Rural Home Ownership Grants, or RHOGs as they are often called, help people living in rural areas to build or renovate housing. These grants, from the Scottish Government, are primarily for local people on low or modest incomes in employment who are first time buyers. If you have previously owned your own home you may still be eligible if you meet the other qualifying criteria.
The RHOG is meant to fill the gap between the cost of providing a modest starter home for the applicant and the amount the applicant can pay by the way of a mortgage and savings. They have helped many households in Highland’s rural communities into homeownership over the past 17 years.
Highland’s housing associations act as Scottish Government agents to deal with any enquiries and RHOG applications.
The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust often have a role in providing house plots which RHOG applicants can build on. See Section 3.4 below for more information on buying a plot of land.
Successful RHOG applicants must either:
- Be employed or have received a formal offer of employment.
- Be a pensioner or are unfit for work due to illness or disability.
- Have resided in the local area for more than a year, have a family or local connection and can meet the majority of the costs involved.
- Prove that they could not afford to become a homeowner without a RHOG due to insufficient funding.
- They should not have grant funding from another source e.g. Council.
You can only get assistance for the construction or improvement of a property which is appropriate for the size of your household. However houses can be designed and constructed to permit additional rooms to be built in future years e.g. in the roof spaces.
A means test will determine the level of grant required. The grant paid will be the minimum necessary to enable a property to be built or improved by you. Grants vary on a project-by-project basis and will generally account for up to 30% of the total project costs
If you sell your house within 10 years, the Scottish Government require the grant be paid back.
The following type of costs are eligible for grant:
- Buying a site; installation of services, e.g. electricity, water and construction.
- Building warrant; planning applications; legal fees; architect and other consultant fees and mortgage bridging interest.
What is involved in building a house?
See Section 4 for more information on house building.
More Information:
The Scottish Government have a booklet which gives detailed information
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/BuyingSelling/lift
If you are interested contact your local housing association, see Appendix A - Contact Details
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