Cavity Wall Insulation grants and Shared ownership

EarlGrey_2

Can someone please help? I have a housing association shared ownership house and need cavity wall insulation, preferably with a grant. I have been passed from pillar to post and am told as it is housing association not only will I not get a grant - no installer will do it? The HA dont want to know even though the Energy trust tell me HA's have their own system of grants.
Many thanks in advance.

iamcornholio

If there are no deals via the HA or local council, you can just get the work done yourself

Typically, co-ownership schemes mean that you are the owner and the HA take a very back seat position and have little responsibility or influence in what you can do - its not like renting. This work will be seen as an upgrade or adaptation, so all you need to do is check your agreement to see what (if any) notification you need to give the HA

TBH, when dealing with companies etc, just don't mention that the property is part HA ownership, as this, as you have found, just complicates things as companies don't really understand what this means - they think you are a tenant as soon as you say "housing association"

EarlGrey_2

Many thanks for your reply. You are correct in saying when the HA is mentioned they just dont get it even with explanation. I was told I couldn't get it done even if I paid! Honesty is not always the best policy so I shall just go to another installer and start again.
again, thank you for your trouble
Earl Grey

Gizmosmum_2

iamcornholio wrote: »

If there are no deals via the HA or local council, you can just get the work done yourself

Typically, co-ownership schemes mean that you are the owner and the HA take a very back seat position and have little responsibility or influence in what you can do - its not like renting. This work will be seen as an upgrade or adaptation, so all you need to do is check your agreement to see what (if any) notification you need to give the HA

TBH, when dealing with companies etc, just don't mention that the property is part HA ownership, as this, as you have found, just complicates things as companies don't really understand what this means - they think you are a tenant as soon as you say "housing association"

Be careful - you need permission from the housing association to make alterations to something they part own. You're not being able to access grants for the HA because no-one is providing grants for HA tenants anymore. Get it done and pay for it yourself, you shouldn't be paying any more than £99 at the minute but get written permission from the HA to cover yourself. Whenever I've had to deal with this kind of thing it's always just been a formality.

iamcornholio

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Be careful - you need permission from the housing association to make alterations to something they part own.

Yes, but it's permission which they cannot withold without good reason

You need exactly the same permission with mortgaged properties in that anyone with a major financial interest wants to make sure that you are not doing anything detrimental to the property.

How many of us have sought permission from our lenders for alterations?

It's just a bit of bureaucracyreally

EarlGrey_2

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Be careful - you need permission from the housing association to make alterations to something they part own. You're not being able to access grants for the HA because no-one is providing grants for HA tenants anymore. Get it done and pay for it yourself, you shouldn't be paying any more than £99 at the minute but get written permission from the HA to cover yourself. Whenever I've had to deal with this kind of thing it's always just been a formality.

Yes thank you. I have sought permission from HA who suggest it is indeed just a formality. I shall be getting a couple of quotes but shall be thrilled if it is as little as £99. The energy trust people mentioned £250 which I thought was a bit steep.
again, many thanks for your help
EarlGrey

EarlGrey_2

iamcornholio wrote: »

Yes, but it's permission which they cannot withold without good reason

You need exactly the same permission with mortgaged properties in that anyone with a major financial interest wants to make sure that you are not doing anything detrimental to the property.

How many of us have sought permission from our lenders for alterations?

It's just a bit of bureaucracyreally

Yes irritating but worth it to avoid trouble later. Not unreasonable really if I'm honest.
Many thanks for your interest
Earl Grey