Own Home Scheme Pros and Cons

sgrey

superfran_uk wrote: »

Well my partner and I are both mid-late 20s and would like kids, but unfortunately that's just the way it is. We will learn to cope, and if we decide to have kids in a few years they will have to share a room or we will have to move. We feel lucky to have had this opportunity however.

Not sure what you expect your MP to do but good luck with it... If I were you though, I'd look for a place that fits the criteria and do it as quickly as you can, as funding is apparently now in short supply.

I have been to my MP before about similar issues and noted that MPs and Councillors have a lot of power. It is worth a shot. While I am visiting my MP I will ask him whether he had to buy a 2 bed house for his 1st home, or indeed their holiday home. I will then ask why we must be subjected to a 2 bed home when they have fraudulently claimed, in expenses, circa £140k above and beyond what they are entitled to.

I just wanted to clarify a few things before lodging a cimplaint with my MP. Thank you very much for your help.

Cheers
Sarah

coffeedog

Hey all,

Just called ownhome to find out about the availability of funds in the south west - they said as far as they've been told by their managers, there is funding left everywhere ( although not in North West) . Also told 12 -14 weeks waiting time again, which means i should be getting a letter any day soon. Not holding my breath though!

Pigeongirl

sgrey wrote: »

I have been to my MP before about similar issues and noted that MPs and Councillors have a lot of power. It is worth a shot. While I am visiting my MP I will ask him whether he had to buy a 2 bed house for his 1st home, or indeed their holiday home. I will then ask why we must be subjected to a 2 bed home when they have fraudulently claimed, in expenses, circa £140k above and beyond what they are entitled to.

I just wanted to clarify a few things before lodging a cimplaint with my MP. Thank you very much for your help.

Cheers
Sarah

Oh yes, because with a snotty letter like that your MP will be simply jumping up and down to help you...:rolleyes:

Honestly, we're damn lucky to have such a scheme and it's greedy people like you who demand "more more more!" that make the rest of us lose out. Be thankful for what you can get or leave the scheme to those who are.

tek-monkey

Well in that case I might want kids in a few years too, I want a bigger house. I might have a girl and a boy, so they'd need seperate rooms and I still want the one more than required, so I need a 4 bed place rather than the 2 bed I'm entitled to. Seems fair, lets all do it

This scheme is to help first time buyers get started, not set you up for life.

Steven.Morris7

tek-monkey wrote: »

Well in that case I might want kids in a few years too, I want a bigger house. I might have a girl and a boy, so they'd need seperate rooms and I still want the one more than required, so I need a 4 bed place rather than the 2 bed I'm entitled to. Seems fair, lets all do it

This scheme is to help first time buyers get started, not set you up for life.

I agree... i'm in the North West & was one of the last to get my funding allocated... I'm extremely thankful to get on & will be more than happy with 2 bedrooms that i own rather than 2 rented bedrooms that my landlord won't do up!! :rolleyes:

Cloister

Yeah,

I really dont think you can argue at the scheme itself which determines the rules. How else are you going to guarantee people wont say they are going to have lots of kids and then don't and end up renting the extra rooms out or something.

If this was the case everyone would be applying for a bigger house and the funding wouldn't go as far and then lots of people who need help wouldn't get it. The rules are there to make it fair for everyone and I believe they are correct.

Why don't you wait till you have kids THEN apply for the scheme. That way you can apply for what you need.

What will your letter to you MP be like?

Dear MP,

I know you lot in political power have been fraudulently claiming on your expenses, can I have some of that please?

Thanks.

xx

Lets just say that two wrongs don't make a right....

ladybird3

Some very hilarious posts recently!!

If you want kids then fine, just sell your home and move! Even if you went on the scheme then yes you would of course have to pay back the percentage that you borrowed, however, Given that we're in a housing slump then it's likely at some point the market will start to gradually rise again and yes although that means you will have to pay back more money it also means that a gap between your mortgage and the ownhome loan will form which when you come to sell your house will essentially end up being a profit which you can use for your next purchase as a deposit.

As it's been noted the scheme is not a perfect fixit measure to provide a dream home for everyone.
Perhaps you need to weigh up what is more important-getting on the housing ladder in the first instance and possibly putting off having children for a while, or going ahead with the kiddies and risk having to move soon

Agree with the previous posts about your letter though-I dont think any MP is going to go out of his way to help if you start going down the old expenses route!!

Maybe if you looked for a 2 bed place with larger bedrooms though it would be ok for children to share? or you could always look at starting your family now and apply for the scheme 1 or 2 years down the line when you'll be eligible for more bedrooms?

on the flip side, what if you dont end up having children but are living in a nice 3 bed house when others have been limited to less rooms? I think it's fair that the scheme assesses eligibility on your conditions at the point of application rather than on something which may or may not happen in the future

I mean I've applied but could get pregnant next month with triplets-does that mean they should give me the option of a 4 bed house based on something that may or may not happen? I think not!!

superfran_uk

Agree with all that has been said above, just didn't want to come across as having a go again... But as others have chimed in I have to ask... "What makes you so special?!" as you seem to have an entitlement complex?

Seriously. If you can't afford a house at all then you should feel lucky to have this opportunity at all. And I think you'll find most people's first homes are not, as you seem to want, a 3 bed semi, but a 1 or 2 bed flat. If you want to live like an MP, become one. It's probably a lot harder than you think!

Failing that, you have two choices: Save up and do it the proper way or be eternally grateful that someone has helped you out and stick to the rules.

ladybird3

Even going on this scheme surely having 3 children on top of that is going to be very expensive?! Maybe cut down on the children?

ozzyozzy

Hi everyone,

I have been new to this forum and from the London area, I was very disappointed to read earlier in these threads that basically the funding for Ownhome Scheme will cease to exist - according to the Governments 'Homes & Community' website. As they want to promote Newbuilds i.e. Homebuy direct Scheme! I.e. flats made out of cardboard & plasticine ! :eek:
I applied to the scheme at beginning of May, and was told wait for a letter at beg. of July. From what I have been reading, the waits have been longer. So I decided to call PFP today and she did indeed confirm the wait would be a lot longer...and apparently I am 541st in the London area queue! BUT when I asked her whether funding was likely to last in the London area for another few months she could not answer it !

Obviously I will wait another few months for 'letter' and probably funding for London will be over AND the Ownhome scheme will be no more

Thats really pee'd me off - why the Government are abandoning this great Scheme and forcing everyone to purchase newbuilds is no doubt a politically influenced decision....it stinks - I dont want a cardboard home !

Ozzy.