Discounts

The right to buy scheme allows you to buy your home at a discount:

• The minimum qualifying period is three years
• The Maximum discount allowed in Colchester is £96,000 (2022/2023) This increase takes effect on 6th April 2023.
• If you have already received a discount under the Right to Buy scheme, this would be deducted from your new discount
• We do not sell any properties for less than the Cost Floor (the cost of the upkeep of the building for the past 10 – 15 years). If you live in a new build property this will include the cost of building the property and associated costs.

Getting legal advice

Before deciding whether to buy, you should get legal advice, especially if you have any worries about taking such a big step. Click here to find a local solicitor. You should always find out how much a solicitor will cost before you employ them.

Mortgage Advice

We cannot offer you mortgage advice. However, you can click here for more information about the costs involved in buying your home.

Before You Decide To Buy Your Home

Buying your own home is the biggest financial decision you will ever make. If you buy your home, you will be responsible for:

• The costs of maintaining your home
• Any repairs, including major structural and routine repairs
• Any improvements to the property

If you live in a flat you will be responsible for paying:

• Your portion of any works carried out to maintain or improve the building.
• Annual Service charges and Ground rent
• For repairs that fall within the Leaseholders responsibility (Please see attachment “Who is responsible for repairs”.)

If you buy your home, it may affect any benefits you receive:

• If you get Housing Benefit, this will stop once you own your home
• You cannot get Housing Benefit to help pay your mortgage
• You may be entitled to Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance to help with housing costs (mortgage interest), but this is not usually paid until three months after the date of your claim to benefit

We have produced a chart to help you make the decision.

Completing Your Purchase

If you are happy with our terms for buying your home and you have arranged to raise the money, you are ready to go ahead and buy.

You need to tell us that you are ready by returning the yellow acceptance form included in your offer notice. Please ask your solicitor for advice on the legal documents and making your payment.

Buying any property can be a long and stressful period; however at Colchester Borough Homes we try to make this as smooth and easy as possible. We aim to complete the Right to Buy purchase of the property within one year from application, or sooner where possible.

What if you decide to sell after you have bought your home?

If you sell your home within 5 years, you will have to pay back between one fifth and the total amount of the discount.

If you want to sell within 10 years of the date you bought it, you will have to offer the property to Colchester City Council. The Council must be offered first refusal, however it is under no obligation to buy back your property. We will consider your request and notify you within 60 days.

For further information on repaying a discount and offering a property back to Colchester City Council, please contact Joanne.Wingate@cbhomes.org.uk or call 01206 508773.

How to apply for your Right To Buy

Check your eligibility for the Right To Buy scheme on the Communities and Local Government Right To Buy website.

You will need to complete a form called an RTB1. Go to the GOV.UK website and download a copy to complete and return to the address below.

Please read the accompanying documents about buying your home before proceeding with your enquiry. These can be found in the ‘Useful Information’ section below or in the Downloads section on the right hand side of this page.

If you have any questions regarding your Right To Buy application, complete our online Right to Buy Enquiry form or email: righttobuy@cbhomes.org.uk.

Send your completed application to:

RTB / Leasehold Department, Colchester Borough Homes, Rowan House, 33 Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3WG.

What happens next?

Once you have sent in your form, we will send you a notice, called an RTB2, letting you know if you can buy home. We will send this to you within 4 weeks, unless we are waiting for evidence of previous tenancies with other landlords to calculate your qualifying period.

Once you have received this, you will then be sent what is called a Section 125 Notice (Offer Notice). This will be sent out within 8 weeks of the RTB2 if your home is a house, or 12 weeks if your home is a flat. You need to write to us within 12 weeks of getting your Offer Notice to let us know if you wish to buy your home or to withdraw your application.

The Section 125 notice is very important as the details on this form could help you decide whether you want to go ahead and buy your home.

It includes:

• A description of the property
• The price
• Any structural defects
• Terms and conditions of sale

If your home is a flat, it will include an estimate of the service charges, ground rent and potential major works invoices you will have to pay.

If you disagree with the value given to your home, you can appeal to the District Valuer by telling us within 12 weeks of receiving the Section 125 Notice and to request form HA5. You will need to complete this form and return it to us so that we can send this request to the District Valuer with the relevant forms.

Please note that the District Valuer could value your home at a higher, lower or equal amount to the Offer Notice. This will be the amount you will have to pay.