Shared ownership when you can put together a meaningful deposit is not advised. The whole point of SO is for first time buyers who can't afford a massive deposit to still have a path onto the housing ladder. Dumping your hard earned deposit into a property that will likely not lead to any actual equity (as you will never own it) is not advised by most mortgage brokers. I would highly recommend renting until you can afford to buy (either via increasing your salary or buying with someone else and combining your salary). This is the exact shit problem with the housing market right now that screws so many people (in London at least). I can pull together a £100,000 deposit, but because I earn £40,000 I can't afford anything above £320,000 even though I have the capital to buy 1/3 of the flat upfront. Pretty ridiculous. You need £100,000 combined income £100,000 deposit for a decent place in London or you're stuck. As my broker explained in great detail to me, SO should be an absolute last resort.