How much does a shared ownership valuation cost?
The short answer
A RICS valuation for staircasing typically costs £150 to £350, and the leaseholder pays. It prices the shares you're buying: the extra percentage is charged at the valuer's market figure, not at what you originally paid. Add solicitor's fees, any landlord administration fee and mortgage costs, and the transaction overhead of staircasing usually lands somewhere in the £1,000s - worth knowing before you chase a small share.
Typical RICS valuation fee
£150 - £350
How long the valuation stands
3 months
Minimum extra share, most leases
10%
Why the valuation is the price tag
Staircasing means buying more of your home from the housing association, and the lease's rules say those shares sell at current market value - established by an independent RICS valuer, usually one you appoint from the landlord's approved arrangements, always at your cost. Buying another 25% of a home valued at £300,000 costs £75,000; if the valuation had said £280,000, it would cost £70,000. The £150 to £350 report is pricing a five-figure purchase, which is why housing associations insist on RICS and why the report, not a portal estimate, is the number everyone works from. The survey cost calculator includes RICS valuations if you want a feel for the fee.
Keeping the fee from repeating
The valuation lasts three months. Staircasing involves a mortgage offer, legal work and landlord processing, and when those overrun, the valuation expires and you're paying for an update. The fix is sequencing: get your mortgage decision in principle and solicitor lined up first, then commission the valuation, then submit the staircasing application immediately. Owners who buy the report first "to see the number" often end up buying it twice.
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Compare valuation quotesCommon questions
Can I use the housing association's own valuer?
Housing associations typically require a RICS valuation and may offer a panel valuer or let you appoint your own - the fee is yours either way. An independent valuer you instruct owes the duty to the valuation, not the landlord, which most buyers find reassuring.
Do my home improvements raise the price of the shares?
Standard shared ownership leases direct the valuer to disregard the value added by qualifying improvements you paid for - the new kitchen shouldn't cost you again. Tell the valuer what you've done, and check your own lease's wording, as terms vary.
Is the valuation the same as a survey?
No - it's a valuation-only inspection with comparables, not a condition report. If you're worried about the building itself, that's a separate Level 2 or Level 3 survey question.
Who pays if the staircasing falls through?
You do - the valuation fee, and any legal costs to that point, are spent regardless. Another reason to line up funding before commissioning the report rather than after.
Sources and further reading