LiveWest
LiveWest is one of the largest housing providers in the South West, offering homes across all tenures including affordable rent, shared ownership, and private sale. Guided by their vision of ‘A Home for Everyone’, LiveWest supports a wide range of customers through quality homes and tailored services.
Shared ownership is a valued product within LiveWest, helping customers take their first step onto the property ladder with the option to staircase in small or large increments. With 5,149 shared ownership homes under management – of which 4,293 are houses and 717 are flats – and around 300 new homes delivered each year, LiveWest is committed to delivering an excellent customer experience throughout the shared ownership journey.
LiveWest took part in the Shared Ownership Code pilot to support greater transparency and consistency across the sector. Already applying the Consumer Code for Home Builders to their open market sales, they welcomed the opportunity to align both tenures and raise standards even further.
Using a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) tracker, LiveWest identified key areas for improvement:
Service charges and lease information: LiveWest recognised the need to improve the clarity and timeliness of service charge estimates and to share lease information with customers earlier in the process. Internal reviews are underway to strengthen these areas.
Marketing and customer communications: The pilot highlighted opportunities to provide more detailed, accessible information packages covering topics like being a leaseholder, staircasing, and selling – bringing the shared ownership experience more in line with that of open market customers.
In addition to these key learnings, LiveWest valued the peer sessions which were offered as part of the pilot. They provided a space to benchmark with other providers, exchange ideas, and identify innovative ways to enhance shared ownership delivery.
Participation in the pilot has helped LiveWest review and strengthen their internal procedures and customer-facing materials. They see the Code as an important step toward sector-wide recognition of best practice, offering reassurance to customers and key stakeholders alike.
By championing the Code, LiveWest reinforces its commitment to high standards and helping more people realise their homeownership goals.
“We believe the Shared Ownership Code has the potential to bring much-needed consistency across the sector. If all housing providers commit to the same standards, it will become a recognised benchmark for lenders, solicitors, auditors, and the Housing Ombudsman – reassuring all parties that best practice is being followed. Signing up to the Code is not only about strengthening standards, but also about enhancing the reputation of housing providers and building greater trust with customers. The more early adopters we see, the quicker the benefits will be felt across the sector.”