Which scheme is right for you?
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking to buy your next home, there are plenty of schemes that could help you own your home.
By answering a series of questions about yourself we can find you a selection of schemes that could be right for you.
The questionnaire takes approximately five minutes to complete.
Do you need help with this question?
If you will have been registered disabled for at least one year when you intend to buy, select 'Yes'.
Do you need help with this question?
If you work with the UK armed forces but you are not a regular service personnel, e.g you are a reservist or belong to the Territorial Army, select ‘No’
Do you need help with this question?
At this stage, a rough estimate of your annual income will do. Some Government schemes have a maximum income limit.
Annual income is the amount of money you make every year before you subtract taxes and other deductions, i.e your ‘gross income’.
Do you need help with this question?
If you have ever owned or part-owned any home in any country select ‘No’ – even if you did not live there yourself.
If you have ever had a mortgage, select ‘No’.
Do you need help with this question?
If you have ever owned or part-owned any home in any country select ‘Yes’ – even if you did not live there yourself.
If you have ever had a mortgage select ‘Yes’.
Your results
The mortgage guarantee scheme
Overview:
A UK wide government scheme to help to increase the supply of 5% deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households by supporting lenders to offer these products through a government backed guarantee on new 95% mortgages.
Deposit amount required:
5% deposit
Ownership:
Full Ownership
Headline benefits
For households looking to buy with a 5% deposit on properties costing a maximum of £600,000 to apply for a 95% loan to value (LTV) mortgage with participating lenders offering a government backed mortgage guarantee scheme.
Headline requirements
Available from participating lenders across UK on properties with a purchase price of £600,000 or less, where a borrower has a deposit of 5%. Available to first time buyers and existing homeowners who are looking to move and require a 95% Loan-To-Value mortgage.
Stamp Duty Land Tax relief
Overview:
If you purchase a residential property before 30 June 2021, you only start to pay stamp duty on the amount that you pay for the property above £500,000. These rates apply whether you are buying your first home or have owned property before.
Ownership:
All purchases of residential property
Headline benefits
Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for people buying their first home.
Headline requirements
Purchases of residential property of £500,000 or less by first time buyers.
Shared Ownership
Overview:
If you can't quite afford to buy 100% of a home, you could buy a share of your home instead and pay rent on the rest.
Deposit amount required:
The size of your deposit will be determined by your mortgage provider’s terms and conditions, but it will typically range from 5% to 25% of the value of your share.
Ownership:
A leasehold interest worth between 10%-75% of the home's value (local conditions may apply)
Headline benefits
Enables people to get on the housing ladder with a smaller mortgage and deposit.
Headline requirements
A gross annual household income of £80,000 or less when buying outside of London, and £90,000 or less when buying in London.
Right to Buy
Overview:
If you're a council tenant in England the Right to Buy scheme could help you buy the home you rent with a discount of up to £84,600 (£112,800 in London).
Deposit amount required:
Not applicable.
Headline benefits
Council tenants are offered a discount of up to £102,400 (£136,400 in London) to help buy the home they are renting.
Headline requirements
Must be a secure tenant and been a public sector tenant for at least 3 years.
Right to Acquire
Overview:
If you're a housing association tenant in England you could be eligible to buy the home you rent at a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of your home.
Headline benefits
You could be eligible to buy the home you rent at a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of your home.
Headline requirements
You must be an assured tenant and have been a public sector tenant for at least 3 years.
Preserved Right to Buy
Overview:
If you're a housing association tenant in England you could be eligible to buy the home you rent with a discount of up to £78,600 (£104,900 in London).
Headline benefits
Eligible tenants are offered a discount to help buy the home they are renting.
Headline requirements
If you were a secure council tenant and were living in your home when it was transferred from your council to another landlord, then you may have a Preserved Right to Buy.
Self Build Portal
Overview:
Do you dream of building your own home or having it custom-built for you? The Self Build Portal could empower you to make your dream a reality.
Discounted Sales
Deposit amount required:
Councils and housing associations who run this scheme set the criteria locally.
Headline benefits
When councils and housing associations build new homes for sale, some are sold at a 25%-50% discount.
Headline requirements
Councils and housing associations who run this scheme set the criteria for this scheme locally.
Shared Ownership resales
Overview:
If you can’t afford to buy a whole home, you could buy the share of a home bought by its current owner when they used a shared ownership scheme (part rent/part buy). These homes are advertised by housing associations as ‘Resale’.
Deposit amount required:
The size of your deposit will be determined by your mortgage provider’s terms and conditions, but it will typically range from between 5% - 25% of the value of your share.
Ownership:
Between 10-75% of the home's value
Headline requirements
Gross annual household income must be £80,000 or less outside of London, and £90,000 or less in London.
Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities (HOLD)
Overview:
If you have a long-term disability, the HOLD scheme in England could help you buy any home for sale on a shared ownership basis (part-rent/part-buy).
Ownership:
Between 10-75% of the home's value
Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO)
Overview:
If you're aged 55 or over, the OPSO scheme could help you own up to 75% of any home that’s for sale on a shared ownership basis (part-rent/part-buy).
Ownership:
Between 10-75% of the home's value
Forces Help to Buy
Overview:
The scheme enabled Service Personnel to borrow up to 50% of their salary interest free – up to a maximum of £25,000 – towards the purchase of a property. From 1 January 2023, the scheme will become enduring, ensuring its availability to all Service personnel now and in the future.
Headline benefits
Interest free advance of pay repayable over 10 years.
Headline requirements
Regular service and completed 12 months service from date of enlistment and completion of Phase One Training.
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
Overview:
The Lifetime ISA (LISA) is a long-term savings product intended to support younger people saving for their first home, or for later life
Deposit amount required:
A minimum payment of £1 required to qualify the account as 'open'
Headline benefits
The government will contribute 25% on up to £4000 saved in a LISA account every year – that is a Government top up of up to £1000 each year.
Headline requirements
First time buyer aged 18-39 purchasing a first home up to the value of £450k.
First Homes
Overview:
A government scheme to support local first time buyers including keyworkers on to the property ladder by offering new-build homes at least 30% discount compared to market prices.
Deposit amount required:
Normally at least 5% of the discounted purchase price, depending on the property and on mortgage eligibility from participating mortgage lenders.
Ownership:
Full Ownership
Headline benefits
Homes discounted by at least 30% compared to market prices, making deposits and mortgage repayments significantly cheaper.
Headline requirements
First time buyer, earning less than £80,000 per year (£90,000 in London), or a lower figure if set by the council. Mortgage to cover at least 50% of purchase price. Councils can apply additional eligibility criteria, such as restricting the scheme to key workers or people with a local connection.
No results matched your criteria, please try again.
Alternatively, view the All Schemes page.
If you’re looking for support to buy a home in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may find some affordable home ownership schemes are different from those in England – even if they share the same scheme name.
- For Wales, please visit: https://gov.wales/getting-help-buy-home
- For Scotland, please visit: https://www.gov.scot/policies/homeowners/
- For Northern Ireland, please visit: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/buying-selling-and-renting-home/home-ownership-schemes