At HOS, our team’s expertise and enthusiasm allow us to help hundreds of individuals and families find a suitable housing solution each year. Every person who gets in touch with us does so for unique reasons. Our brokerage team work extremely hard to provide them all with tailored advice and guidance. Here is a round-up of a few ways our team has supported people navigating their housing options in December.
Ryan helped a client who got in touch with HOS as they felt they could no longer manage the stairs in their tenement. The client had already been in contact with various housing associations and wants to stay in the area as they have lived there the majority of their life. Ryan explained their different housing options and also offered to refer them to an Independent Financial Advisor to explore the possibility of selling their current property to buy one that can meet their needs. Ryan is now checking the status of social housing applications to help the client find a suitable housing solution.
Eve supported an individual living in a council property that’s no longer suitable for their needs. The house has stairs at the front and back and the client was no longer to leave the property. The client was becoming increasingly worried about the risk this posed. They thought the council couldn’t do anything to help. Eve spoke to the council on the client’s behalf and learnt that they were not aware of the full situation. The client is now getting an up-to-date Occupational Therapist assessment done which should give the client a higher medical priority to reflect their situation.
Olivia advised a client looking to move home as their current property can no longer meet their physical needs. They bought the property years ago using the LIFT Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme and want to use this again when buying their next home.
The LIFT OMSE scheme helps people buy a property for sale on the open market within certain price thresholds. It is available across Scotland for first-time buyers and people from priority access groups (NOTE: the OSME scheme has now closed for 23/24).
Olivia’s client was struggling to find a suitable property within the threshold and had faced some delays. Olivia was able to secure an extension for the client’s application to the scheme giving them more time to find their next home.
It can be difficult to navigate your housing options alone. Our Housing Options Brokers are here to help and offer free, individualised support and advice. Get in touch or fill out one of our Get Help forms if you need guidance.