Homebuyers' guide to the Help to Buy: Equity Loan (2013 to 2021), accessible version
Updated 16 March 2023
Applies to England
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February 2018
Amended June 2020
Key information
Buyers using this scheme must provide security in the form of a second legal charge over the home purchased with the Help to Buy equity loan.
Amount of loan
The maximum you can borrow from Help to Buy in England is £120,000 and up to £240,000 for London. There is no minimum amount.
Buyer deposit required
Buyers must provide a deposit of a minimum of 5% of the full purchase price of the home bought under this scheme
Frequency, number and amount of repayments
After five years you will be required to pay an interest fee of 1.75% of the amount of your Help to Buy shared equity loan at the time you purchased your property, rising each year after that by the increase (if any) in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) plus 1%. More details are on page 18. The loan itself is repayable after 25 years or on the sale of the property if earlier
Other payments and charges
You must pay a monthly management fee of £1 per month from the start of the loan until it is repaid.
Total amount repayable
The total amount repayable by you will be the proportion of the market value of your home that was funded by this loan, plus interest and charges. The amount you will have to repay under the loan agreement will depend on the market value of your home when you repay the Help to Buy equity loan and the rate of inflation in the meantime. An example is shown on page 21 including the equivalent APR.
What is Help to Buy?
Help to Buy is equity loan assistance to home buyers from Homes England[footnote 1].
Help to Buy makes new build homes available to all home buyers (not just first time buyers) who wish to buy a new home, but may be constrained in doing so – for example as a result of deposit requirements – but who could otherwise be expected to sustain a mortgage.
Up to a maximum of 20% in England and up to 40% in London[footnote 2] , of the purchase price is available to the buyer through an equity loan funded by the Government through Homes England.
Help to Buy is available in England from house builders registered to offer the scheme. Help to Buy has been available since 2013. In November 2015, Government announced an extension of the initiative up to 2021 (it may close earlier if all of the funding is taken up before 2021).
This guide provides an overview of the product. If you’d like to know more, or if you want to apply, please contact your Help to Buy agent www.helptobuy.gov.uk.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
Check that these mortgages will meet your needs if you want to move or sell your home or you want your family to inherit it. If you are in any doubt, seek independent advice.
APR 5.2% typical. Find out more about annual percentage rates (APR).
Help to Buy overview
With Help to Buy, the buyer (‘you’) buys a new home on a new build development with assistance from Homes England in the form of an equity loan.
For Help to Buy in England, not London, you must take out a first mortgage (with a qualifying lending institution e.g. a bank or building society) for at least 25% of the value of the property you wish to purchase. This mortgage, together with any cash contribution from you, must be a minimum of 80% of the full purchase price. The maximum full purchase price is £600,000.
For London Help to Buy 40% equity loan assistance, your first mortgage must be at least 25% of the value of the property you wish to purchase. The mortgage, together with the cash contribution from you, must be a minimum of 60% of the purchase price. The maximum full purchase price is £600,000.
Your cash deposit contribution must always be a minimum of 5% of the full purchase price.
Homes England will provide an equity loan to fund the balance needed to make up the full purchase price of your home, up to a maximum of 20% (40% maximum for London Help to Buy) of the full purchase price.
The equity loan must be repaid after 25 years, or earlier if you sell your home. You must repay the same percentage of the proceeds of the sale to Homes England as the initial equity loan (i.e. if you received an equity loan for 20% of the purchase price of your home, you must repay 20% of the proceeds of the future sale).
An initial monthly management fee of £1 is payable by direct debit from the start of Homes England loan until it is repaid. After the first five years you will pay an additional fee as interest of 1.75%, rising annually by the increase (if any) in the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 1%.
Local Help to Buy Agents will assess and approve your purchase for Help to Buy, and you need their approval before you proceed with the buying process.
Further details on all these points and the buying process are set out within this guide.
How does it work?
Help to Buy enables buyers to purchase a new property, funded by a mortgage and with help from Homes England.
This enables you to take out a mortgage on which you make repayments in the normal way. Your mortgage lender will require that you contribute a deposit (minimum 5% of the full purchase price). Your mortgage and deposit must cover a combined minimum of 80% of the total purchase price (or 60% of total purchase price in London). The rest of the purchase price will be paid for with an equity loan from Homes England.
As a result of providing this assistance, Homes England has an entitlement to a share of the future sale proceeds equal to the percentage contribution required to assist your purchase. Examples of this are shown below.
For the first five years of Help to Buy home ownership you will pay an initial monthly management fee of £1. This continues until the loan is repaid. After five years, the equity loan will be subject to an additional interest fee (collected from you on behalf of Homes England by Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator) of 1.75% per annum on the outstanding amount of the equity loan. From the fifth anniversary of the loan this fee will increase each year by the increase (if any) in RPI plus 1%.
The management fee and interest fees are not capital repayments to your Homes England equity loan – they do not reduce the amount owing.
When you sell your Help to Buy home (unless you have chosen to repay your equity loan earlier), you must repay the Help to Buy assistance from a share of the sale proceeds. So, if Homes England assisted your purchase with a 20% contribution, your repayment will be 20% of the total market value when it is sold.
Following the purchase you can choose at any time to make voluntary part repayments (‘staircasing’ or a full repayment) of the Help to Buy assistance at the prevailing market value. The minimum voluntary repayment is 10% of the market value at the time of repayment.
Homes England’s entitlement to a share of the future sale proceeds is secured through a second charge on your home. This is done in the same way that your main mortgage lender will secure its lending through a first charge on your home. Although, if you buy through Help to Buy, you will have a mortgage for less than the full purchase price of the property, you will be the legal owner with 100% title to your home. The tables below show how it works.
In this example below, the Help to Buy buyer has purchased a £200,000 home with a deposit of £10,000 and a mortgage of £150,000. Homes England has contributed an equity loan totalling £40,000 or 20% of the total purchase price.
In this example, when the home is sold, Homes England will be entitled to 20% of the total sale price.
| Example of Help to Buy home ownership in England, not London | £ | % |
|---|---|---|
| Open market price of new home | £200,000 | 100 |
| Help to Buy buyer mortgage @ 75% | £150,000 | 75 |
| Help to Buy buyer pays minimum 5% deposit | £10,000 | 5 |
| Help to Buy buyer total contribution | £160,000 | 80 |
| Homes England Help to Buy assistance 20% equity loan | £40,000 | 20 |
Help to Buy always requires that the buyer has a main mortgage of at least 25% of the full purchase price.
In this example below, the London Help to Buy buyer has purchased a £400,000 home with a deposit of £20,000 and a mortgage of £220,000. Homes England has contributed an equity loan totalling £160,000 or 40% of the total purchase price. In this example, when the home is sold, Homes England will be entitled to 40% of the total sale price.
| Example of London Help to Buy home ownership | £ | % |
|---|---|---|
| Open market price of new home | £400,000 | 100 |
| Help to Buy buyer mortgage @ 55% | £220,000 | 55 |
| Help to Buy buyer pays minimum 5% deposit | £20,000 | 5 |
| Help to Buy buyer total contribution | £240,000 | 60 |
| Homes England London Help to Buy assistance 40% equity loan | £160,000 | 40 |
Help to Buy always requires that the buyer has a main mortgage of at least 25% of the full purchase price.
Because Help to Buy assistance is through an equity loan, the amount required to increase your equity share will be dependent on the total value of the property at the time you want to redeem part of your equity loan (sometimes known as ‘staircasing’) or repay in full.
The amount you need to do this will increase if your home increases in value and decrease if its value falls (see examples later in this guide).
Who can take part in the scheme?
It is open to all buyers seeking a new build home.
Help to Buy buyers outside London must be able to fund up to 80% of their selected property through a conventional mortgage and deposit. London Help to Buy buyers must be able to fund 60% of the property through a conventional mortgage and deposit.
Buyers must always provide a 5% cash deposit contribution (5% of the full purchase price).
Buyers must take out a first charge mortgage with a qualifying lender.
The maximum purchase price is £600,000.
The Local Help to Buy Agent (see below) will carry out an assessment of an application by a potential Help to Buy buyer to ensure that they are in a position to afford a conventional mortgage for their proposed purchase. This protects tax payers’ investment in the Help to Buy home. Buyers cannot use the scheme if they require a main mortgage more than 4.5 times their household income.
You must have access to a minimum 5% deposit of the full purchase price.
The property purchased must be your only residence. Help to Buy is not available to assist buy-to-let investors or those who will own any property other than their Help to Buy property after completing their purchase.
You cannot rent out your existing home and buy a second home through Help to Buy.
Applicants who make fraudulent claims for Help to Buy assistance may be liable to criminal prosecution.
Fraudulent claims will always require immediate repayment of the Help to Buy equity loan assistance.
What does the Help to Buy Agent do?
The Local Help to Buy Agents work on behalf of Homes England to signpost potential buyers towards Help to Buy schemes in their area and will carry out a sustainability check on applicants. Details of the policy the agents follow can be found on our guidance page and is updated from time to time.
They will also guide you through the process of buying your Help to Buy home and issue the approvals to your solicitor and the house builder to purchase the home through the Help to Buy scheme.
The role of the Local Help to Buy Agent is to:
- hold information about Help to Buy schemes for prospective buyers
- assess long term sustainability and eligibility
- give approval to a Help to Buy buyer’s solicitor/conveyancer to proceed with a purchase
Following the Help to Buy sale, your details will be transferred to Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator.
The role of Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator is to provide a single point of contact to:
- administer payment of fees and interest by buyers on their Help to Buy equity loans
- recover the equity loans repayments as owners sell and move on or staircase
- provide advice and approval for exceptional cases relating to subletting, remortgaging and requests for additional borrowing.
You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
Where are Help to Buy homes available?
Help to Buy homes are available from house builders registered to offer Help to Buy homes in England. Registered builders will make it clear in their advertising if Help to Buy homes are available on their development sites.
How to buy a Help to Buy home
The four-stage Help to Buy buying process
Stage 1: Application
Contact house builders, visit schemes of registered house builders and identify your potential Help to Buy property.
Its recommended that you see an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) to gain confirmation of your financial status. The Local Help to Buy Agent and house builders will be able to suggest some IFAs for you to try.
You must ensure you have funds to pay:
- a reservation fee if required (maximum £500)
- a deposit on exchange of contracts of at least 5% of the full purchase price (some main mortgage lenders may require higher deposits)
- other fees on completion (e.g. stamp duty, legal fees, main mortgage fees).
You complete a Help to Buy “Property Information Form” (available from the house builder). You must complete this with details of your proposed purchase, your proposed main mortgage, deposit and including your household income. The Property Information Form also confirms your agreement to the funds due under the Help to Buy mortgage being paid directly to the house builder.
You must also reserve the home. You will usually be expected to pay a reservation fee to the house builder.
The signed Property Information Form and a copy of the builder’s reservation form must be sent to the Local Help to Buy Agent.
Stage 2: Authority to Proceed
Your Local Help to Buy Agent checks you can afford your main mortgage and ensures you have signed the declaration that the Help to Buy home will be your only residence. This is to protect tax payers’ investment in the Help to Buy equity loan.
If affordable, you will receive an “Authority to Proceed” from your Local Help to Buy Agent within four working days of the house builder submitting your fully completed Property Information Form and reservation form to the Local Help to Buy Agent. This process may be delayed if you do not fully complete your Property Information Form.
You instruct a solicitor to act for you and tell your IFA so that a full mortgage application can be submitted.
The ‘Authority to Proceed’ will be accompanied by instructions to you and your solicitor/conveyancer. This pack will include legal documents that will be explained to you by your solicitor/conveyancer.
You should only submit your main mortgage application once you have the “Authority to Proceed” from the Local Help to Buy Agent.
Stage 3: Mortgage offer and exchange of contracts
Your solicitor/conveyancer will advise you and ensure you sign the sale contract and the Help to Buy equity loan.
Your solicitor/ conveyance will explain the legal implications of the equity loan, that the Help to Buy home must be your only residence and the consequences of a fraudulent application (see below).
Your solicitor/conveyancer checks that your mortgage offer, property price and available funds are consistent with the Authority to Proceed, and requests permission to exchange contracts from the Local Help to Buy Agent.
Your Local Help to Buy Agent issues approval to your solicitor/conveyancer and contracts are exchanged.
You will have paid a deposit if required and are now legally contracted to complete the purchase by an agreed date.
Stage 4: Completing the purchase
At completion, your lender provides its funds and Homes England will make its funds available to you via the house builder. Once completion has taken place you own the property and can move in.
Your solicitor returns confirmation of the sale to your Local Help to Buy Agent who then registers your details with Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator.
A second charge is registered on your home by your solicitor in favour of Homes England, entitling it to a share of the future sale proceeds. The charge will be equivalent to the percentage contribution made towards the purchase price. You must repay the percentage contribution when you sell your home or after 25 years (whichever is earlier).
The property purchased must be your only residence. Help to Buy is not available to assist buy-to-let investors or those who will own any property in the UK or abroad other than their Help to Buy property after completing their purchase.
You cannot rent out your existing home and buy a second home through Help to Buy.
You cannot purchase a Help to Buy property if you own land with resisidential planning use.
You cannot purchase a Help to Buy home whilst your name is attached to the deeds or if you will benefit financially from the future sale of a property even if you do not live there.
Married couples own joint assets and therefore both parties are treated as joint owners regardless of the mortgage/paperwork being in one or both names.
Applicants who make fraudulent claims for Help to Buy assistance will be liable to criminal prosecution.
All Fraudulent claims will always require immediate repayment of the equity loan assistance.
How long does the process take?
Once you find a property you want to buy, you need to reserve it and submit a duly completed ‘Property Information Form’ to your Local Help to Buy Agent.
Your Local Help to Buy Agent will seek to assess your affordability (from a fully completed Property Information Form) within four working days and will issue an Authority to Proceed.
Your Local Help to Buy Agent’s ‘Authority to Proceed’ is valid for three months – the time limit for exchange of contracts. Typically, most house builders will be seeking buyers to exchange contracts within one month of making a reservation. You must legally complete on your purchase within six months of exchanging contracts.
You are responsible for securing your mortgage and appointing your solicitor/conveyancer, although your Local Help to Buy Agent and house builders will be able to suggest some options.
Further information
Help to Buy homes are only available from Help to Buy registered house builders who are in contract with Homes England to offer homes for sale through the Help to Buy programme.
Registered builders will make it clear in their advertising whether Help to Buy homes are available on their development sites.
Your Local Help to Buy Agent can also help you find out more about availability of Help to Buy homes in your area.
Leasehold reform and Help to Buy Equity Loan. What does this mean for Help to Buy homebuyers?
In December 2017, Government published the response to its “Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market” consultation.
The Government believes that, other than in exceptional circumstances, there are no good reasons for new build houses to be sold on a leasehold basis.
The Government has announced a package of measures to tackle abuses and unfair practices in the leasehold market. These changes include bringing forward legislation to stop the future development of new build leasehold houses, other than in exceptional circumstances and to restrict ground rents in newly established leases of houses and flats to a “peppercorn”. This will apply to the whole new-build market, including the Help to Buy equity loan programme.
All Help to Buy house builders are aware of this requirement but the longer pipeline of development in place before the announcement means some houses may still be offered for sale leasehold for a period of time before the practice ceases.
The majority of Help to Buy new build house sales are already freehold and Government intends that they should all be freehold in all but exceptional circumstances. Leasehold can make sense for buildings with shared spaces and infrastructure, such as blocks of flats. Almost all sales of Help to Buy flats will continue as leasehold sales unchanged as is the usual practice for this type of home.
If you intend to purchase a leasehold Help to Buy equity loan house you can still proceed but, as with the purchase of any property, you are strongly advised to take independent legal advice from your solicitor/conveyancer, and pay particular attention to the terms of the lease before you contractually commit to the purchase whether it is a house or flat/apartment. It is your responsibility to do this. You can refer your solicitor/conveyancer to the link to the Government’s response. You may also wish to get in touch with [LEASE on their website](https://www.lease-advice.org/](https://www.lease-advice.org/).
There is also further guidance in the QA section of this guide.
Your mortgage
What is the minimum contribution I must make to my Help to Buy home purchase?
Outside of London your minimum contribution must be 80% of the full purchase price which can be made up from your mortgage and your cash deposit contribution and any other savings.
Buyers must have a first charge mortgage for a minimum of 25% of the full market value and always provide a minimum 5% cash deposit contribution (5% of the full purchase price).
London Help to Buy requires a minimum contribution of 60% of the full purchase price. This can be made up from your mortgage and cash deposit contribution.
Buyers accessing the London Help to Buy equity loan must have a first charge mortgage for a minimum of 25% of the full market value and always provide a minimum 5% cash deposit contribution (5% of the full purchase price).
The long term sustainability of your mortgage contribution will be assessed by the Local Help to Buy Agent.
Your mortgage will be based on a multiple up to a maximum 4.5 times your household income. Higher multiples cannot be approved by the Local Help to Buy Agent under any circumstances.
Your Local Help to Buy Agent will also work to a guideline to ensure that your monthly costs (mortgage, service charges and fees) are no more than 45% of your net disposable income. Higher percentages cannot be approved by the Local Help to Buy Agent under any circumstances.
With limited resources available, Government is seeking to assist as many buyers as possible to buy with a Help to Buy equity loan. Therefore, if it looks like you can already secure a c90% main mortgage you should think carefully whether a Help to Buy equity loan is right for you. There may be better options for you to consider and you should seek independent financial advice about this.
What is the legal mechanism that ensures Homes England receives their correct share when the equity loan is repaid?
Homes England’s equity loan will be secured through a second charge registered on your property title at Land Registry; this process will be undertaken by your solicitor. This means your property cannot be sold in the future unless Homes England’s equity loan percentage is repaid.
You must agree to the legal charge being secured on your home before your purchase can be completed. Your Help to Buy equity loan also includes other obligations such as the requirement for you to insure your property. Your solicitor/conveyancer will advise you on the legal implications of your obligations and these documents before they are signed.
What happens when I sell my Help to Buy home?
When you sell your Help to Buy home, (unless you have already chosen to repay your Help to Buy equity loan) you will repay Homes England’s equity loan simultaneously. So if you initially purchased with a 75% mortgage and a 5% cash deposit and have made no other staircasing repayments (see Illustration 1 below), you will repay Homes England 20% of the value at the time you sell.
The Mortgage Administrator will collect Homes England’s repayment.
You can sell your home at any time and an independent valuer must decide what it is worth. Your property should be sold on the open market at the prevailing market valuation. If you do sell your property for more than the prevailing market value then the amount due to Homes England under the equity loan will be their percentage value of the actual sale price. Homes England will not agree to release its charge over the property for sales at less than market value.
If there are any fees or interest outstanding, for example, interest arrears at the time of selling, these must be paid before the sale is completed.
The Help to Buy equity loan must be repaid when you sell your home. You will pay the costs of selling.
The illustrations below give examples of how the equity loan repayment is calculated assuming a Help to Buy home starting value of £200,000 and a buyer taking on a mortgage for 75% and paying a 5% deposit. Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide more illustrations when they advise you on your purchase.
Illustration 1a
| Start of year | Estimated annual change in property price % | Total property Value | Help to Buy home owner your entitlement to 80% of property value | Homes England entitlement to 20% of property value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | £200,000 | £160,000 | £40,000 |
| 2 | +2 | £204,000 | £163,200 | £40,800 |
| 3 | +2 | £208,080 | £166,464 | £41,616 |
| 4 | +2 | £212,242 | £169,794 | £42,448 |
| 5 | +2 | £216,846 | £173,477 | £43,369 |
| 6 | +2 | £220,816 | £176,653 | £44,163 |
In the example in 1a, if the buyer chose to sell their Help to Buy home at the start of year six (after owning the property for five years) and assuming property values increased by 2% every year, the buyer would receive an estimated £220,816 from the sale. The buyer would then use this to settle any outstanding balance on their main mortgage and to repay the £44,163 Help to Buy equity loan.
London Help to Buy example
The illustrations below give examples of how the equity loan repayment is calculated assuming a London Help to Buy home starting value of £400,000 and a buyer taking on a mortgage for 55% and paying a 5% deposit. Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide more illustrations when they advise you on your purchase.
llustration 1b
| Start of year | Estimated annual change in property price % | Total property Value | London Help to Buy home owner your entitlement to 60% of property value | Homes England entitlement to 40% of property value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | £400,000 | £240,000 | £160,000 |
| 2 | +2 | £408,000 | £244,800 | £163,200 |
| 3 | +2 | £416,160 | £249,696 | £166.464 |
| 4 | +2 | £424,483 | £254,690 | £169,793 |
| 5 | +2 | £432,973 | £259,784 | £173,189 |
| 6 | +2 | £441,632 | £264,979 | £176,653 |
In the example above, if the buyer chose to sell their London Help to Buy home at the start of year six (after owning the property for five years) and assuming property values increased by 2% every year, the buyer would receive an estimated £441,632 from the sale. The buyer would then use this to settle any outstanding balance on their main mortgage and to repay the £176,653 Help to Buy equity loan.
What happens if property values fall?
Will I have to repay the full amount of Help to Buy assistance or just a percentage of the total sale proceeds?
When you sell your home, (unless you have repaid the Help to Buy equity loan document previously) the Help to Buy equity loan document commits you to repay a percentage of the market value equal to the percentage contribution of assistance received.
This means if the market value of your property falls below the level at which it was first purchased, you will repay less than the original amount Homes England contributed to the original purchase.
You must always show that the proposed sale value is at the prevailing market value before going ahead. Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator must approve the sale before allowing the second charge to be released.
As long as you have complied with all your obligations in the Help to Buy mortgage deed, you will not be required to provide for any shortfall in the equity loan repayment if you sell when values have fallen.
If you do not comply with the terms of the Help to Buy mortgage deed, Homes England will seek to recover all the money they are owed. Your solicitor will explain the Help to Buy mortgage deed to you before the property is purchased.
Illustration 2a
| Start of year | Estimated annual change in property price % | Total property Value | Help to Buy home owner your entitlement to 80% of property value | Homes England entitlement to 20% of property value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -5 | £200,000 | £160,000 | £40,000 |
| 2 | -5 | £190,000 | £152,000 | £38,000 |
| 3 | -5 | £180,500 | £144,400 | £36,100 |
| 4 | +5 | £171,475 | £137,180 | £34,295 |
| 5 | +5 | £180,049 | £144,039 | £36,010 |
| 6 | +5 | £189,051 | £151,241 | £37,810 |
In the above example, if no capital repayment has been made on the main mortgage, repayment of the £150,000 mortgage from sales proceeds would leave £39,051 to contribute to the repayment of the £37,810 equity loan.
London Help to Buy example
| Start of year | Estimated annual change in property price % | Total property Value | London Help to Buy home owner your entitlement to 60% of property value | Homes England entitlement to 40% of property value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -5 | £400,000 | £240,000 | £160,000 |
| 2 | -5 | £380,000 | £228,000 | £152,000 |
| 3 | -5 | £361,000 | £216,600 | £144,400 |
| 4 | +5 | £342,950 | £205,770 | £137,180 |
| 5 | +5 | £360,098 | £216,059 | £144,039 |
| 6 | +5 | £378,102 | £226,861 | £151,241 |
In the above London Help to Buy example, if no capital repayment has been made on the main mortgage, repayment of the £220,000 mortgage from sales proceeds would leave £158,102 to contribute to the repayment of the £151,241 equity loan.
Can I redeem my equity loan in part, sometimes known as “staircasing”?
The Help to Buy scheme allows you to repay all or part of your equity loan. A partial repayment is often called “staircasing’.
Staircasing payments can be made at any time and must be a minimum of 10% of your home’s prevailing market value – whether that value is more or less than when originally purchased. You may wish to check any additional criteria with your current lender.
An independent valuer must provide a valuation of your property and you will also be responsible for the associated administrative cost. Enquiries about administrative costs should be made to Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator.
If you decide to staircase after five years of ownership, the fees (see below) you pay on your Help to Buy equity loan will reduce to reflect your smaller outstanding loan percentage.
If you extend your mortgage to fund your partial repayment of Homes England equity loan, your mortgage repayments will probably increase to reflect the fact that you have repaid some of the equity loan. Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator will need to approve any increase in your first charge mortgage.
In the example below, the buyer chooses to staircase by 10% to reduce the Homes England equity loan to 10% at the start of year six (after owning the property for five years). Assuming property values increased by 5% every year, the buyer would have to repay £25,526 to reduce the Homes England equity loan to 10% based on the future property value.
If the buyer has any outstanding equity loan fees at the time of staircasing, these arrears must also be paid at the same time as the staircasing payment is made.
Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide more illustrations when they advise you on your purchase.
Illustration 3
| Start of year | Estimated annual change in property price % | Total property Value | Help to Buy home owner your entitlement to 80% of property value | Cost to Help to Buy Home owner staircasing by 10% | After staircasing Help to Buy home your entitlement to 90% of property value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +5 | £200,000 | £160,000 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| 2 | +5 | £210,000 | £168,000 | £21,000 | £189,000 |
| 3 | +5 | £220,500 | £176,400 | £22,050 | £198,450 |
| 4 | +5 | £231,525 | £185,220 | £23,153 | £208,373 |
| 5 | +5 | £243,101 | £194,480 | £24,310 | £218,790 |
| 6 | +5 | £255,256 | £204,204 | £25,526 | £229,730 |
Are there any restrictions on the mortgage provider?
Your first charge mortgage must be from a qualifying lending institution. These include lenders who are authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and who have permission to enter into regulated mortgage contracts. This is likely to include most banks and building societies.
The Financial Conduct Authority keeps a register of authorised persons .
Your solicitor/conveyancer will check that the lender is compliant before a sale can proceed.
Fees and costs
What are the monthly costs of Help to Buy?
Typically every month, you will need to make payments in addition to your normal monthly outgoings, including:
- mortgage repayments to lenders
- initial monthly management fee of £1 per month to be paid by direct debit from the start of ownership until the loan is repaid
- after five years, interest fees on the Help to Buy equity loan (see below)
- service charges, if you buy a house or flat with shared areas that require maintenance
- council tax
- life insurance
- buildings insurance
- utility bills and other costs of occupying the property
How the interest fees are calculated on the Help to Buy equity loan?
If you have not repaid in full your Help to Buy equity loan after five years, you will be required to pay an interest fee of 1.75% of the amount of your equity loan at the time you purchased your property, rising annually from the fifth anniversary of your equity loan by the increase (if any) in the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 1%. This fee is payable to Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator.
The example below shows how interest fees are calculated. A monthly management fee of £1 is paid from when you first purchase. The interest fee payment is not made for the first five years. After this date a monthly fee will be payable and the table below illustrates how this would work on Help to Buy equity loan totalling £40,000.
Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide more illustrations when they advise you on your purchase.
Illustration 4a
| Start of year | Help to Buy equity loan assistance | Estimated RPI %+1 | Interest Fee percentage | Annual interest fee and management fee due | Estimated monthly payment (interest fee and management fee) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £40,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 2 | £40,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 3 | £40,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 4 | £40,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 5 | £40,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 6 | £40,000 | 6% | 1.75% | £712 | £59 |
| 7 | £40,000 | 6% | 1.86% | £756 | £63 |
| 8 | £40,000 | 6% | 1.97% | £800 | £67 |
| 9 | £40,000 | 6% | 2.08% | £844 | £70 |
| 10 | £40,000 | 6% | 2.21% | £896 | £75 |
At the start of year six, after five years of ownership, the Help to Buy owner in this example above has to pay a total monthly interest and management fee of £59. At the start of year seven, after six years of ownership, the monthly interest and management fee will have risen to £63.
London Help to Buy example
The example below shows how interest fees are calculated. A monthly management fee of £1 is paid from when you first purchase. The interest fee payment is not made for the first five years. After this date a monthly fee will be payable and the table below illustrates how this would work on Help to Buy equity loan totalling£160,000.
Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide more illustrations when they advise you on your purchase.
Illustration 4b
| Start of year | Help to Buy equity loan assistance | Estimated RPI %+1 | Interest Fee percentage | Annual interest fee and management fee due | Estimated monthly payment (interest fee and management fee) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £160,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 2 | £160,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 3 | £160,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 4 | £160,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 5 | £160,000 | 6% | 0% | £12 | £1 |
| 6 | £160,000 | 6% | 1.75% | £2,812 | £234 |
| 7 | £160,000 | 6% | 1.86% | £2,988 | £249 |
| 8 | £160,000 | 6% | 1.97% | £3,164 | £264 |
| 9 | £160,000 | 6% | 2.08% | £3,340 | £278 |
| 10 | £160,000 | 6% | 2.21% | £3,548 | £296 |
At the start of year six, after five years of ownership, the London Help to Buy owner in this example has to pay a monthly fee of £234. At the start of year seven, after six years of ownership, the monthly fee will have risen to £249.
The interest fee structure is intended to encourage you to staircase and move to full ownership. The introduction of interest fees after five years also takes into account that you benefit from living in your own home, made possible by Homes England contributing part of the purchase price until your property is sold.
The interest fee is not introduced until the start of year six, which means that you have a five year period of low management fees (£1 per month) at a time when many buyers are usually the most financially stretched.
The future rate of inflation cannot be predicted but you should assume your interest fees will always rise. The examples shown above in illustrations 4a and 4b assume annual inflation as measured by the RPI is 5% making the annual fee increase by 6%, from 1.75% to 1.86%, in year seven.
In illustration 4a by the start of year ten, if the same rate of inflation is maintained, the interest fee would be 2.21% equating to £75 per month based on the original equity loan totalling £40,000. The London Help to Buy example in illustration 4b shows at the start of year ten the interest fee would equate to £296 per month based on the original equity loan of £160,000.
Your annual interest fee will always increase by a minimum of 1% (from the fifth anniversary of your Homes England equity loan) even if there is no increase or there is a decrease in RPI.
Your payment of management and interest fees does not contribute towards repaying your Help to Buy equity loan. If you staircase or want to make full repayment of the equity loan, any interest fee arrears must be repaid at the same time.
Annual Percentage Rates (APR) for Help to Buy owners
Because you have to pay fees on your Help to Buy equity loan during your ownership, and you may have to pay more than the original contribution back to Homes England, the effect will be similar to a loan under which a buyer pays credit charges at a rate dependent on the growth in house prices combined with the percentage rates of fees payable.
The previous illustrations demonstrated separately the effects of house price changes and fees on the costs a buyer would have to pay for 2 examples: A Help to Buy purchase of a £200,000 market value home and mortgage and contribution of 80%, and a London Help to Buy purchase of a £400,000 market value home and a mortgage and contribution of 60%.
The combined effect of fees and repayments affects the APR which is the buyer’s cost of credit.
Using the previous illustrations of standard Help to Buy, after six years of ownership, if the buyer decides to sell and house prices have grown for example by 5% every year, the buyer will have to repay £53,604 on their original equity loan of £40,000.
The owner will have also paid £700 in interest fees on the Help to Buy equity loan. This means the total amount payable after five years on the Help to Buy original assistance of £40,000 is £54,304.
Under the illustration of London Help to Buy, after six years of ownership, if the buyer decides to sell and house prices have grown for example by 5% every year, the buyer will have to repay £214,415 on their equity loan of £160,000.
The owner will have also paid £2,800 in fees on the Help to Buy equity loan. This means the total amount payable after five years on the Help to Buy original assistance of £160,000 is £217,215.
For this example, this is equal to an APR 5.2% typical. The total amount repaid is £54,304 or £217,215 under London Help to Buy. You should remember this is an illustration. House price inflation, the Retail Price Index and the fees and costs an owner pays could all vary substantially over time. Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to provide a further illustration of APR when they advise you on your purchase.
As house values increase it may be in the Buyers interest to repay Homes England as their financial position improves and makes this possible.
Prospective buyers should always seek independent financial advice before proceeding with their Help to Buy purchase.
Additional Help to Buy equity loan administration charges
In line with other main mortgage lenders, Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator will charge Help to Buy owners for loan redemption and other loan transactions. These charges are set out below. There are no application or other administration charges when buyers first make their Help to Buy equity loan purchase. Similarly, there are no early redemption penalties payable by Help to Buy owners.
| Transaction | Administration charge payable by borrowe |
|---|---|
| Full or partial repayment of the Help to Buy equity loan (including staircasing) | £200 |
| Remortgaging of the main mortgage | £115 |
| Additional main mortgage borrowing | £115 |
| Changes of names | £50 |
| Subletting or home improvements | £50 |
| Arrears debt recovery charge | £100 |
| Referral of unrecovered arrears to debt recovery agency | Up to £600 |
You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator here: www.myfirsthome.org.uk
Questions and answers
Can I buy a home off plan?
Yes, you are able to reserve a new home off plan at any time. However, you cannot exchange contracts before six months to legal completion of the sale. You also need to ensure that your mortgage offer is valid through to legal completion.
Will I have to pay Stamp Duty?
The Government’s standard rules and procedures for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) apply to all Help to Buy purchases.
SDLT is payable at the time of purchase, on the full purchase price of the home. That is, the amount paid by you (the first mortgage and any cash contribution) plus the value of the Help to Buy assistance.
There is no further SDLT to pay on any ‘staircasing’ repayments or repayment when the home is sold.
You should budget for SDLT on the full open market price of the property when you purchase a Help to Buy home.
Can I use a builder’s part exchange scheme?
No, Help to Buy purchasers cannot be used in conjunction with any part exchange schemes.
Who pays for repairs and on-going maintenance to my home?
It is your responsibility to repair and maintain your home. New homes often come with a guarantee that will cover certain defects for up to 10 years after it was built. This guarantee usually only covers defects in the house builder’s workmanship. Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to advise in more detail on this.
Who provides the contribution for Help to Buy?
The equity loan is provided by Homes England and administrated by your local Help to Buy agent. The contribution is secured by a second charge on your property title registered at Land Registry.
How long will it take before I can move in?
Because Help to Buy homes are generally on new developments (and may still be under construction), in common with most new home sales, you will normally be expected to arrange a mortgage and exchange contracts within one month of paying your reservation fee.
Your moving in date may depend on the time required to complete construction work, which will vary from scheme to scheme. Some Help to Buy applicants may need to wait for a longer period of time for a home that matches very specific needs whereas others may buy from a development that allows earlier occupation.
What happens if the completion of my home is delayed?
Once you have committed to buy a home (at exchange of contracts) the house builder will have agreed to build the home and keep you informed of progress. If you are unhappy about any delays in construction you must speak to the house builder. Your solicitor/conveyancer will be able to advise on the house builder’s contractual responsibilities before you agree to the sale.
You should check with your house builder that the funding will be available on the date you expect to complete your purchase
Are there any restrictions on the properties that I can purchase?
All Help to Buy homes are on new build developments where Homes England has a registration agreement with the house builder. You can only purchase from these house builders. The maximum purchase price is £600,000.
I would like to buy a Help to Buy house but the house builder tells me it is only available on a leasehold basis. Should I stop my purchase?
It is your decision whether you are content to proceed with your purchase. A lease is a private legal agreement between you and your landlord or freeholder and sets out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Homes England cannot provide legal advice. We strongly recommend that you seek independent legal advice make yourself aware of the terms of the lease and the associated costs. The Leasehold Advisory Service have published guidance on what to look out for.
LEASE is a specialist advisory body funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide assistance to leaseholders. Alternatively, a telephone appointment can be booked to speak to one of LEASE’s advisers on 020 7832 2500 (9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday); or you can seek advice by e-mail: info@lease-advice.org
As you may be aware, the Government has recently stated that other than in exceptional circumstances, it cannot see the case for new build houses to be sold on a leasehold basis and that it intends to bring forward legislation to prohibit the future development of new build leasehold houses, other than in exceptional circumstances.
You can find out more information about leasehold and Help to Buy
Can I sublet my Help to Buy home?
No. Help to Buy is designed to assist you to move on to or up the housing ladder. If you wish to sublet, you will first have to repay the Help to Buy equity loan assistance. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. a serving member of the Armed Forces staff whose tour of duty requires them to serve away from the area in which they live for a fixed period, then sub-letting is allowed. In these circumstances you would also require approval from your mortgage lender and Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator). You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
Can I own other homes and buy a Help to Buy home?
No. Help to Buy is designed to assist you to move up the housing ladder and must be your only residence. This means you will be expected to sell your current home (in the UK or abroad) if moving up the ladder. The disposal of your current home will be verified by your solicitor/conveyancer before you can proceed to exchange contracts on the Help to Buy Home.
In addition you cannot be linked to another property financially. For the avoidance of doubt, married couples own assets jointly and therefore if one owns a property the other is directly linked to the asset and treated as a home owner also.
Can I own a Help to Buy home and buy a second home?
No. Help to Buy is designed to assist you to move up the housing ladder. If you can afford to purchase another home you will have to repay the Help to Buy equity loan. Married couples also standardly by law own each other’s assets; therefore all assets in a single name are treated as jointly owned in this scenario.
What are the key differences between the Help to Buy equity loan offered across England and the one offered in London?
The Autumn Statement in November 2015 announced an increase in the London Help to Buy equity loan from 20% to 40%. The eligibility and requirements for the programme otherwise have remained the same. The table below details the extent of the changes.
| Feature | Help to Buy | London Help to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum equity loan available | 20% of purchase price | 40% of purchase price |
| Buyers cash deposit | 5% of purchase price | 5% of purchase price |
| Minimum mortgage required | 25% of purchase price | 25% of purchase price |
| Maximum purchase price | £600,000 | £600,000 |
The property purchased must be your only residence. Help to Buy is not available to assist buy-to-let investors or those who will own any property other than their Help to Buy property after completing their purchase.
You cannot rent out your existing home and buy a second home through Help to Buy.
Applicants who make fraudulent claims for Help to Buy assistance may be liable to criminal prosecution.
Fraudulent claims will always require immediate repayment of the equity loan assistance.
Can I use cash from my council, Housing Association or other public sector body to buy with the addition of help through Help to Buy?
Provided that your local council is satisfied that this represents value-for-money and the other funding is compatible with Help to Buy. Funding provided which must be secured against your home would not be compatible with the Help to Buy scheme. Assistance from Local Authority Clearance Payments are not permitted through Help to Buy.
After purchasing my home, can I increase my mortgage or take out another loan?
Not without permission from Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator. Further advances must be approved by Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator.
Advances to be used for staircasing or repaying the equity loans will usually be welcomed and approved. Advances for other purposes will be considered by Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator on a case by case basis (see question below regarding extending or altering the property).
You can transfer your mortgage to another qualifying lending institution (see page 19), following prior permission from Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator. However, you must ensure your new lender is informed that your home is a Help to Buy property with a second charge entitling Homes England to a share of the future sale proceeds.
Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator may decline permission for further advances or transfer to another lender if after assessment they consider you may be putting yourself in an unsustainable financial position.
You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
Can I extend or alter the property?
Not without permission. Because Help to Buy is designed to help people move up the housing ladder, you should consider repaying part or all of Homes England’s contribution before making plans for improvements or alterations. This is because Homes England is seeking to help future aspiring buyers and may use the proceeds of these repayments to make more assistance available. Therefore, consent will not usually be granted for significant home improvements. Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator will act reasonably in considering any application and will review cases of hardship if, for example, property modifications are required for a disability.
When your property is sold in the future, if improvements have been made with the approval of Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator, these will be ignored when your property is valued to work out how much should be repaid to Homes England.
You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
After five years of ownership how is the fee collected?
Fees can be paid in a single yearly payment or in monthly instalments. The monthly management fee (£1) is always paid monthly by direct debit.
Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator will collect your fees and interest by direct debit. They will contact you at least a month before your fees are due, to set up (if not already done so) your repayment arrangement.
You will also receive a statement each year confirming when your fees are payable. The annual statement will also show any payments you have made once you start paying the fee.
You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
What if I die after purchasing a Help to Buy home?
This depends on whether you bought your home alone or with others. If you bought the house/flat on your own and you die, the home will be passed on in the normal way under the terms of your will and the payments explained in this guide will be made by your estate in accordance with the scheme. If you have not made a will it will pass under the laws of intestacy.
It is recommended that a sole buyer seeks independent legal advice about this.
If you bought your home with others and one of them dies, their interest in the property will either be transferred to the surviving co-owner (s) or will pass under the terms of their will, or (if there is no will) the laws of intestacy.
It is recommended where there are two or more owners, that they seek independent legal advice about this.
Can owner names be added or changed on the Help to Buy property?
The policy for post sales transactions can be found on the mortgage administrators website after the point of sale. Policy can change due to regulatory decsions linked to second charge loans. It is crucial tht you check with the mortgage administrator regarding any post completion requirments prior to starting any processes. Currently at the time of publication owners can be removed from equity mortgage but new names xannot be added this is due to this being classed as a new lending decision.
Can I get help with benefits to pay the Help to Buy fees and interest if, for example, I lose my job?
Because Help to Buy fees and interest are not classified as rent, they do not qualify for Housing Benefit. You should make sure you have made arrangements to ensure you can continue to make you Help to Buy payments if your income falls. You should seek independent financial advice about this before purchasing a Help to Buy home.
What happens if my partner moves out and no longer wants to be party to the equity loan agreement?
Homes England’s Mortgage Administrator will be able to arrange for a ‘Deed of Release’ which will release your partner from the obligation of having to repay the equity loan. Assuming that your first charge mortgage lender is content for this to take place and that you are able to provide evidence that you can meet your housing costs and still have a reasonable standard of living, permission should be a formality. As previously stated this is the policy at the time of publication, regulations can change and it is important to check with the mortgage administrator regarding any post completion requirements.
Who is the Mortgage Administrator?
The Mortgage Administrator is the agent appointed by Homes England to provide post-sales services in relation to your Help to Buy equity loan (such as collection of fees, processing of requests for redemptions, etc.) after you have purchased your home. The Mortgage Administrator is also referred to as the ‘Post Sales Agent’. Contact details for the Mortgage Administrator and a summary of its services will be provided to you after completion. You can find out more about the Mortgage Administrator on the My First Home website.
For all enquires relating to the reservation and purchase of a property with Help to Buy equity loan up to the point of sale completion, you should contact your Local Help to Buy Agent.
Find your Local Help to Buy Agent
To find out the nearest location of Help to Buy homes in your area, you should contact your Local Help to Buy Agent.
You can find your local Help to Buy Agent on the Help to Buy website.
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Homes England was launched by the Secretary of State on 11 January 2018. Homes England is the trading name of Homes and Communities Agency (the legal entity) and all Help to Buy mortgages have Homes and Communities Agency as the lender. ↩
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As part of the Government’s Autumn Statement (November 2015) it was announced that London Help to Buy will increase the equity loan available to a maximum of 40% of the purchase price from early 2016. This guide provides information and examples for both the London Help to Buy equity loan of 40% and the 20% equity loan that is available across the rest of England. ↩