8 ways to get a house

This page tells you about different ways to get a place to live.
If you decide you want to find somewhere to live there are lots of ways of doing it.

We think that there are 8 different ways.

There are lots of different things to think about when you are deciding which way is right for you.

These are things like:

Why?


Why do you want to move? Maybe because:

  • you want to be more independent
  • you want more support or different support
  • you want to move to a different area
  • live with different people
  • the house you live in now does not meet your needs.

When?


When do you want to move?

Do you need to choose quickly, or can you spend lots of time looking at different places?

You might have to move soon because where you live now isn’t right for you.

If you are moving from your family home, you might have more time to think about it.

What is important?


Make a list of what you want from a home. Things like:

  • living near your family
  • being somewhere quiet
  • being near your college
  • staying near an area that you know
  • keep the same support that you have now
  • somewhere different because you don't like where you are now.

Transport


Think about where you need to go, and how easy it is to get there. You might need to be somewhere with lots of buses, or close to a station. You might need somewhere with space for a car.

Safety


You need to feel that you will be safe and secure in your home. You might want to stay in an area where you feel safe.

If you are moving because you don’t feel safe, you probably want to find somewhere different.

You will also need to think about:

Support


What care and support services you will be able to get? Will your support needs change if you move? If you are moving away from your family or people who know you, you might need more support. You might be moving because you want less support, or a different kind of support.

Money


What money do you have, or what is available? This might be money that you earn, money that you get in benefits, or money from your family.

Who can help?


There are people who can help you with these things. Try to find people who know about housing in your area, or the area you want to move to. Ask about what it usually costs to rent or buy a house in the area you want to live in. Ask if there is much housing available.

Ask people in the housing department at your local council. They can tell you how the council decides who gets a house. They can also tell you about local Housing Associations.

What next?


When you have thought about all these things, you can see which of these 8 ways is the best way for you to get a house:


1. Existing care homes - you might choose to move into a care home that is already set up and has support in place for you.

2. Housing Association or Council Housing - you might choose to live by yourself in a house or flat from the council or a housing association. You could also ask them to build something that meets your needs.

3. Supported Housing - renting a shared house or your own flat where you get support that comes with it. Supported flats are sometimes called extra care.

4. Renting from a private landlord - you might choose to rent from someone who is renting a property that they own. This sometimes costs more but you might not have to wait as long.

5. Home ownership - part renting and part buying your home through a housing association or buying your home fully. 

6. Family investment - buying or renting a home by using family money, an inheritance or a trust.

7. Buy to let - this is when someone, usually a relative, buys or builds somewhere for you to live. You pay them rent and they use this to pay for what the house cost.

8. Staying where you are - instead of moving, you or your family might decide to make some changes to where you live now, so that it meets your needs.

More information


Click on these links to find out more:

Your place to live making it happen
Moving on and planning ahead

You can see that there is a lot to think about. The Housing and Support Alliance can give you more information by phone or have a look round this website.
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