Staircasing Explained: How to Buy More of Your Shared Ownership Home

When you buy a staircasing, the process of increasing your share of a shared ownership property over time. Also known as buying additional equity, it lets you slowly take full control of your home without needing a huge upfront payment. This isn’t a loan or a refinance—it’s a legal way to own more of what you already live in.

Staircasing works because shared ownership homes are sold in chunks, usually between 25% and 75% at first. You pay a mortgage on your share and rent on the rest. Over time, you can buy more shares—say, from 50% to 75%, then to 90%, and finally to 100%. Each step requires a new valuation, legal fees, and sometimes a new mortgage. The key is that you don’t need to move. You just pay more to own more. Many people use staircasing to escape paying rent entirely, turning their rental payments into equity building.

Related to staircasing are shared ownership, a government-backed housing scheme that helps first-time buyers get on the property ladder with a smaller deposit. Also known as part-buy, part-rent, it’s designed for people who can’t afford a full mortgage but still want to build wealth through homeownership. The process isn’t automatic. You need to check your lease, get your home valued, and talk to your housing association. Some people hit roadblocks if their income changes or if the property value drops. Others find that the cost of legal fees and valuation charges eats into their savings. But for many, staircasing is the only realistic path to owning their home outright.

Another key concept is 100% ownership, the point where you own your entire home and no longer pay rent to a housing association. Also known as full ownership, it’s the end goal for most shared ownership buyers. Once you reach it, you’re no longer tied to the shared ownership rules. You can sell freely, make renovations without permission, and stop worrying about rent increases. But getting there takes planning. You’ll need to know your lease terms, understand how valuations work, and budget for the next step before you even start.

What you’ll find below are real questions from people who’ve walked this path. How do you know if you’re ready to staircase? Can you do it more than once? What happens if your income drops after you’ve bought your first share? We’ve gathered the most practical advice from buyers who’ve been there—not the theory, but the messy, real-life details.