All bids received will be put in priority order to produce a list of eligible applicants for each property advertised. The landlord of the property will carry out any outstanding eligibility checks, (e.g. rent checks, household circumstance checks).
If your name is at the top of the priority list you will normally be invited to view the property unless there are reasons why we are unable to do this, for example, you have rent arrears or the Council is taking legal action against you for breaching a tenancy condition. If we are unable to offer the property to the applicant at the top of the list we will move to the next applicant and so on.
If you decide to refuse the property it will be offered to the next person on the priority list. You will not normally be penalised for refusing a property and will continue to be able to bid for properties advertised.
If you are offered a property you will not be short listed for other properties until you have decided to either accept or refuse the offer.
If you accept the property you will be advised when you can move in. You will also be given an appointment to come into the Housing Advice Centre to sign the tenancy agreement and collect the keys. This is normally on the Wednesday before the Monday that your tenancy starts.
As soon as the bidding closes we will check applications to confirm eligibility and invite applicants to view the property in order of priority until a purchaser has been found.
The sales process normally takes between 6 to 8 weeks but can vary. It is your responsibility to keep in contact with your solicitor to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays.
It is advisable to obtain several quotations regarding costs before instructing a solicitor. You should advise them that a fairy quick completion is required. You may find that it will be quicker to use a local firm who has experience of the shared ownership lease used by Guildford Borough Council. Names of local solicitors can be found at Yell.com.