Keep your existing share
Compare a new lender with your current lender’s available deals. Include fees and the remaining mortgage term, not just the headline rate. A new lender will assess the borrower, property and lease.
Plan your next deal around the share you own
You may be able to change your mortgage deal without buying more shares. If you also want to staircase, the borrowing, provider approval and legal work need to fit together. We can help you compare the routes before you commit.
Free initial consultation by phone or online. Further fees vary by case. How our advice and fees work
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Missing rent or other lease payments can also put your shared ownership home at risk.
A remortgage replaces your mortgage with one from another lender while you stay in the same home. A new deal with your existing lender is normally a product transfer. Neither automatically increases your ownership share.
Compare a new lender with your current lender’s available deals. Include fees and the remaining mortgage term, not just the headline rate. A new lender will assess the borrower, property and lease.
A straightforward product transfer may involve fewer checks and less legal work. Eligibility and any changes to the term, borrowers or borrowing still need checking.
Staircasing is a separate purchase. Funding might involve savings, further borrowing from your current lender or a remortgage. The provider must confirm what your lease allows.
If you are still buying your first share, start with our shared ownership mortgage guide.
Ask your housing provider what consent, documents, fees and notice are needed for the proposed change. Obtain the current requirements in writing. A lender’s offer does not replace any approval required under your lease.
For example, Latimer’s remortgage guidance distinguishes changing lender from a product transfer with no extra borrowing, where its consent may not be needed. It also restricts the purposes of additional borrowing and does not permit debt consolidation. Those are Latimer’s rules, not a policy to assume for every provider.
Tell the adviser exactly what extra funds would pay for. More equity does not give unrestricted access to cash. Approval for building work and approval to borrow for it are separate questions.
A lower rate is not necessarily a cheaper outcome. Ask for a comparison over the same period, with the same loan and remaining term where possible. If the term is extended, lower monthly payments can mean more interest overall.
Use our remortgage costs guide and early repayment charge guidance for the wider detail. MoneyHelper’s remortgage guide also explains why fees can change the comparison.
First confirm the permitted share increase and any ownership cap. Some leases restrict staircasing, so reaching 100% is not available in every case. Standard staircasing normally uses a current valuation; some eligible small-share arrangements use a different method. Follow your provider’s process rather than assuming the lender’s valuation will also set the purchase price.
GOV.UK’s staircasing guidance for England explains the different arrangements. Confirm who instructs the valuation, how long it remains valid and when the transaction must complete.
Suppose the agreed full value is £240,000, you own 50% and your outstanding mortgage is £90,000. Buying another 25 percentage points would cost £60,000, giving you a 75% share.
If you funded that entire purchase through the mortgage, the balance would be £150,000 before fees or other adjustments. The new share would be worth £180,000. These figures explain the transaction; they are not a lending limit, valuation or mortgage offer.
Ask for the revised rent and a fresh total monthly budget. Less rent does not guarantee a lower overall payment if the mortgage increases. At 100% ownership, rent on the provider’s retained share ends, but service charges and other property costs may remain.
Replacing a mortgage without acquiring another ownership interest is different from buying more shares or transferring ownership between people. Ask your conveyancer to check the proposed transaction and original purchase documents.
In England and Northern Ireland, shared ownership SDLT treatment can depend on whether a market value election was made. Where tax is paid in stages, acquiring more than 80% can trigger a return and tax due on the relevant transaction; subsequent purchases also need checking. First-time buyer relief does not apply to later staircasing purchases. Use HMRC’s shared ownership guidance, not a standard purchase calculation alone.
Wales uses Land Transaction Tax and Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. Their rules and ownership arrangements must be checked separately. Do not apply England’s scheme guidance to a Scottish shared-equity arrangement, a Welsh lease or Northern Ireland Co-Ownership without checking the relevant provider and legal position.
Bring your latest mortgage statement, deal end date, early repayment charge and remaining term. Start reviewing several months ahead where possible; offer validity and provider timescales vary.
Note the provider, country, share owned, estimated full value, rent, charges and remaining lease length. Include any staircasing quote, consent instructions or relevant property correspondence.
Tell us about income, employment, dependants, debts and credit issues, and whether someone needs to join or leave the mortgage. Use our mortgage document checklist to prepare evidence.
Compare suitable options before applying. For a lender change or staircasing, coordinate the mortgage offer, provider approval, conveyancing and valuation deadlines. Keep making existing payments until the arrangements change.
If payments are already difficult, contact your lender and housing provider promptly. Do not rely on a future remortgage to resolve arrears. Free debt advice can help you review immediate options.
We can discuss your current mortgage, intended share and budget, then compare suitable mortgage options within the scope of our advice. We will explain the recommendation, costs and information needed. Your provider decides its consent requirements, and your conveyancer handles the legal work; we cannot override either or guarantee a mortgage offer.
The initial consultation is free. Further fees vary by case and are agreed before chargeable work starts. A processing fee may apply separately from an offer fee and is not charged in every case. We may receive lender commission. Ask for payment stages and refund terms in writing; read our Terms of Business.
Yes, changing the mortgage deal does not itself change your ownership percentage. You still need to meet the relevant lender requirements and obtain any provider consent required under your lease.
For a straightforward remortgage, equity in your existing share may support the new loan. That does not guarantee acceptance: the valuation, mortgage balance and lender limits matter. You may need cash for fees or to cover a borrowing shortfall.
A new lender will assess your current circumstances. Ask about your existing lender’s product-transfer options as well, since some straightforward switches may not need a fresh affordability assessment. Extra borrowing or other changes can require further checks. No route guarantees acceptance.
Potentially, but this is more than a rate switch. The remaining borrower must meet the relevant requirements, the provider may need to approve the change and a conveyancer must handle any ownership transfer. Someone is not released from the mortgage simply because they move out.
Not necessarily. A flat normally remains leasehold, and houses depend on the lease and transfer arrangements. Ask the conveyancer what changes at final staircasing, what charges remain and whether any restrictions continue.
There is no fixed completion time. A straightforward product transfer differs from changing lender or buying more shares. Provider consent, valuation, property queries and legal work can affect timing. Agree a realistic schedule and check expiry dates before committing to costs.
Let us know your deal end date, housing provider and whether you want to keep your share or buy more. You can start with approximate figures while gathering the documents.
Reviewed 7 September 2026. General information, not personal mortgage, legal or tax advice. Lender and provider requirements can change. England-specific examples are identified above.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Missing rent or other lease payments can also put your shared ownership home at risk.
