What is a Home Reversion?

Home Reversion plans function as an alternative to the more standard products available in the equity release marketplace. The homeowner sells part of, or all of, the property in exchange for a tax-free lump sum payment(s). The homeowner is still allowed to stay living in the property and never has to pay rent.

Most recently, home reversions have not been as popular as they once were but they do still offer some unique features when compared to other equity release products and can be useful when trying to protect an inheritance.

How does a Home Reversion Plan work?

The homeowner sells part of, or a percentage of, their property and becomes a co-owner without ever having to pay rent. In exchange, the homeowner receives a lump sum payment to be spent however they wish. There is no interest charged and the percentage sold does not ever change. The homeowner must maintain the property and when the final homeowner leaves the property, the home is sold and the profits are split according to the percentages. The homeowner can leave their percentage to whomever they want, which allows the homeowner to protect an inheritance.

Not all homeowners will receive the same cash payment. The amount received depends on several factors including the age of the youngest homeowner, value of the property, percentage of the property being sold, and the health and overall lifestyle of the homeowner(s). The older the homeowner, the more cash they are likely to receive.

Alternatives to Home Reversion Equity Release

There are alternatives to home reversion equity release, primarily lifetime mortgages and retirement mortgages.

Lifetime Mortgage: Lifetime mortgages have become the most popular equity release scheme in the marketplace. Lifetime mortgages are essentially a loan but the homeowner does not have to make monthly payments. There are several variations available, making this a product that can be tailored to suit each homeowner’s individual needs. The homeowner may use a scheme that allows for repayments or could choose to just have the interest roll-up.

Retirement Mortgage: A retirement mortgage is a simple scheme that functions as a loan secured against the homeowner’s property. The duration of the loan can be determined by the homeowner at outset and can be for the homeowner’s lifetime or can be for a fixed number of years. With these schemes, the homeowner needs to make repayments on the loan, either of capital and/or interest.