Ceredigion County Council website

What is a Discount for Sale Property?

Discount for Sale properties are affordable homes provided through the planning system. They are sold at a reduced price to help eligible households access home ownership.

The discount remains attached to the property permanently, so the home stays affordable for future purchasers.

Key Points

• Usually sold at 30% below market value
• Available to eligible local residents, key workers, carers or care recipients
• The discount remains attached to the property for its lifetime
• Future purchasers must also meet the eligibility criteria
• An independent valuation is required whenever the property is sold
• The Council must approve the maximum sale price before a sale can proceed

Can I Apply?

You may qualify if:

• You are unable to obtain a mortgage for more than 10% above the discounted purchase price
• You meet the local person, key worker, carer or care recipient requirement
• You do not own, wholly or partly, any other residential property and the affordable home will be your main residence

You must meet all three eligibility requirements explained below.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Financial Eligibility

You must:

• You must be unable to obtain a mortgage for more than 10% above the discounted purchase price. e.g. If the discounted purchase price is £100,000, you must be unable to obtain a mortgage of £110,000 or more.
• Provide evidence of all household income, including earnings, pensions and benefits
• Be able to fund any deposit required by your mortgage lender
• Provide evidence showing how the balance will be funded if your mortgage is less than 65% of the purchase price
• Provide supporting financial evidence with your application, if you have it available. You can submit your application before you have every document, but any outstanding evidence must be provided as soon as possible. We cannot fully assess your application until all required information has been received.

Supporting evidence

➡ Documents Needed to Prove Financial Eligibility

2. Local Person, Key Worker, Carer or Care Recipient

You must meet one of the following criteria.

A - Local Person

You have lived in Ceredigion, or in an adjoining Town or Community Council area, for a continuous period of at least 5 years at any point during your lifetime.

Some older properties require 10 years' residence within the last 20 years in Ceredigion only.

B - Carer or Care Recipient Requirement

You need to live in Ceredigion to:

• Provide regular and significant care for a close relative; or
• Receive regular and significant care from a close relative.

The close relative must themselves satisfy the Local Person requirement and their property must be incapable (whether as it currently stands or with an extension) of accommodating the combined household.

C - Key Worker

You must:

• Work in Ceredigion or will be working in Ceredigion
• Hold a permanent position
• Work at least 35 hours per week

Eligible occupations may include:

Teachers, further education lecturers, nurses and skilled NHS health professionals, police officers, probation service workers, fire officers, social workers ,educational psychologists, occupational therapists employed by the local authority.

Other occupations may qualify where they provide an essential service and recruitment within Ceredigion has proven difficult.

Supporting evidence

➡ Documents Needed to Prove Local Connection, Key Worker or Carer Eligibility

3. Sole Residence Requirement

You must:

• Occupy the property as your only or main home
• Not own any other residential property

Supporting evidence

➡ Documents Needed to Prove Sole Residency

Joint Applications

For joint applications:

• Only one applicant must satisfy the local person or key worker, carer or care recipient requirement
• All applicants must satisfy the Financial Eligibility and Sole Residence requirements

Important: Anyone who will be named on the title deeds of the property must satisfy both the financial eligibility and sole residence requirements, regardless of whether they are the applicant who satisfies the local person, key worker, carer or care recipient criterion.