Buying your home
The Right to Buy
Right to Buy is a scheme where secure Clapham Park Homes tenants can apply to buy the property they live in.
Properties are valued at current market prices. Most properties are offered for sale at a lower price because the tenant qualifies for a discount, which is usually £16,000.
Who qualifies?
Most secure tenants of Clapham Park Homes, who have been tenants for at least two years (five years if you became a tenant after 17 January 2005 ).
Previous tenancies and tenancies with other councils and housing associations usually count.
How does the scheme work?
You apply to buy your home by filling in an application form. We then write back to you, confirming whether or not you have the Right to Buy.
If you have the Right to Buy, we have the property valued and send you an offer of sale. You have three months to decide if you wish to buy your home.
How can I get more information or an application form?
Metropolitan Home Ownership team now administer the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire for Clapham Park Homes.
MHO's contact details are as follows:
Metropolitan Home Ownership
The Grange
100 High Street
Southgate
London
N14 6PW
Tel: 0208 920 7777
Warning!
There are private companies and individuals who offer to help tenants to buy their homes. The problem is that you may not get good advice from them and could end up becoming homeless.
Companies and individuals offering help
Sometimes, you are asked to pay for things that you can get for free. For example:
- We will provide an application form and help you fill it in.
- We will explain how the sales process works and answer your questions.
- Banks and building societies offer free mortgage advice.
We are here to help you and our advice costs nothing.
Companies and individuals offering money
Sometimes companies or individuals offer tenants money if the tenants agree to a deal where the company ends up owning the property. If you enter into this type of agreement:
- before you buy your property, you will have to repay any discount as soon as you buy it.
- after you buy your property, you will have to repay any discount as soon as you make the agreement.
- the money you make is unlikely to be enough to buy another home, and the Council will not give you another property to rent.
Please think very carefully before using one of these companies or individuals. Ask yourself ‘what’s in it for them?'. They may be suggesting that you do something that benefits them, not you. Do not sign anything that you are not entirely clear about or happy with .
Some tenants have become homeless after agreeing to deals like this. It is very important that you get independent legal advice from your own solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau before you do anything.
How the CPH Masterplan could affect your right to buy
CPH propose to demolish the following blocks:
- 1-16 Arkwright House
- 1-34 Bennett House
- 1-30 Bowie Close, 31-60 Bowie Close
- Bruce House
- 158-178 Clarence Crescent
- 180-200 Clarence Crescent
- 1-12 Dumphreys House
- 1-24 Homan House
- 1-12 Hutchins House
- 92-104 Kings Avenue
- 1-12 Morten Close
- 13-24 Morten Close
- 25-36 Morten Close
- 1-9 Plummer Road
- 1-12 Prendegast House.
CPH has served initial demolition notices which will suspend the right to buy at pre-completion stage.
CPH will serve further initial demolition notices and final demolition notices as the Masterplan progresses. The final demolition notice will suspend the right to buy in its entirety.
You may want to consider the above before you apply for the right to buy as you will pay associated costs (solicitors’ fees etc) and these may not be recoverable. You will, however, preserve the right to buy for the property that you will be moved to upon demolition of your block.