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Help to Build: Equity Loan

  • Ownership: Full ownership.
  • Headline benefits: A government equity loan to help fund your custom or self build home.
  • Headline requirements: 18 years of age or over, and have a right to live in England, will live in the newly-built home as your only home and secure a self build mortgage from a lender registered with Help to Build.

Overview

Help to Build is a government equity loan that is available to people in England who want to custom build or self build their own home.

Custom build and self build homes are not just for people who have owned or built a home before. Help to Build can make building your own home a realistic choice, even if you have a small deposit.

A custom build or self build home means that you can decide on the:

  • design – building in features that suit your lifestyle, such as energy efficiency and smart technology
  • internal layout – designing a home that will suit your family’s specific needs
  • location – homes can often be the size and scale you want, built on smaller plots of land available for development in the area you want to live.

With Help to Build, we can offer you an equity loan based on the estimated costs to buy a plot of land and build the home.

The equity loan amount can be between 5% to 20% (up to 40% in London) of the total estimated cost.

If you’re eligible, you can spend up to £600,000 on your new home. This must include the cost of the land if you don’t already own it, and no more than £400,000 on the cost to build it.

You can apply for Help to Build if you:

  • are 18 years of age or over, and have a right to live in England
  • will live in the newly-built home as your only home
  • secure a self build mortgage from a lender registered with Help to Build

You can find out more about Help to Build: Equity Loan in our Customer’s Guide

This explains how the equity loan works, who can apply, what you can borrow, how to repay, plus has information about interest, fees and how to apply.

How to apply for the scheme

  1. 1

    Read our customers’ guide to see if Help to Build is right for you.

  2. 2

    Secure a decision in principle for your mortgage, from a lender registered with Help to Build, or through a broker.

  3. 3

    Apply online for Help to Build through Homes England.

  4. 4

    If your application is successful, you’ll receive an equity loan offer based on the estimated cost to buy a plot of land (if needed) and build the home.

  5. 5

    When your home is complete, Homes England will pay the equity loan to the registered lender.

Further details on applying for the scheme

How can I apply?

You can apply now. You can find more information including how to apply in our Customer’s Guide

How long is the scheme open for?

Help to Build funding is available for 4 years. If demand is higher than expected, funding may become unavailable sooner.

How long will the process take?

If you accept the offer of an equity loan from Help to Build, you’ll have 3 years to buy the land (if needed) and build your home.

Who is eligible?

You can apply for Help to Build if you: are 18 years of age or over and have a right to live in England, will live in the newly-built home as your only home, and you secure a self build mortgage from a lender registered with Help to Build. When you apply, Homes England will carry out eligibility checks, including making sure that you can afford the equity loan payments.

How do I find and buy a plot of land?

If you’ve decided you want to self build your home, the next stage is to find and buy the plot of land where it will be built. You’ll need to research the location, make sure the land is suitable, and secure the finances before you can buy the land.

You can read our guide about the process by clicking here.

What skills do I need?

You might wonder whether you have the skills to self or custom build your own home, but you mustn’t let that put you off. The truth is you can have as much or as little involvement as you’d like in a self or custom build. The Help to Build: Equity Loan scheme offers 3 options so you can be as hands-on or hands-off as you’d like.

Our guide about the process can help you decide which option might be right for you. Find out more by clicking here.

Where to get more information?