Finding a home
These pages explain the different housing options available to those who wish to rent or buy in Dartford, and the financial assistance which is available.
Want to rent?
Financial Assistance
If you want to rent then there may be benefits that you can apply for to help you cover housing costs, see the Council's benefits page for more information.
Most landlords will ask tenants to pay a deposit and one month's rent in advance, if you are having problems finding the deposit then the Council has a rent deposit scheme, which may be able to help.
Private renting
The Council has put together a useful advice guide in order to help residents find private rented accommodation and understand their rights as tenants.
Advice guide 'Looking for Private Sector Accommodation'
Social Renting
Social rented housing is managed by a local authority or a registered social landlord. Rents are normally lower than those in the private rented sector, however there is a high demand which means that this type of housing is limited to those who really need it.
Already a social housing tenant?
If you are already a council or a tenant of a registered social landlord, then there may be other options if you wish to move to social housing elsewhere, for more information visit our tenants looking to move page.
Types of housing available:
In Dartford the types of social housing range from flats to family homes, for those with additional needs there is also supported housing.
Supported housing
To find out more about the Council's supported social rented accommodation, you can go to the Supported Housing page
How to apply for all social rented housing
Applicants who wish to join the scheme, can apply to the Council's housing register
want to Buy?
In 2011 the average cost of a 1 bed property in Dartford was £116,000 and a 3 bed was £227,000
Affordable Housing
Homebuy
If you can't afford to buy your own home, but earn above £18,000 per year, then with a deposit, you can join the Homebuy scheme to access newly built shared ownership housing by ringing Moat, who is the Homebuy agent in Dartford. Some examples of the housing options on offer are highlighted below:
New Build HomeBuy
Offers new homes on a part buy/part rent basis where you purchase a share of the property, (between 25% - 75% of the property's market value) pay a discounted rent to the housing association in the remaining share.
Homebuy Direct
This is an affordable housing option offered by private developers on selected new homes. Purchasers buy a minimum of 70% of the market value of a property. An equity loan of up to 30% is provided to assist their purchase. There are no payments on the loan for the first 5 years, after 5 years there is a fee of 1.75% which increases annually in line with inflation. Purchasers can buy additional shares at a later date until they own 100% of the property.
Already a tenant of a local authority?
If you are already a tenant of a local authority then you may be able to buy your own home under the Right to Buy. Check with your landlord for more information. If you are a tenant of Dartford Borough Council you can find out more information on the Right to Buy webpage.
Key steps to buying a home:
If you are able to raise a full mortgage yourself then your first step should be to visit the local banks and building societies of Dartford.
Try www.yell.com for listings of local establishments who will assess your finances and give you an indication of how much you will be able to borrow. Most prospective buyers will at this stage have at least a minimum deposit of 10% to put towards the house purchase.
Once you have this information you are ready for the fun part of viewing available properties.
To be kept abreast of all available properties, it would be prudent to register with all estate agents based in Dartford. They are all very keen to make a sale and will keep you informed of properties matching your requirements as they arise.
- Their details can be found on the website of The National Association of Estate Agents.
- Check the local newspapers property section and websites like www.rightmove.co.uk which have most estate agents properties available to view online
Once you have found a property that you wish to purchase, you will need to instruct a solicitor to proceed with a sale. The solicitor will instruct local land searches, check planning applications, environmental reports and issues with deeds relevant to the property.
Local solicitors can be found on www.yell.com or as recommended by your estate agent.
View more information on local land charges and searches.
The mortgage lender will also instruct a surveyor to carry out an inspection of the property to ensure that the money that is being lent is going towards a good investment.
The surveyors report (depending on the depth) will highlight any areas of concern and make suggestions for improvement. Some suggestions the mortgage lender may insist are carried out before purchase as they may affect the value of the property.
The cost of these improvements are normally negotiated between the seller and the buyer to achieve a satisfactory arrangement.
Unfortunately, not all house purchases proceed as hoped and there are many reasons why a potential purchase may fail. You may be refused a mortgage due to insufficient borrowing capacity, the survey carried out on the house may reveal unsatisfactory defects, a buyer/seller may 'pull out' of the sale....the list is endless.
It pays to be aware of the pitfalls concerning house purchase to avoid potential disappointment further down the line.
Between your lender and your solicitor, the sale will then progress to 'exchange' where all the contracts concerning the sale/s are passed to all parties involved, checked for accuracy and signed for acceptance.
Normally around a week separates the 'exchange' from the 'completion', where you pack up your belongings, pick up your keys and move into your new house!
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call a member of our Housing Options and Advice Team on 01322 343838.
