How much does staircasing cost when increasing my share in a shared ownership home?

Full answer

Staircasing is the process of buying additional shares in a shared ownership property over time, gradually increasing your ownership from your original share (often 25-75%) towards full ownership, and each staircasing transaction has its own distinct set of costs. **The valuation** Before staircasing, the housing association or landlord requires an independent RICS valuation of the property's current market value, which is used to price the additional share you are buying -- this means the cost per percentage point can rise or fall from your original purchase, reflecting genuine market movement since you first bought your share, not your original purchase price. **Core costs** Alongside the cost of the share itself (percentage of current market value), expect to pay a valuation fee, your own solicitor's fees for handling the staircasing transaction, and potentially the housing association's own administration or legal fees, which vary by provider. **Stamp Duty Land Tax on staircasing** Most shared ownership buyers make a market value SDLT election when they first buy, paying SDLT upfront based on the full property market value in a way that generally avoids further SDLT on subsequent staircasing purchases up to 80% ownership. If a market value election was NOT made at outset, SDLT may become due again as further shares are staircased, calculated against specific thresholds -- checking which election applied at your original purchase is essential before staircasing. **Rent reduction on the remaining share** As you staircase up and own a larger percentage, the rent charged on the landlord's remaining share reduces proportionally, since rent is normally charged only on the percentage you do not yet own. **Worked example** Someone owns 50% of a home currently valued at £300,000 and staircases to 75%. The additional 25% share costs 25% of £300,000 = £75,000, plus valuation and legal fees, and the landlord's rent charge on the remaining 25% share reduces accordingly. **Practical tip** Check whether your original purchase included a market value SDLT election (it will be recorded in your original purchase documents), get an up-to-date RICS valuation before committing to staircase, and budget for valuation and legal fees on top of the share cost itself.

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