Social housing tenants
In England, eligible tenants may have a Right to Buy or Right to Acquire route. Your landlord and home must qualify. Do not assume these English rights apply elsewhere in the UK.
FIRST-TIME BUYER GUIDANCE · UK HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPORT
The help available depends on where you buy, your circumstances and the property. Understand the main routes, what they cost and what to check before applying for a mortgage.
Free initial consultation. Fees for further work depend on your case and will be explained before chargeable work starts.
A scheme provider and a lender make different decisions. Confirm both before you commit to a property or pay a reservation fee.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
It is a broad term for public support with buying a home. Some schemes help lenders offer low-deposit mortgages; others offer a discounted home, a government equity stake or a way to buy a share and pay rent on the rest. A savings bonus can also help you build a deposit.
Guidance checked on 29 September 2026. Availability and rules can change; use the official links below before paying fees or making a binding commitment.
The permanent scheme introduced in July 2025 supports participating lenders offering eligible 91–95% loan-to-value mortgages across the UK. It can support a mortgage with a 5% deposit for an eligible first-time buyer or home mover.
The guarantee is for the lender. It is not a grant towards your deposit and does not guarantee approval. Not every 95% mortgage uses it; compare the available mortgage options rather than choosing by the scheme label alone.
Check the official Mortgage Guarantee Scheme guidance. For practical deposit guidance, see 5% deposit mortgages.
A Lifetime ISA is savings support, rather than a mortgage. Eligible savers can contribute up to £4,000 a year and receive a 25% government bonus. Opening and contribution age rules apply.
For a qualifying first-home purchase, the price must be £450,000 or less, at least 12 months must have passed since the first payment, and the purchase must involve a mortgage. Your conveyancer handles the withdrawal. A non-qualifying withdrawal usually attracts a 25% charge, which can reduce your own savings.
Check Lifetime ISA eligibility and the first-home withdrawal rules. An existing Help to Buy ISA has separate rules; new accounts cannot be opened.
CHOOSE THE NATION WHERE THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED
First Homes offers qualifying first-time buyers a 30–50% discount on eligible homes in England, including new homes and qualifying resales. All joint buyers must be first-time buyers. National household income limits are £80,000, or £90,000 in London; local criteria may also apply. You need a mortgage covering at least half the discounted price.
The discount stays with the property when it is sold under the scheme. Check local price limits, availability and resale conditions with the council and your solicitor. Read the First Homes eligibility rules.
You buy an initial share of an eligible home and pay rent on the share you do not own. Minimum shares and the ability to buy more vary by lease and scheme. Some newer English schemes allow a 10% initial share; do not assume every home has the same terms.
Budget for mortgage payments, rent, service charges and repairs. Our existing shared ownership mortgage guide explains the costs and checks in more detail. Confirm official eligibility with the provider.
Closed to new applications: England’s previous Help to Buy equity loan and Help to Build schemes. An existing equity loan still has its own repayment obligations.
Current Scottish Government guidance describes support of up to £10,000 for an eligible home costing up to £300,000. In return, the government takes a percentage stake. There are no interest or monthly payments on that stake, but repayment is linked to the property’s value when you sell or buy it out.
You normally need your own deposit in addition to the contribution and a qualifying capital repayment mortgage. Apply after an accepted offer or new-build reservation, but before your solicitor concludes missives. Check the current funding position and joint-buyer rules with the administrator.
Read the current First Homes Fund guidance and its eligibility criteria.
The Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) includes Open Market Shared Equity and New Supply Shared Equity. These help eligible households who cannot buy a suitable home without assistance. The government holds an equity stake, rather than providing an unrestricted deposit gift.
Open Market Shared Equity concerns eligible homes on the open market; New Supply Shared Equity concerns homes offered through participating providers. Price limits, your contribution, priority groups and availability need checking with the administrator.
Check Open Market Shared Equity or New Supply Shared Equity.
Current guidance allows applications until 31 March 2027 for qualifying new-build homes costing no more than £300,000 from a registered builder. Buyers need at least a 5% deposit. Support can be an equity mortgage of up to 20%, with the remaining purchase funding coming from your deposit and a qualifying repayment mortgage.
Check eligibility and completion requirements before reserving. The equity support is not a gift: repayment is linked to the home’s value. Review the full charges and repayment terms alongside the mortgage.
Check Help to Buy – Wales eligibility and equity repayment rules.
Shared Ownership – Wales has its own eligibility rules, including a household income limit of £60,000. The provider checks whether you can afford a suitable home without help and whether the proposed share is affordable.
Homebuy and other local options may also be relevant, depending on your area and circumstances. Check Welsh shared ownership eligibility and the Welsh Government’s home-buying routes. Use our shared ownership guide to prepare questions about rent, charges and the lease.
Co-Ownership lets eligible buyers purchase an initial 50–90% share and pay rent on the rest. The provider assesses your circumstances and the property, including whether you can buy a suitable home without assistance.
Co-Ownership does not itself require a deposit, but the mortgage lender may require one. Check current property limits and charges directly before making an offer. The rent does not pay down your mortgage or buy more of the property.
In England, eligible tenants may have a Right to Buy or Right to Acquire route. Your landlord and home must qualify. Do not assume these English rights apply elsewhere in the UK.
Forces Help to Buy can provide eligible Regular Service personnel with a repayable, interest-free advance. Check service criteria and the repayment commitment before including it in your deposit plan.
England’s shared ownership guidance includes HOLD where standard scheme homes do not meet a person’s long-term disability needs. Ask a provider about the relevant eligibility rules. Key-worker or local-connection priority depends on the particular scheme and council.
A smaller deposit can make a purchase possible, but it does not tell you whether it is affordable. Compare a scheme purchase with buying on the open market using the same household budget.
Our mortgage repayment calculator illustrates the mortgage element only. Add rent and scheme costs separately; its result is not a lender’s affordability decision.
Property transaction tax depends on the nation: SDLT in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT in Scotland and LTT in Wales. Joining a scheme does not automatically give you tax relief. Read our first-time buyer property tax guide and ask your conveyancer to check your transaction.
Write down your available deposit, its source, income, existing commitments and a comfortable monthly housing budget. Identify the nation and council area where you want to buy.
Confirm the current application window, local criteria, property limits and any reservation conditions. Ask how and when the scheme application must be made, and what happens to fees if you cannot proceed.
Gather proof of income, deposit and regular spending. Our mortgage document checklist helps you prepare. Discuss a suitable mortgage and agreement in principle before relying on a borrowing figure; it is not a final offer.
Use a conveyancer familiar with the scheme. Check the equity agreement or lease, full costs and required approvals before a binding commitment. In Scotland, pay particular attention to scheme approval timing before missives are concluded.
No. The guarantee supports the lender; it does not promise you a mortgage or remove your responsibility to repay it. The lender still checks your income, spending, credit record and the property. A scheme provider may also carry out a separate assessment.
Do not assume that it can. Deposit rules differ between schemes and lenders. For example, Northern Ireland’s Co-Ownership does not itself require a deposit, but your mortgage lender may require one. You also need a plan for legal fees and other buying costs.
Check both sets of rules before committing. A qualifying Lifetime ISA purchase must meet its own conditions, including the property price limit and account holding period. Ask your scheme provider and conveyancer to confirm how the proposed purchase is treated. Do not withdraw the money yourself before checking the correct procedure.
Your circumstances need to meet both the scheme rules and a suitable lender’s criteria. Self-employed income needs supporting evidence, and credit problems can reduce the mortgage options available. Discuss your position before paying reservation or application fees; neither scheme eligibility nor an agreement in principle guarantees a mortgage offer.
No. The permitted property depends on the scheme. First Homes in England includes qualifying resales as well as new homes; Scotland’s Open Market Shared Equity route concerns eligible homes on the open market. Help to Buy – Wales is for qualifying new-build properties. Check the specific home with the provider.
No. Compare the mortgage and all associated costs over the period you expect to stay. Rent, service charges, scheme fees and any equity repayment can change the overall cost. A smaller initial deposit does not necessarily mean a lower monthly bill or a cheaper purchase in the long run.
You can start while researching, before making an offer, or after finding a scheme property. Tell us where you are buying, which scheme you are considering and what you can comfortably afford.
We can review your circumstances, explain relevant mortgage options and the costs of a recommendation, and help with the mortgage application and supporting documents where we can assist. The scheme provider decides scheme eligibility; the lender decides whether to offer a mortgage. Our advice does not replace your conveyancer’s legal or tax checks.
For wider buying guidance, visit our first-time buyer mortgage advice page. You can also read about Count Ready and our adviser before getting in touch.
Share your contact details and a short outline of your situation. Mention the property location, deposit amount and any scheme already discussed with a provider. You do not need to upload bank statements or identity documents to make an initial enquiry.
Further advice and arrangement fees vary by case. A separate processing fee may apply. We will explain the applicable amounts and when they are payable before chargeable work starts. See our Terms of Business. We may also receive lender commission, disclosed in the mortgage illustration.
Read our privacy notice before sending personal information. An enquiry does not guarantee eligibility or mortgage approval.
Reviewed: 29 September 2026. General guidance, not a personal mortgage recommendation. Scheme rules, funding, property supply, taxes and mortgage criteria can change. Recheck the official guidance and your written offer before proceeding.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
