Housing advice please?!

[LMonkey]

Me, partner and 1yr old boy are currently in a 2 bedroom shared ownership 2nd floor maisonette. We like our place but we do want to expand the brood in the not too distant future, plus there are no lifts and climbing the main stairs is getting increasingly difficult with a heavier tot. We are on very low incomes, plus the fact that I have recently got a new part time job so that I could spend more time with DS (I'm now thinking I should have thought a bit more carefully about that as now we will be entitled to even less lending, I was just so desperate not to miss out on all the great bits). I was feeling positive around new year (turns out I was delusional I think) but have since looked into the help to buy scheme and I don't think we could even afford to do that. I think our only option would be another shared ownership property, which ideally would be a 3 bedroom house but I'm not sure that people are allowed to move from one SO property to another, When I went onto our local website and filled out the form to check if we were eligible it looked like we wouldn't be as we already own part of our own property. I need to phone them really, I just keep putting it off as I know from experience that they are not very helpful and I'll probably just get upset.

I don't even know what I'm asking really, I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has experience in this area, or if any of you happen to be some kind of housing adviser, please give me some hope! The thought of being stuck in a 2 bed maisonette with no lifts, no garden and with a tiny bedroom for our son and another child if we have one ( as we definitely want another) is just so depressing. I love my new part time job and it fits in so perfectly with us, I would be absolutely gutted to give it up.

These websites are really useful, Preciousbane. The first one is especially good as I had no real idea what the process would be of selling our SO property, so if we are actually able to sell one day then this is really helpful, thank you. I just need to know what our options are really, if there are any; if we would be allowed to move in to another SO property or if we are not considered eligible as we already part-own one. If its worth selling then renting?? Its a shame to come off the property ladder but then we can't stay in a cramped maisonette forever just because we own part of it,and unfortunately our circumstances aren't going to change that much regarding finances and careers etc (unless we happen to win the lottery). If anyone has any insight that would be great. Thanks.

We moved from shared ownership to help to buy and the help to buy scheme has the same rule that you can't own or part own any other property. As soon as our buyer had exchanged on our shared ownership flat we were considered as not owning it and our purchase was immediately started. It's really worth giving them a call for information.

Funnily enough captaincake I had just come off the phone to our local housing people who had said pretty much the same thing, that once we've had an offer on our place that they can then officially consider us for another place. But I was then sitting here puzzled thinking "but how could we start selling our place without anything else lined up? On the open market that's the norm, but when it comes to SO you've got to apply then wait for something to come up which can take years. Surely its too risky? Or am I misunderstanding?

Have you had a look at what is available at the moment? Ask them if you can start the process and view properties but just not put the formal offer in till you have your offer? There always seem to be loads of SO properties around where we are. Our purchase for the house was all set up ready to go just the paperwork not signed till the day after we exchanged.