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Help to buy centre

Help to buy mortgages

You can no longer apply for the government’s Help to Buy scheme

You can no longer access the equity loan from Homes England, and you won’t be able to complete using a Help to Buy: Equity Loan mortgage. Find out more about the scheme here: www.gov.uk/help-to-buy-equity-loan 

If you have any questions about your mortgage offer, please contact your mortgage advisor or broker for more information.

About Help to Buy and shared ownership

About Help to Buy and shared ownership

What is Help to Buy? Help to Buy means you can apply for a mortgage with a 5% deposit. The government provides a loan (called an equity loan) of up to 40% for London properties or 20% outside London (the limit is 15% in Scotland). You then borrow the rest of the purchase amount as a mortgage from us. The government loan means you borrow less from the mortgage provider, giving you a wider range of mortgage rates to choose from because your loan-to-value ratio is lower. 

Who’s eligible for a Help to Buy equity loan? In England, you’ll need to be a first-time buyer to qualify. In Scotland and Wales, you don’t need to be a first-time buyer, but you can’t own another property in addition to the one you’re selling. Wherever you live, you won’t be able to rent out any part of the property you buy.

Is Help to Buy only for new-build properties? Yes. Ask the property developer if the property you’re interested in is eligible for Help to Buy.

More Help to Buy mortgage questions? Read the government’s guide to affordable home ownership schemes

Mortgage guarantee scheme

Up to 95% mortgages

You can apply for the scheme with a minimum deposit of 5% of the property purchase price, whether you’re buying your first home or planning to move.

Shared ownership mortgages

Buy part of a home and pay rent on the rest

A government-backed scheme helps you buy a home with a fraction of the usual deposit or mortgage.

Help to Buy examples

Examples based on maximum equity loan for each region

Purchase price

Your 5% deposit

Max equity loan limit

Max equity loan

Mortgage

from us

London

£400,000

£20,000

40%

£160,000

£220,000

Outside London

£300,000

£15,000

20%

£60,000

£225,000

Scotland

£200,000

£10,000

15%

£30,000

£160,000

Examples based on maximum equity loan for each region

How to apply

Call us or visit a branch to make an appointment where we can discuss whether Help to Buy is suitable for you.

Call us

0333 202 7580

Our mortgage experts are available Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm, and from 7am to 5pm at weekends. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. Call charges.

Starting your mortgage application

Get ready to apply

Find out how to book an appointment to start your mortgage application, and see the list of documents and information you’ll need to provide.

Visit a branch

Find a branch near you that offers appointments with mortgage advisers and see when we’re open.

You can also check our full mortgage range [PDF, 286KB] to see if our other mortgages are suitable for you, download our tariff of mortgage charges [PDF, 265KB] and read our legal information.