The plot and tenure
Tell the adviser whether you are buying a house or flat, freehold or leasehold, complete or off-plan. Ask your solicitor to check the title, estate or service charges, and any restrictions.
New-build home mortgage advice
New-build mortgages: plan your purchase around the build
A reservation deadline, a changing completion date and a lender’s valuation can all affect your purchase. We can help you understand the mortgage route and what needs checking before you commit.
No fee for our initial evaluation. We explain any chargeable advice fees before work begins. A lender makes the mortgage decision.
Check the purchase before paying a reservation fee
A new-build mortgage is still assessed against your income, spending, credit history and the property. The added challenge is coordinating the lender’s decision with the developer’s timetable and the legal contract.
The reservation terms
Ask what the fee covers, when exchange is expected and what happens to the fee if you cannot proceed. A solicitor should explain the contract before you sign or exchange.
The build timetable
Get the expected completion window in writing. Ask your solicitor about delay clauses and the final date allowed under the contract. Keep your adviser updated if dates move.
Tell the lender about incentives. Deposit contributions, upgraded fittings, legal-fee payments and part exchange can affect the lender’s assessment. Give your adviser the developer’s written offer rather than assuming an incentive will be accepted.
Deposit, valuation and costs beyond the headline price
There is no single deposit percentage for every new-build home. A lender may treat a flat differently from a house, and will consider the property, price, incentives and your circumstances. Product availability and loan-to-value limits can change. We can check current criteria for your case before you reserve.
The lender’s valuation is for its lending decision; it may be lower than the price you agreed with the developer. If so, you may need more cash, a renegotiated price or another route. None is automatic.
Illustrative arithmetic only
What if the valuation is lower?
If a home is reserved at £300,000 and a lender values it at £285,000, there is a £15,000 difference between price and valuation. The actual mortgage amount would depend on that lender’s policy and your full application. This example is not a loan offer, required extra deposit or prediction of a valuation.
Budget for the deposit and legal work as well as a possible survey, valuation, property tax, moving costs, service charges, insurance and a cash buffer. The developer’s reservation fee and the contract deposit paid at exchange are separate points in the transaction; your solicitor can explain how payments are credited.
Plan for an off-plan completion date to move
Discuss the plan
Share your deposit, income, intended use of the home, plot details, incentives and dates. An agreement in principle can help with early planning, but is not a mortgage offer.
Apply and check the offer
The lender assesses you and the property. Check the written offer’s expiry date and any conditions with your adviser and solicitor before exchange.
Track the build
Tell your adviser promptly if completion is delayed, your income changes or the developer changes an incentive. Do not assume an offer can be extended.
Prepare to complete
Your solicitor coordinates the legal work and funds. Confirm any final lender checks, insurance arrangements and the completion statement before moving day.
A mortgage offer can expire before an off-plan home is ready. The lender may consider an extension, a fresh assessment or a new application under criteria available at that time. Your solicitor should also explain what the purchase contract requires if completion is delayed.
Do not assume an old Help to Buy route is still open
England’s Help to Buy: Equity Loan is closed to new applications. Help to Buy – Wales is a separate scheme for qualifying new-build purchases, with its own rules and application deadline. England’s First Homes scheme may apply to an eligible home, while shared ownership is another distinct route. Availability depends on the home, nation and current scheme rules; a mortgage lender makes its own assessment.
We can discuss the mortgage implications, while the scheme administrator and your solicitor should confirm scheme and legal eligibility. Check the current official rules for the specific route before relying on it.
Check current official rules: England Help to Buy closure, Help to Buy – Wales and First Homes in England. These pages may change, so check again before reserving or applying.
What Count Ready can help you work through
We can review the proposed purchase, your income evidence and the developer’s timetable, then explain mortgage options we can consider and what further information a lender may need. This is particularly useful when a construction delay, a changed income or an earlier decline complicates the application. Advice cannot guarantee an offer, remove lender checks or resolve a legal contract issue.
Buying your first homeDeposits, borrowing and the buying processSelf-employed incomeHow different business structures may be assessedBuying to letA separate investment-property lending route
There is no fee for our initial evaluation. If you want to proceed, we explain the advice service and agree any applicable fees before chargeable work begins. Read our Terms of Business for the published payment and refund terms.
New-build mortgage questions
How much deposit do I need for a new-build home?
It depends on the lender, property type, valuation, incentives and your circumstances. Do not treat a percentage seen elsewhere as a promise for your plot. Ask an adviser to check current criteria and budget for the other purchase costs too.
What if the mortgage offer expires before the home is finished?
Tell your adviser and solicitor as soon as a delay becomes likely. The lender may consider an extension, reassess the case or require a new application. The outcome depends on its current policy, your circumstances and the property.
Do I need to tell the lender about a developer incentive?
Yes. Give your adviser the full written details of any deposit contribution, fees paid, upgrades or part exchange. The lender needs to know what has been agreed and may assess the price and valuation accordingly.
Can I buy a new-build home if I am self-employed?
Self-employment alone does not rule out a mortgage. The lender will assess the income evidence relevant to your business structure and circumstances, alongside the property and purchase. Our self-employed mortgage page explains the common evidence routes.
Does a new-home warranty replace buildings insurance?
No. A new-home warranty and buildings insurance serve different purposes. Ask your solicitor when insurance responsibility starts under your contract, and check the lender’s requirements and the policy terms.
What if another lender declined my new-build application?
Find out the reason before applying again. It may concern affordability, credit, the valuation, property type, incentives or timing. An adviser can review the evidence and possible next steps, but cannot promise that another lender will accept the case.
Talk through your purchase
Before you reserve, tell us what is changing.
Share the location, house or flat, price, expected completion window and any developer incentives. If you have already reserved, mention the next deadline. You do not need to send accounts, bank statements or identification through the first enquiry.
Sources and upkeep
Checked 26 October 2026. Scheme availability, lender policies and developer terms can change.