77 Renfrew Street
Livingston EH54 6TN Glasgow G2 3BZ
Tel: 01506 424140 Tel: 0141 3326672
Hillcrest Housing Association Servite Housing Association
4 South Ward Road 118 Strathern Road
Dundee DD1 1PN Broughty Ferry
Tel: 01382 224083 Dundee DD5 1JW Tel: 01382 480915
PRIVATE RENTING
The Scottish Executive
website www.
betterrentingscotland.com,
gives advice for landlords and
tenants on all aspects of private
renting.
HOUSING
ASSOCIATIONS
Housing Associations are
non-profit making providers
of accommodation. Most
associations in Scotland are
funded by Scottish Homes and
work closely with local councils
to help people in housing need.
Associations keep waiting lists
which you can apply to join;
however, these may close from
time to time. In addition,
housing associations take
referrals from the local councils
they work with (“nominations”).
Please note: housing association
activity is most common in the
larger towns and cities.
There are two Housing
Associations operating in
Scotland with a specific interest
in helping ex regulars:
HAIG HOMES
Haig Homes has family sized
property in Edinburgh and
Glasgow which it only lets to
people who are leaving or have
left the Services. Applicants also
need to be in housing need.
Contact Haig Homes at Alan
Dobson House, Green Lane,
Morden, Surrey SM4 5NS
Tel: 020 8685 5777 or go
onto their website www.
haighomes.org.uk.
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 15
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 17Page 17
Buying a house is getting easier
and easier. It’s still stressful and
probably always will be, but thanks to
thousands of new property websites it
has never been simpler to find a new
house online than it is today.
Thankfully, the Internet means that
you can cut out a lot of legwork
from the house hunting process, by
taking control and actively using the
Internet to search. No more painfully
long days traipsing around to look at
just a handful of properties that don’t
even really fit the bill. The web brings
them all to you.
When buying a property it is a good
idea to shop around and take a look
at other properties in the area you
are interested in to give you an idea
of the price and types of properties
there are available.
Most websites have helpful tips on
buying, mortgages, solicitors and
conveyancing, surveys, and much
more besides, ensuring you are well
armed to go out and get what you
want. They also have comprehensive
property databases and, in some
cases, have directories of websites
to assist individuals finding the right
property.
It is also recommended that you
do a check on the neighbourhood
of the area you are interested in
moving too. There are websites that
will give you all the information you
need to know just by entering in the
postcode. With just one click you
can have information on whether
your prospective neighbourhood is
at risk of flooding, landslip, is likely
to be built on landfill, suffer from
subsidence or be close to an area of
industrial pollution. Also you can find
out about schools, property prices,
crime rates and local amenities.
There are hundreds and hundreds
of pages of useful free information,
all thoroughly researched and
prepared to help anyone who is
interested in any aspect of home
ownership, homebuying, property
related personal finance and
anything else that falls broadly
within this sphere. Most websites
have a news section which has
articles uploaded daily. Take the
time to explore different sites!
Happy house hunting!
The following websites are just a
selection which may prove useful:
www.estateagent.co.uk
www.findaproperty.com
www.fish4homes.co.uk
www.hol365.com
www.home.co.uk
www.home-sale.co.uk
www.linkprop.co.uk
www.naea.co.uk
www.new-homes.co.uk
www.primelocation.com
www.propertybroker.co.uk
www.propertyfinder.co.uk
www.reallymoving.com
www.rightmove.co.uk
A Few Home Finder
Web Sites – Including
links to Estate Agents
www.reallymoving.com
www.houseweb.com
www.smartestates.com
www.homes-on-line.co.uk
www.movelocation.com
www.propertyfinder.com
www.homesalez.com
www.fish4homes.co.uk
www.goodmigrations.co.uk
www.homemovers.co.uk
www.home.co.uk
www.rightmove.co.uk
www.findaproperty.com
www.housesforsaleguide.
com
www.primelocation.com
www.teamprop.co.uk
www.linkprop.co.uk
www.home-sale.co.uk
www.propertyfile.co.uk
www.propertylive.co.uk
www.ukpropertyshop.com
www.homes-uk.co.uk
Lender Web Sites
www.abbey.com
www.alliance-leicester.co.uk
www.directline.com
www.egg.com
www.firstdirect.com
www.if.com
www.sainsburysbank.co.uk
www.virginone.co.uk
www.woolwich.co.uk
These are just a few representative
sites. Almost all lenders have
sites, most with calculators, and
are easy to find on any search
engine.
Mortgage Brokers/
Advisers
Abacus Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)845 257 1515
abacus@abacuscover.com
Blue Force Services Ltd
+44 (0)1206 560200
Pearson Independent Advisers
+44 (0)1793 771142
Stone Financial Consultants
Ltd
+44 (0)151 928 3598
info@stone-finance.com
Victory Financial Services
+44 (0)23 927 26107
victoryfi[email protected]
www.unbiased.co.uk
– Independent Financial Advisors
official site. Use to locate an IFA in
your area, by location or speciality.
Note: Please be aware
that inclusion within this list
should not be interpreted
as any form of endorsement
by the JSHAO or the MOD.
B U Y I N G A
H O U S E O N - L I N E ?
Page 18
Page 19Page 19
This Guide to Housing
Options in Scotland, gives
information about provision
of housing from local
authorities and housing
associations and provision
for special needs groups.
A number of local authorities
have developed local versions
of the guide, giving detailed
local information on housing
options in the public and
private sectors from each
authority. Information includes
housing for people with
disabilities. The guides that are
currently live are linked below.
Others will be put online as
they are developed.
http://www.scotland.
gov.uk/Topics/Built-
Environment/Housing/
access/nationalstandards/
housingoptions1
Housing support services help
people to live as independently
as possible in the community.
They can either be provided
in your own
home or in
accommodation
such as
sheltered
housing or
a hostel for
homeless
people.
Housing support services help
people manage their home in
different ways. These include
assistance to claim welfare
benefits, fill in forms, manage
a household budget, keep
safe and secure, get help from
other specialist services, obtain
furniture and furnishings,
and help with shopping and
housework. The type of support
H O U S I N G S U P P O R T ,
A D V I C E A N D
S T A N D A R D S T E A M
that is provided will aim to
meet the specific needs of an
individual person.
The Scottish Government is
responsible for overall housing
support services policy and runs
The House Key, a website that
offers practical help for service
users and practitioners by listing
services, what they do, who they
are for, and how to get them.
This section will in future contain
details of housing support policy
and other information including
national reporting and the
outcomes framework.
Following an agreement
between the Scottish Government
and COSLA that substantially
reduces the number of separate
funding streams to local
government, funding for housing
support services has now been
absorbed into the main local
government settlement.
If you require any further
information, please contact
the team at
housingsupport@
scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
The Scottish
Government has also
set up an Armed
Forces and Veterans
Team to deal with general
issues for Armed Forces veterans
in Scotland. As yet, there is no e-
mail address for this team but you
may wish to contact Alister Murphy
on 0131 244 2086 with any
enquiries. You can also find out
more about the work the section
undertakes using the link below.
http://www.scotland.gov.
uk/Topics/People/Social-
Inclusion/veterans
In Scotland, housing
and accommodation
for Veterans and their
dependants is provided by
a number of independent
charitable organisations.
All of these organisations are
members of Veterans Scotland
and they work together to
provide the best possible
service to Veterans and their
dependants. Properties range
from hostel accommodation
for single people to fully
adapted houses
for disabled
Veterans.
For more
information:
Call 0131 550 1595
Visit – www.
veteransscotland.org.
uk
Email: enquiries@
veteransscotland.org.uk
Ve t e r a n s S c o t l a n d
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 19
SPACES can help you find permanent housing, or they can refer you to either The Galleries in
Richmond, North Yorkshire or Mike Jackson House, Aldershot. Both provide temporary
accommodation for single Service leavers in modern, fully furnished, self-contained flats, with
support staff on site.
For further details please contact the SPACES office.
Quoting Ref: HM08
Contact:
Catterick Military: (9)47312940 Catterick Civillian: 01748 833797 / 872940
email: [email protected] www.spaces.org.uk
Page 20Page 20
M O R T G A G E b e s t b u y s
Commenting, Martin Ellis, housing
economist, said:
“House prices increased by 1.2% in October,
marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase.
Nationally, house prices have risen by 2.9% since
the end of 2008. They are now 7.1% higher
than six months ago when prices reached a
trough in April.
Demand for houses has risen in recent
months due to the very low level of interest
rates, the decline in property prices since
the summer of 2007 and a pick-up in
consumer confidence on the back
of better economic news. Higher
demand has combined with a low
level of properties available for sale
to result in rising house prices over
the past few months.
There are some indications that
more people are deciding to
put their homes on the market,
encouraged by the
recent improvement in
market conditions. A
continuation of this
trend could help to
improve the balance
between supply and
demand, curbing the
strength of the stimulus to
house prices resulting from the current imbalance.”
H O U S I N G
p r i c e s
The West Midlands
Average Price: £150,746
Quarterly Change: +3.4%
Annual Change: -7.5%
Wales
Average Price: £133,442
Quarterly Change: +3.5%
Annual Change: -3.3%
East Anglia
Average Price: £154,646
Quarterly Change: +7.8%
Annual Change: -8.7%
Greater London
Average Price: £245,764
Quarterly Change: +3.0%
Annual Change: -7.9%
The South West
Average Price: £176,404
Quarterly Change: +3.9%
Annual Change: -5.0%
The South East
Average Price: £217,109
Quarterly Change: +4.1%
Annual Change: -5.4%
Scotland
Average Price: £125,418
Quarterly Change: +5.3%
Annual Change: -6.3%
Northern Ireland
Average Price: £151,229
Quarterly Change: -0.7%
Annual Change: -12.2%
The North
Average Price: £126,679
Quarterly Change: +1.2%
Annual Change: -7.6%
Yorkshire and The Humber
Average Price: £118,410
Quarterly Change: -0.0%
Annual Change: -7.9%
The North West
Average Price: £128,490
Quarterly Change: +5.9%
Annual Change: -6.3%
The East Midlands
Average Price: £133,887
Quarterly Change: -0.1%
Annual Change: -8.5%
United Kingdom
Average Price: £165,528 Monthly Change: 1.2%, Annual Change -4.7%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Source:
www.lloydsbankinggroup.com
Lender Payable Type & Term Max Fee Repayment Charge Notes
Rate LTV
Fixed Rates
Northern Rock Via brokers 3.65% Fixed until 01/01/12 70% £595 4% until 01/01/12 FP
Northern Rock Via brokers 4.39% Fixed until 01/01/13 70% £995 4% until 01/01/13 FP
Northern Rock 0845 6050500 4.99% Fixed until 01/01/15 70% £995 4% until 01/01/15 FNR
Discounts
HSBC 0800 494999 2.99% 0.95% discount for 2 years 75% £0 2% reducing to 1% LV
of loan for 2 years
Co-Op 3.24% 1.00% discount 31/01/13 75% £995 3% until 31/01/13 FR
ING Direct 0800 032 8822 3.50% Variable rate 75% £695 None R
Flexible
L&C Exclusive 0800 373300 2.49% Base +1.99 % until 2 years 70% £1,995 2% for 2 years FLV
Northern Rock Via brokers 3.65% Fixed until 01/01/12 70% £595 4% until 01/01/12 FP
First Direct 0800 242424 2.79% Base + 2.29% for term 60% £999 None LO
Trackers
L&C Exclusive 0800 373300 2.49% Base +1.99 % until 2 years 70% £1,995 2% for 2 years FLV
HSBC 0800 494999 2.74% Base + 2.24% for term 60% £999 None L
Key: F = Flexible. L= Free basic legal work for remortgages. N = £595 fee for Purchase. O = Offset facility. P = Purchase Only. R = Free/
refunded valuation and free basic legal work for remortgages. V = Free or refunded valuation.
Source – L&C – 0800 373300 – lcplc.co.uk
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
Page 20
Page 21Page 21Page 21Page 21
Location Home Types Prices Incentives/ For more information contact
from Concessions
USEFUL BROKER
WEBSITES
The following websites
offer information about a
range of mortgages from
different lenders.
www.charcol.co.uk
www.moneysupermar-
ket.com
www.mortgage-next.com
www.spf.co.uk
www.tylermm.com
www.virginmoney.com
USEFUL PROPERTY
WEBSITES
The following sites offer
properties for sale in
the UK; some also offer
properties to rent and the
opportunity to sell your
home online. The larger
property websites also
offer properties for sale
abroad and information
and tips on homebuying
and mortgages.
www.belvoirlettings.com
www.estateagent.co.uk
www.findaproperty.com
www.fish4homes.co.uk
www.hol365.com
www.home.co.uk
www.home-sale.co.uk
www.linkprop.co.uk
www.naea.co.uk
www.new-homes.co.uk
www.primelocation
.com
www.propertybroker
.co.uk
www.propertyfinder
.co.uk
www.reallymoving.com
www.rightmove.co.uk
S A L E S L I S T
O F F O R M E R
M A R R I E D Q U A R T E R S
D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9
Detailed information such as starting prices and incentives being offered will only become available approximately 2/3 weeks prior to the launch
date shown above.
Legal and Survey Fee Incentive (L/S) Annington will pay £400 towards the buyer‘s legal fees ~ and £150 towards their mortgage survey
fee*. (*Subject to terms and conditions. Please ask the sales adviser on site or the appointed estate agent for further details).
To register your interest in any one of these sites, please telephone freephone: 0800 358 1118 (UK only) or 020 7960 7518 or visit our
website: www.annington.co.uk.
All sales launch dates are provisional and may be altered nearer the time. All information is correct at time of going to press – November 2009.
H O U S I N G
m a t t e r s
AVAILABLE NOW
COMING SOON!
Graham Road, Redruth, Cornwall 3 bedroom houses with garages Mid-Jan 2010
or allocated parking
Annington at 2 bedroom flats £74,950 L&S Sales office open Thursday to Monday, 10.30am
Coltishall 2, 3 & 4
for a 2 to 5.30pm. Please call 01603 736643, or email
Formerly RAF Coltishall, bedroom
bed flat [email protected] or
Norfolk houses contact Annington’s appointed agents, W.H. Brown
currently
£99,950 5 Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4SF.
released for sale
for a 2 bed Please call 01603 760044 or email
terrace house
Barnby Road 7 bedroom house Guide price N/A Sales office information as above.
Formerly RAF Coltishall, 8 bedroom house
from
Norfolk
£450,000
Harcourt Road, 4 bedroom £365,000 N/A Annington’s appointed agents; Anscombe &
Bushey, Hertfordshire houses Ringland, 38 The Broadway, Stanmore, HA7 4DU,
please call
020 8954 6111 or email
Annington Ridge 3 bedroom £142,950 N/A Contact Annington’s appointed agents; Fox & Son,
Horrabridge, Devon houses
28 Mannamead Road, Plymouth, PL4 7AA, please call
01752 662777 or email
Miller & Son, 2 Drake Road, Tavistock, PL19 0AU,
please call
01822 617243 or
email
Franks Avenue, 3 bedroom £109,950 L/S Annington’s appointed agents; Flint & Cook
Hereford, Herefordshire house 4 King Street, Hereford, HR4 9BW, please call
01432 355455
Teal Road 2 bedroom £62,950 L/S Annington’s appointed agents: W H Brown,
Coningsby, Tattershall houses 14 Wide Bargate, Boston, Lincs PE21 6RH, please call
01205 351010
Lancaster Square 2 bedroom house £154,950 N/A Annington’s appointed agents: Allen & Harris,
Lynecham, Wiltshire 17 High Street, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0BS
please call
01249 814681
S U R P L U S P R O P E R T Y
L I S T – S C O T L A N D
a v a i l a b l e o n o p e n m a r k e t
Location Description Potential Use Further Details . . . Status
FIFE
LEUCHARS
Warwick Close Variety of house types Residential Murray Donald Drummond Cook LLP, 8 Main Street Phased Marketing
Various Addresses Leuchars KY16 0HN Tel: 01334 838421 Underway
EDINBURGH & LOTHIANS
EDINBURGH
18 & 21 North 4 x bedroom Detached Residential Morton Fraser, 30/31 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX On Market
Gyle Drive Houses with garage and Tel: 0131 247 1000 Fax: 0131 247 1003
garden
PENICUIK
Belwood Crescent Variety of 2 & 3 Bed Residential Stuart & Stuart WS, 12 John Street, Penicuik Phased Marketing
Various Addresses Terraced Houses Midlothian, EH26 8AD Tel: 01968 677294 Underway
GREATER GLASGOW
GLASGOW
Lowther Terrace Unique Residential Residential Drivers Jonus, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street On Market
Various Addresses Development/Investment Glasgow G1 2NP. Tel: 0141 226 4200
opportunity Fax: 0141 226 4212
ORKNEY & SHETLAND
BALTASOUND, UNST
Setters Hill Estate Variety of semi-detached Residential Dowle, Smith & Rutherford, 113a Commercial Street Phased Marketing
Various Addresses properties Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0DL Underway
Tel: 01595 695 583 Fax: 01595 695 310
Page 22
SPRING 2010
13 Jan RRC Tidworth
20 Jan RRC London
27 Jan RRC Aldershot
2 Feb RRC Portsmouth
4 Feb RRC Plymouth
10 Feb RRC Rosyth
23 Feb RRC Catterick
25 Feb RRC Cottesmore
2 Mar Colchester#
11 Mar RRC Northern Ireland
23 Mar Germany
24 Mar Germany
25 Mar Germany
SUMMER 2010
14 Apr RRC Tidworth
21 Apr RRC Aldershot
28 Apr Gibraltar
12 May RRC London
18 May RRC Portsmouth
20 May RRC Plymouth
08 Jun Germany
09 Jun Germany
10 Jun Germany
16 Jun RRC Tidworth
23 Jun Lossiemouth*
28/30 Jun Cyprus
1 Jul Cyprus
13 Jul RRC Catterick
15 Jul RRC Cottesmore
20 Jul Colchester#
29 Jul RRC Northern Ireland
AUTUMN 2010
8 Sep RRC Tidworth
15 Sep RRC Aldershot
22 Sep RRC London
28 Sep RRC Portsmouth
30 Sep RRC Plymouth
13 Oct RRC Rosyth
19 Oct Germany
20 Oct Germany
21 Oct Germany
2 Nov RRC Catterick
4 Nov RRC Cottesmore
17 Nov RRC Tidworth
23 Nov Colchester#
25 Nov RRC Northern Ireland
All courses will start at 0900 unless
otherwise notified
# applications to IERO 18 AEC
Colchester
* applications to RRC Rosyth
^ applications to UK JSU
Tel: 003265445234
Application to be made on MoD
form 363 to Regional Resettle-
ment Centres for courses in the UK
and to Army IEROs for courses in
Germany and Cyprus
Housing the Options Courses
are designed primarily for Service
Personnel and their dependants
who are shortly to leave the
Service and intend to settle in the
UK. Others who are considering
their civilian housing may attend.
Attendance at these courses does
not count against Resettlement
Entitlement.
H O U S I N G , T H E O P T I O N S !
ONE DAY HOUSING BRIEFINGS 2010
Joint Service Housing Advice Office
