Right to Buy
Expert Right to Buy Mortgage Guidance and Financial Solutions
Navigate the Right to Buy scheme with confidence through professional mortgage advice tailored to your circumstances.
The Right to Buy scheme is a government initiative in England and Northern Ireland that allows eligible council tenants to purchase the home they rent from their landlord at a significant discount. At SBS Finance, we help council tenant clients secure the best mortgage deals for Right to Buy purchases, providing whole-of-market access and transparent guidance through every step of the buy process. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or exploring options under the Right to Buy Scheme, our expert advisers ensure you understand your discount entitlements, affordability requirements, and long-term financial obligations.
Why Right to Buy is a Great Opportunity for Council Tenants
The Right to Buy scheme has a history spanning over 50 years, helping millions of tenants transition from renting to ownership. Since its introduction under the Housing Act 1980, over 2 million council homes have been sold under this scheme across England. When you secure professional mortgage advice, you can access several valuable benefits:
Significant Discounts
The scheme offers substantial reductions on market value, potentially saving tens of thousands of pounds on your purchase price.
Building Equity Immediately
Your discount effectively provides instant equity in your property, which can reduce the mortgage amount you need.
Freedom to Modify Your Property
As a homeowner, you gain the freedom to renovate, extend, or personalise your house or flat without landlord restrictions.
Long-Term Financial Security
Monthly mortgage payments often compare favourably to rent, allowing you to build wealth over time instead of paying rent to your landlord, which in this case is the council.
Potential Deposit Solution
The Right to Buy scheme allows buyers to potentially use the discount received as a deposit for a mortgage, reducing the need for upfront cash.
Professional mortgage advice ensures you get the best deals available across the market and avoid costly mistakes that could affect your application or long-term financial position.
Our Right to Buy Services
First-Time Right to Buy Applications
We provide comprehensive support for council tenants applying for Right to Buy mortgage for the first time. Our advisers guide you through the entire mortgage application process, explain discount calculations, and identify mortgage options suited to your income and credit profile. From initial eligibility checks to completion, we ensure you understand every step.
Housing Association Right to Acquire
Housing association tenants may qualify for the Right to Acquire scheme, which offers fixed discounts typically ranging from £9,000 to £16,000 depending on your region. Our specialist advice covers eligibility requirements, application procedures, and mortgage planning for housing association properties.
We also provide professional support for Preserved Right to Buy cases—if your home was previously owned by the council but sold to another landlord, you may still have the Right to Buy under this scheme.
Top 10 Right to Buy Eligibility Requirements
Must be a secure council tenant or assured housing association tenant with your landlord registered with the relevant authority.
Minimum 3 years as a public sector tenant (not necessarily continuous)—to be eligible for the Right to Buy scheme, you must have been a secure tenant for at least three years, which does not need to be continuous or in the same property.
Property must be your main home and self contained, not a secondary residence.
Not subject to possession proceedings or outstanding legal orders such as bankruptcy.
Property not designated for elderly or disabled residents under special accommodation terms.
Property not scheduled for demolition within two years—certain properties are ineligible for the Right to Buy scheme, including those that are not self-contained, due to be demolished within two years, or specifically adapted for elderly or disabled individuals.
Family members can join your application if they have lived with you for 12 or more months, including a spouse, civil partner, or up to three additional family members.
Armed forces accommodation time counts towards your qualifying period as a public sector tenant.
Must pass affordability assessments for a mortgage, demonstrating sufficient income to meet monthly payments.
Property must meet lender valuation requirements and be acceptable security for mortgage purposes.
Our Right to Buy Mortgage Process
Step 1: Initial Consultation and Eligibility Check
We assess your Right to Buy eligibility for mortgage purposes and review your financial circumstances, including income, credit history, and existing debts. Our advisers are not able to help with calculating your potential discount entitlements however those information can be provide by your local council - based on tenancy length and property type. Local council will provide you with property valuation estimates to help you understand your likely discounted price.
Step 2: Mortgage Planning and Agreement in Principle
Using whole-of-market access, we compare mortgage options from multiple lenders to find deals suited to Right to Buy purchases. We secure an agreement in principle before your formal application proceeds, giving you confidence in your borrowing capacity. We calculate total purchase costs including legal fees, surveys, service charges, and other costs you’ll need to budget for.
Step 3: Application Support and Professional Guidance
You will complete your RTB1 application form and submit it to your council. Once you’ve submitted your Right to Buy application, your landlord must respond within 4 weeks to inform you whether your application has been accepted or denied. After your application is accepted, your local council will serve you an offer notice within 8 weeks if you live in a house, or within 12 weeks if you live in a flat or maisonette. We provide ongoing support throughout this valuation and offer process.
Step 4: Mortgage Completion and Ongoing Support
You have 12 weeks from receiving your offer notice to decide whether to proceed with the purchase, and if you accept, it could take at least 3 additional months for the sale to complete. The entire Right to Buy process typically takes around 9 months from the submission of your application to the completion of the sale, although it can take longer depending on individual circumstances. We coordinate with solicitors and complete mortgage arrangements, then provide guidance on post-purchase responsibilities—homeowners under the Right to Buy scheme become fully responsible for all maintenance and repair costs of the property—and future financial planning.
Customer Success Stories
“SBS Finance made our Right to Buy journey straightforward and stress-free. They found us an excellent mortgage rate and explained every cost involved. We’re now proud homeowners of the council home we’ve lived in for 12 years!”
Sarah T.
First-Time Right to Buy Client, Hampshire
“As housing association tenants, we weren’t sure if we qualified for anything. The team explained our Right to Acquire options clearly and helped us secure a mortgage despite some credit concerns. Their whole-of-market approach found us a lender others had missed.”
David and Maria K.
Right to Acquire Clients, London
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
Get Expert Right to Buy Mortgage Advice
Take the first step toward owning your council home with a free initial consultation. Our whole-of-market access ensures you see mortgage options from across the market, not just a limited panel. We operate with a transparent fee structure—you’ll know exactly what our advice costs before proceeding.
Phone
03456 461 941Address
Unit 314, Solent Business Centre, 343 Millbrook Road West, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom. SO15 0HWStep by Step Financial Solutions provides specialist mortgage advice; our regulatory information is in the website footer. We help you navigate eligibility rules, discount calculations, mortgage applications, and post-purchase responsibilities with expert guidance throughout your buy process.