If you are eligible to buy your home under the Right to Buy scheme, you will need to complete and send us an application form.
Right to Buy application on the government's 'Own your own home' website
Alternatively, you can download an application form on Gov.uk or request a form from the home ownership team on 0344 980 3333.
Whether you complete the form online or download it, you will need to print and sign it before returning it to us:
Home ownership team
Norwich City Council
City Hall
NR2 1NH
What happens next
Following receipt of your application form, we will send an acknowledgement by post. Usually within four weeks a letter is sent confirming your Right to Buy or rejecting your application.
Once you have applied to buy your home and we have agreed, the property will be valued by us.
We will not carry out improvements to your home that are likely to increase its value after we’ve received your right to buy application. Your home will therefore be removed from any planned maintenance programs as soon as your application is received. These include work such as window and door replacement, bathroom and kitchen upgrades, heating upgrades and rewiring. Once you submit your application, we will no longer carry out routine, day to day repairs.. We will continue to carry out emergency repairs only to your property while your application is active.
An offer letter confirming your details and the purchase price is sent within eight weeks of this if it is a house or 12 weeks if it is a flat or maisonette.
You will be given 12 weeks to decide how you wish to proceed and you should inform us by selecting one of the three options on the last page of the offer document. We recommend that you employ a solicitor to handle the legal requirements of your purchase.
If you disagree with the valuation you may ask for the District Valuer to carry out a revaluation. This office is separate from us and their decision is final. If the District Valuer’s valuation is higher than our original valuation, you will have to accept it or withdraw your application to buy.
Please note that once you are ready to proceed with purchasing your property, there are set time scales to complete the process.
It will help things to go smoothly if, throughout the process, you or your solicitor keeps us informed on your circumstances, such as how you are progressing with raising the money, or any other issues that may delay the purchase.
Most sales go through quickly, but sometimes there are problems or delays. If you consider that we are not keeping to the legal timescales, you have the right to challenge us and should get further details from them.
