Help to Buy Scheme

The Help to Buy Scheme has now closed to new applications. Builders may be offering shared equity and other promotions, but these are not backed by the Government, as Help to Buy was. In Scotland, there is the LIFT mortgage scheme, backed by the Scottish Government.

Saving for a large deposit can be a long and tiresome journey, and sometimes, may even seem impossible.

Thanks to the government’s Help to Buy scheme however, you can now buy a home with as little as a 5% deposit and have lower mortgage repayments than you would with a standard mortgage arrangement.

Available throughout the UK, the scheme allows you to take out an equity loan of 15% of the property value from the government. This, combined with your 5% deposit, means that you’ll only need an 80% mortgage on your home.

There are slight differences in how the scheme works in Scotland and England, and a couple of variants of the scheme as well, and your mortgage advisor will be more than happy to go over the finer points of these to make sure you’re comfortable with your options.

When it comes to the Help to Buy scheme, we’ll not only guarantee that you get the very best mortgage deal available to you, but we’ll walk you through the entire application, deal with the paperwork, and liaise with lenders, builders, and solicitors on your behalf – all at zero cost to you.

As little as a 5% deposit

Through the Help to Buy scheme, you can purchase a home with as little as a 5% deposit. It is available throughout the UK, and although the scheme rules differ slightly depending on your location, our experienced advisors can help determine whether Help to Buy is right for you.

Help to Buy in Scotland comprises two schemes_ The Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build Scheme, and the Small Developers New Build Scheme. The first is for larger home builders, and the second for smaller developers. Both have identical rules, and are designed to help first time buyers and current owners purchase a home through a shared equity agreement. With your 5% deposit (if one is required by your lender), the government provides an equity loan of up to 15% of the value of the property, meaning you only need to get an 80% mortgage. This enables people who would otherwise be unable to afford a home to get onto the property ladder.

The scheme differs from other shared equity ownership arrangements whereby you retain 100% ownership of the property. The government funded portion is interest free for the duration of the loan (or for the first 5 years in England), and is repaid once the property is sold.

In England, you have a few different scheme options available to you. Shared Ownership enables you to buy a share of between 25-75% of your home’s value, and pay rent on the remaining share. You can purchase larger shares later as you can afford them. With the Equity Loan scheme you can borrow up to 20% of the cost of your new build home (up to 40% in London), so you only need a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage to cover the rest. You will not be charged loan fees on the borrowed portion for the first 5 years of the loan.

Speak to our expert advisors today to find out whether Help to Buy is right for you!