Eligibility

To be eligible to buy a discounted home, you need to meet criteria relating to your local connection and how much you earn. DMS at Westward Green is not limited to first time buyers and the decision on eligibility rests with the council.  However, people buying as an investment opportunity would not be permitted to buy at the discounted price. 
Applications submitted must provide evidence to support eligibility:

Local Connection (requires residency, employment or caring responsibilities)
Residency – Utility Bill, Driving Licence, Bank Statement, Council Tax Bill.  NOT PASSPORT
Employment – Payslip, P60, Contract, Letter of confirmation from employer (e.g. if national firm to confirm local employment)
Caring responsibilities – Letter/E-mail from Health Worker, Social Worker or other professional.  This doesn’t need to include any personal details only that they agree that the customer needs the property to either care or be cared for.
 
Household Income
The collective income of everyone buying the property should be less than £80,000 per year.  
Either 3 months payslips or P60 per person should be provided.  
Self employed should provide last tax return.  
Pensioners should provide latest pension statement.  
Bank Statements with incoming transactions are not accepted.
If a customer doesn’t have sufficient evidence, they should contact Durham County Council for advice.

FAQs

Can I buy if I own a house?
The customer, when they look to buy a DMS, may own another property, however as per the Section 106 should be in housing need, e.g. in a 1bed with children or can’t afford to keep a large house due to maintenance/health issues.  It is therefore required that the other property would be sold subject to contract at the point of purchase in back to back sale and not retained after the sale.  Make a note on the form of the situation when you submit it.

I was left part of a house by Great Aunty Mildred so can I get a DMS as I own part of a property?
If they own a share of a house then it depends on the circumstances, if they only own a small amount with the rest of the family then they could be eligible.  It depends on how much they own and if the part of the property they own is available for them to live in. Again make a note on the form and send it in.

What’s the catch, why is it cheap?
Please refer to the customer FAQ sheet and that the Developer is obliged to provide some low cost homes as part of the planning permission.  It may help to explain that the price reduction they get is always passed on when the property is sold so no one in future is going to get 100% of the value of the property.  This doesn’t mean they can’t make a profit on the property, as the % discount remains the same but the Open Market Value of the property could increase.

Does the council own part of the property?
These homes are not shared ownership so the customer owns 100%, however we are legally required to make sure that any owner meets the eligibility requirements and all future buyers also meet the eligibility.  Therefore, please ensure that the customer is aware that they need to contact the council when they want to resell the property and we will explain the process.

Am I allowed to make alterations or add an extension on the property?
The customer is not usually restricted to make changes however any alterations may require planning permission (like an extension) or may not be allowed by the S106 and Developer.  If they are looking to make any changes then they are advised to contact the planning department, as any property owner would.

We are parents and want to buy a property for our child to live in whilst at University, is this allowed?
This is usually no due to a number of factors, however if it is something specific please contact the team.  For example the parents are likely in ownership of their own home, if they were to try to buy a DMS they would not be in housing need so therefore not qualify.  Their child may be in housing need so could qualify in their own right but the parents would not be able to go on the property deed and are unlikely to be able to get a mortgage on that basis.  The other contributing factor is an applicant needs to have a local connection and it is unlikely they will have this if they are just moving to the area.

I want my child to go to the local school but I am from out of county, does this count as a local connection?
If the child is not currently in a local school then they don’t currently have a local connection.  If the child is already in school then this could be considered.  You would have to detail this in the application for checking.

Discounted Market Sale schemes are available on selected plots and participating developments only. Affordability and eligibility criteria apply. For more information please speak to your Sales Advisor.