Neighbourhood Services

HOUSING SERVICE

HOUSING OPTIONS GUIDE - CHAPTER 5

5. BUYING OR BUILDING A HOUSE WITHOUT ANY GRANT ASSISTANCE; INCLUDING SHELTERED AND RETIREMENT HOUSING

5.0 Buying a house

Once you have decided to buy your home, the home-buying process in Scotland involves:

• shopping around for a lender
  
• working out how much you can afford to spend
  
• looking at properties within your price range
  
• once you have found a property you want, appointing a solicitor
  
• formally applying for your mortgage
  
• receiving an offer of advance
  
• making an offer
  
• having the offer accepted (at which point a contract is passed between you and the person selling the property)
  
• finalising the legal arrangements for you becoming the owner of the property
  moving in.

By contacting any local estate agent you will find the varying prices of houses within East Ayrshire.

A fuller explanation of what is involved in each of these stages can be found in 'How to buy a Home in Scotland' available free from HomePoint, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HE, Tel: 0131 313 0044 or at www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk

A booklet, 'Thinking about buying', is available free from the Scottish Executive, telephone: 0131 244 2105. The booklet lists all the questions the buyer needs to ask at each stage in the purchase process, with helpful advice.

5.1 Acquiring a site and building a house

Acquiring a site

Local knowledge is a considerable asset in finding and purchasing suitable sites on which to build. These will be advertised in local newspapers, the Solicitors' Property Centre, estate agents, solicitors and possibly in the Council itself. Some will have outline planning consent for housing, some will be serviced with water, electricity and gas, and some will have neither planning consent nor services.

Do not purchase until, at the very least, outline planning consent for housing has been obtained.

Taking the next steps and getting good professional advice

Anyone wanting to build a house has to overcome a number of official hurdles before they are allowed to proceed to the bricks and mortar building stage. Even before a potential house site has been identified, but if not, as soon as possible afterwards, professional advice should be sought about the following essentials:

Planning regulations and procedures

Planning officials are more than happy to help anyone who is thinking of building a house with specific advice on the requirements of the planning system and more general advice on other aspects of the building process. They have much useful experience and would far rather share it as early as possible to help the potential house-builder to avoid some of the pitfalls and delays that can arise from ignorance of what is needed to get planning consent.

The local planning officials are based at Croft Street, Kilmarnock, Telephone 01563 576000. The planning officials will explain the Council's policies on the siting, design and location of any new house to be built in its area. They will advise on the requirements for drainage from the house site, road access and water supplies and they will provide assistance with, as well as advice on, preparing applications for outline and/or full planning permission and for a building warrant.

Further information on building warrants and planning permission can be found on the Council's website. Application forms can also be obtained.

Legal advice

Particularly those who have not yet acquired legal title to the house site should also seek good legal advice from a qualified solicitor at an early stage.

Designing and building the house

Both the planning office and local solicitors can provide names and addresses of architects or Architects' professional bodies and building contractors. References should be taken up both professional and financial.

The "Yellow Pages" Directory also gives names of the manufacturers and suppliers of 'kit houses'. Some building contractors and all kit suppliers also provide a choice of house designs, which, if suitable, may avoid or reduce the requirement to employ an architect. On the other hand, an experienced architect will also greatly reduce the amount of time and effort that would otherwise be spent by the client on overcoming some or all of the hurdles involved in building a new house.

For further information:
Any organisation or self-builder interested in the promotion of, or participation in a self-build scheme should contact:

Community Self Build Scotland
Queenslie Business Centre
Glasgow G33 4AN
Telephone 0141 766 199
Website www.selfbuild-scotland.org.uk

5.2 Buying Sheltered or retirement housing

Sheltered or retirement housing is a development of purpose-built homes with certain amenities. A development could be a block or blocks of flats, or could consist of individual or linked bungalows. Some developments contain both. Amenities could include communal facilities such as a lounge, laundry and guest bedroom(s). In most developments there will be an emergency alarm system and/or the services of a warden, who may or may not be resident. The warden may be given a different name, such as social or residents' secretary. The main duties of a warden are to act as good neighbour, to summon help in an emergency and to ensure that the common areas are looked after. Provision will be made for the cleaning, maintenance and insurance of the communal parts. All the services and amenities will be paid for by a service charge.
INNIS is a housing advice service provided by Age Concern and funded by the Scottish Executive. INNIS offers free independent advice and information to older people on all issues relating to private sheltered and retirement housing in Scotland.

You can contact INNIS on 0131 220 6347 or by writing to:
Age Concern Scotland,
INNIS,
113 Rose Street,
Edinburgh
EH2 3DT.

5.3 Communities Scotland Mortgage to Rent Scheme

The Mortgage to Rent Scheme may be able to help owner occupiers in mortgage difficulties and those in danger of having your home repossessed. A social landlord such as a housing association or local authority can arrange to buy their home and for they can continue to live there as a tenant. Funding will be made available to social rented landlords so that any necessary repairs can be made to the property and the owner occupier can be charged a social rent.

Mortgage to Rent will not be the best option for everyone. To find out if it is right for the owner occupier they should seek advice. They must seek advice before they can apply.
Advice is avaliable from:

East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Kilmarnock Tel: 01563 544 744
Cumnock Tel: 01290 429 500
Web site: www.nacab.org.uk

National Debtline
Provides a free, confidential and independent phone service.
Tel: 0141 572 0237
Website: www.moneyadvicescotland.org.uk

Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS)
CCCS offers a structured programme on how to manage you money and can offer a structured programme on how to manage you money and can offer a structured repayment plan to creditors.
Tel: 0800 138 1111 (freephone)

Credit Action
Provides information and guidance for people with debt or money worries. Tel: 0800 591 084 (freephone)
Website: www.creditaction.com

Shelter Housing Aid Centres
Shelter provides advice on all housing issues and can give this over the phone or face to face. The four centres are: Aberdeen 01224 645586 Dundee 01382 225544 Edinburgh 0131 466 8031 Glasgow 0141 221 8995
Website: www.shelterscotland.org.uk

Legal Services Agency
One of Scotland's largest law centres. Has expertise in dealing with housing problems. Tel: 0141 353 3354
Website: www.lsa.org.uk

Your Local Authority

East Ayrshire Council homelessness team and the Housing Options Team wil be able to help. They can advise on the options avaliable. It may not be necessary for the owner occupier to sell their home in order to continue living there. For example, if they are in mortgage difficulties because of other debts, it may be possible for those other debts to be restructured so they can get back on track with your mortgage payments.

Criteria for the Mortgage to Rent Scheme

You can apply for Mortgage to Rent if you can answer yes to all of the following questions:

• Have you obtained advice about your financial situation?
  
• Has your lender begun legal proceedings against you?
  
• Do all of the owners of the property agree to being considered for Mortgage to Rent?
  
• Is the property the sole or main residence of someone in the household?
  
• Is there a reason that your household has to remain in the local area?
  
• Are you unable to sell your home and buy somewhere cheaper locally?

We ask these questions for two main reasons. First the scheme is designed to help those who need to remain in the local area but are unable to do so without assistance. Second, every case accepted by the scheme will require funding and that funding is limited. We therefore aim to help those who are in the greatest need.

You will not normally be eligible for help under the Mortgage to Rent scheme if:

• You are under 60 years old and the capital (see definition below) help by you and
• your partners is greater than £8,000 or you are 60 or over and the capital held by you and your partner is greater than £12,000.
  
• You have lived in the property for less than 12 months.
  
• The value of the property is higher than the average property value in your local area.

In some circumstances you may still be eligible for the Mortgage to Rent Scheme even if you fall into one of the four categories above, for example if there are more than five people in your household or if you can fund additional repairs. Speak to one of the advice agencies listed in Appendix B.

How to apply?

Before applying applicants must obtain advice about their financial situation. The advice agencies listed before can provide this. If the applicant wishes to apply to the scheme after taking advice they can get an application form from one of the agencies above, or from Communities Scotland at www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk or by e-mailing mortgagetorent@communitiesscotland.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can call on 0131 479 5188 or write to
Mortgage to Rent, Communities Scotland,
Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace,
Edinburgh, EH12 5HE.

Further information

Further information is avaliable within the Mortgage to rent manual which is avaliable from either the Communities Scotland website http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk or by request from the East Ayrshire Council Housing Options Team.

Back to Index