Property criteria

Criteria as of 25th March 2024

Before you apply it’s important that you check out our criteria and make sure that you meet it. Once you apply, the first stage of your application fee, £100, will be charged and is non-refundable. If you have any specific questions about a property you are interested in, please contact us.

Area	Criteria
Property Price	Maximum property value of £195,000.
Location	We will purchase existing and new build properties anywhere in Northern Ireland.
New builds	In addition for new builds: Basic ‘turnkey’ packages are acceptable. You must declare any incentives you are offered. We may not agree to them. Properties with PC sums are generally not acceptable. We will generally not pay for extras in new build property, or for furnishings/moveable fittings in existing property. The price must include all connection fees for utilities. All roads and sewers serving the property must be bonded or adopted. If not please contact us.
Warranties	New properties must have a suitable 10-year structural warranty. Existing properties under 10 years old must have the balance of their original 10-year structural warranty.
Incentives	You must declare any incentives you are offered. We may not agree to them.
Energy Performance	We require an Energy Performance Certificate for the property. An EPC contains information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs and gives recommendations about how to reduce energy use to potentially save money. To read the Co-Ownership guide to EPCs please click here.
Meeting your needs	You must satisfy yourself that your chosen property meets your needs in its current format without requiring immediate and major alterations/upgrading.
Types of property	Sorry, but we don’t accept: Architect certified properties. Properties that require more than £6,000 of work to resolve before purchase issues and/or more than £6,000 of work to resolve after purchase issues. Properties with no central heating. Properties with non-standard or unconventional construction. To find out more go to the ‘What type of property can I look for’ section on our website.
Unsuitable properties	We are also unable to accept: Mobile homes or temporary structures. HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). Properties with annexes (hint: a granny flat). Properties with Japanese Knotweed. Properties that are not complete (hint: sold “as is”). Properties that are underpinned or stated to be defective. Properties with agricultural use restrictions. Properties which are used for purposes other than as a residence. Properties with a private water supply. Properties with renewable energy systems such as solar panels or wind turbines which are leased (hint: if owned by the seller this will be acceptable). Usually properties must front onto an adopted road.
Service charges	A service charge is the amount you pay towards the upkeep of any common or shared areas relating to a house or an apartment. It should be reasonable for the services provided. Service charges for a house will be less than for an apartment. All service charges must be affordable for you. We would expect that a service charge for a house would be usually no more than £200 per year and an apartment would not usually be more than £1,000 per year. If the proposed service charge will be more than this please contact us.