Co-ownership

NORTHERN IRELAND CO-OWNERSHIP HOUSING ASSOCIATION (NICHA)

NICHA was established to help meet housing need through the promotion and development of equity sharing in the private housing sector. NICHA is regulated and partly funded by the Department for Social Development. The scheme helps you build up home ownership by initially part-buying and part-renting the property of your choice. If a you would not normally be able to buy the home on a full mortgage, the NICHA scheme enables you to buy as much as you can afford initially, with the option of buying the rest from NICHA at any future date.

When purchasing a property through NICHA you will not be required to pay a solicitors professional fee. You will however have to pay for any outlay such as searches and registration. The NICHA will present you with a list of their panel solicitors from which you can choose who you wish to act on your behalf.

BUILDERS EQUITY SHARING SCHEMES

Most builders in Northern Ireland currently offer equity sharing schemes often giving the opportunitiy to pay 75% of the purchase price for 100% of the ownership but with an obligation to purchase out the remaining 25% of the equity over a ten year period at 25% of whatever value it has at that time. The builders remaining 25% is secured by a second charge registered on the title

HOW WE CAN HELP

Wilson Nesbitt are on NICHA’s limited panel of solicitors and also act for many first time buyers buying through builders schemes; the conveyancing process is largely the same as that outlined in our ‘Buying or Selling a Property’ section.

NEXT STEPS

Take the next step and call us on freephone number 0800 840 9290 or send us your details.