ACC OFF
Applications for Help To Buy had to be submitted by 31st October 2022 and successful purchase transactions must be completed on or before 31st March 2023. This guide is for reference only.
To see details of other schemes designed to help First Time Buyers, like the Own New scheme, please click here
Help to Buy lenders will look at how much you earn and your outgoings. As a general rule, multiply your income by 4.49 and you’ll get that magic number.
This is where we come in. Our expert Help to Buy advisors will find out all about you, your history and future plans, and let you know which mortgage fits you best.
We don’t just pick a mortgage product; we will be by your side until you’ve turned the key in your front door. And we’ll even stick around afterwards (if you’ll have us).
Your first home will likely be the biggest purchase you’ve made yet and the list of considerations is probably endless. But don’t be daunted, millions of people have successfully bought their dream home before you, and you can do it too.
First things first, you should work out how much you can afford, including any government support from your Help to Buy scheme. Viewing a £3,000,000 penthouse in Kensington sounds like fun, but if you can only afford £300,000 you might get your heart broken. Give our Help to Buy advisors a quick call and we can give you an estimate on how much you can borrow or get number crunching yourself and use our how much can I borrow calculator.
We can even help deal with the Help to Buy agents and get official approval for you as well as then arrange an Agreement in Principle (AIP) for you. This provisionally lets you know how much a particular bank will lend you. When you’re ready to put an offer on a property, you can use the AIP to show the builder and estate agent that you are a serious buyer who has already considered their financial situation.
Saving through an ISA or more specifically, a Lifetime ISA, can really help you save for your first home. These ISAs can also be used in conjunction with the scheme above. If you’re planning on buying a home in the next few years, we think this is a no-brainer. Here are the key features of the account:
Lifetime ISA
Q. Who is the Government Help to Buy Scheme for?
A. First-time buyers, who wish to purchase a new build property when they could not otherwise afford one in their area because they have an insufficient combination of the income and deposit needed to secure the level of mortgage required.
These loans are only available to First Time Buyers trying to get onto the property ladder, and are no longer available to ‘second-movers’, needing to move up the ladder to a bigger home, buy to let landlords or second homeowners.
Q. Who is eligible for the government Help to Buy Scheme – and for what types of property?
A. First time buyers with a minimum deposit of 5% of the purchase price
Buyers who are borrowing from a participating lender
Available in England on New Build properties up to £600,000, (regional caps now apply), up to £400,000 for the version in Scotland and £300,000 for the version in Wales
Residential property, where you plan to live in it and not rent it out
Your only property, so you cannot have an interest in any other property, anywhere in the world
Q. How does the Help to Buy Scheme work?
A. You’ll need to put down a deposit of at least 5% of the property price, the government will give you an equity loan for up to 20%, interest free for the first 5 years, and you’ll need a mortgage of 75% to cover the rest.
If you live in London, you can obtain a loan of up to 40%, so in addition to your 5% deposit you would need a mortgage of 55% LTV.
As a result of providing you with this assistance, the government is entitled to its money back, plus a share in the future sale proceeds equal to the percentage contribution it made to assist your purchase.
This type of loan is known as a ‘shared equity’ mortgage.
Example
Imagine you bought your home initially for £200,000, putting in £10,000 as a deposit and then taking out a £150,000 mortgage and a Help to Buy Equity Loan of £40,000.
If you then sold your property for £250,000, making a £50,000 ‘profit’, you’d get £200,000 (£150,000 from your mortgage, £10,000 cash deposit back and £40,000 as 80% share of the ‘profit’) and pay back £50,000 to the government (the £40,000 equity loan, plus an extra £10,000 as 20% share of the ‘profit’). You’d need to pay off your mortgage with your share of the money.
Q. When will I have to pay back the Equity Loan?
A. The home will be in your name, which means you can sell it at any time. However, you’ll have to pay back the Equity Loan when you sell your home or at the end of your mortgage term – whichever comes first. You can also pay off all or part of your Equity Loan without selling your home.
Q. Are there any fees for the Government Equity Loan?
A. You won’t be charged loan fees for the first 5 years of owning your home. But in the 6th year, you will be charged a fee of 1.75% of the loan’s value. After this, the fee will increase every year in line with inflation. The annual increase in the fees is worked out by using the Retail Prices Index (RPI) plus 1%.
For instance, if the RPI is 5% at the end of Year 6 of your Equity Loan, the fee will increase by 6% from 1.75% in Year 6 to 1.86% in Year 7 (which is 1.75% + (1.75% x 6%) = 1.86%).
Interest is not charged on the version in Scotland.
We can provide you with a more detailed illustration when we help you with finding the right mortgage.
A government-appointed Help to Buy agent will contact you before the fees start, to set up monthly payments with your bank. You’ll also be sent a statement about your Equity Loan each year.
Q. What are the interest rates on the Help to Buy mortgage loan?
A. Help to Buy lenders offer more competitive rates to borrowers with bigger deposits as they carry less risk. This scheme means that they are only lending 75% of the property value, (or 55% in London) rather than 95% which means you will benefit from cheaper rates of interest than you would otherwise.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
We know you’re curious so we’ve picked out some of today’s best mortgage rates to give you an idea which lenders and interest rates could be available to you.
Latest mortgage best buys
Based on a property price of £300,000 with a 5% deposit from you and a 20% top-up from the government
Initial rate
Overall cost for
comparison
How much can I borrow?
Newbie? You’ll feel like an expert in no time with our jargon-busting mortgage guides
5.0
1318 reviews
Excellent
Kirsty G
"David - Coreco Incredible I very rarely leave reviews, but after working with Coreco for a..."
Read full review
I very rarely leave reviews, but after working with Coreco for a number of years, I felt that credit really was due.David WS first helped me as a first-time buyer and has now supported me through the purchase of my second property. Throughout that time, he has been consistently exceptional. He is incredibly responsive, thorough and informative, and has a brilliant ability to explain what can sometimes feel like a complicated process in a really simple, reassuring and non-condescending way.What I particularly appreciate is that David doesn’t just tell you what your options are, he takes the time to make sure you genuinely understand them. His knowledge is extensive, but he communicates it in such an approachable and educational way that you always feel comfortable asking questions.His work ethic is incredible and he continually goes above and beyond. I have always felt completely confident that everything is being handled properly and that I’m in very capable hands, which is invaluable when making such a significant financial decision.Having now worked with David through two property purchases, I trust him completely and genuinely wouldn’t want to use anyone else. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.
Will
"Professional and effective Scott, Stacey and the rest of the team advised on and secured my..."
Read full review
Scott, Stacey and the rest of the team advised on and secured my mortgage with seamlessness, professionalism and the kind of timeliness that is rare to come by while one is purchasing a property. I would wholeheartedly recommend them.
Jacob T
"**Excellent support throughout a very difficult mortgage process** I would like to thank Louise and the..."
Read full review
