Step one

Choose which marketing option you want to go with

In your lease it says we have the right to sell your home to another shared owner. But we believe in giving you a choice. So you’ve got two options:

Option one:

If you want to sell 100% of your home, we’ll advertise it for two weeks on the Help to Buy website. And if it doesn’t attract any potential buyers, you can advertise it on the open market with an estate agent (and pay their fees). If we find a buyer, our fees could be up to 2% of sale price.

Option two:

We’ll advertise your share or 100% of your home for eight weeks and tell you at the end if we’ve found a buyer. And if it doesn’t attract any potential buyers, you can advertise your share or the whole home on the open market with an estate agent (and pay their fees). If we find a buyer, our fees could be up to 2% of sale price

Things to think about before you choose:

• To make sure the right people have the right opportunities, some shared ownership homes have restrictions on how much of the home you can buy and who can own it (things like: you can only buy a maximum of 80% from us. Or, it can be only sold to local people, for example)

• If you think this might apply to your home, please get in touch with us right away

• Please check your lease for any restrictions before your home goes on the market

Step two

Arrange (and pay for) a valuation of your home

To find how much your home is worth you need to arrange a valuation.

• The valuation must be done by a RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) qualified surveyor. We can’t use a ‘mortgage’ valuation or 'estate agents' valuation

• You’ll need to pay for it to be done

• It will be valid for three months (if the sale doesn’t go through in this time you’ll need to get a more up-to-date valuation)

• You can normally get your valuation updated at a cut price, as the surveyor won’t have to visit again.

To make it easier for you, here are a list of local valuers that are RICS qualified. You’re free to find another RICS valuer if you’d prefer.

Valuers we recommend

• All areas - Bartley West Surveyors | 02380 861123 

• Portsmouth area - Chandler Hawkins | 02392 820420

• Southampton area - Now Survey | 02380 224189

• Aldershot area - Cresswell Associates | 01252 515551

• Woking/Guildford area - Frazers Surveyors Ltd | 01483 730909

Step three

Send us all the documents we need, which includes lots of pictures and we’ll market your home

If you still want to go ahead after you’ve received your valuation, you need to fill in this agreement form and send us:

• A copy of the valuation report

• An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for your home. You can find that out here

• Some photos of your home (in JPEG format please)

What happens next?

• Once we have all of these, we’ll have your home on the market within 48 hours

• We use an outside company to market your home

• They’ll be in touch to arrange viewings

• Remember, you must continue to pay your rent all the time we’re dealing with the sale. if you don’t, you’ll be breaking your contract with us and the sale will have to stop

Step four

Once a buyer is found, our solicitor will produce a legal pack and pass it to your solicitors

The solicitors will manage the process until it’s time for you to move out

• Once you’ve paid for the legal pack, it’s up to your solicitor to ask our solicitor for it

• We allow up to 10 working days for our solicitor to prepare the legal pack and send it to yours

• On average, selling your home takes between three to five months (but this isn’t guaranteed)

• Your solicitor will also be responsible for collecting a share of the service charge from the new owners. This will cover their share of the rent and service charge for the month when completion takes place

• We strongly recommend you use a solicitor that’s used to dealing with shared ownership leases and customer contracts. Things often take longer if you use a solicitor who doesn’t have experience in shared ownership deals

• You will be responsible for paying VIVID’s legal fees. A breakdown of fees will provided to your solicitor once your sale has been instructed. 

Here’s a list of solicitors who have experience in shared ownership work. You can, of course, find another firm of solicitors if you like:

• Abels Solicitors - Southampton | 02380 220317

• Eric Robinson Solicitors - Bitterne | 02380 425000

• Galloway Hughes Solicitors - Surrey | 01372 237070

• Jasper Vincent Solicitors - Fareham | 01329 285341