Start with where you want to buy: as of 3 October 2026, Help to Buy equity loans are closed to new applicants in England and Scotland, while Help to Buy – Wales is accepting applications until 31 March 2027, subject to its rules. Shared ownership is a separate option, but its terms vary by nation and by home. In England, it can lower the share you need to buy upfront; in Wales, compare the available shared-ownership homes with Help to Buy – Wales if you meet that scheme’s conditions.
Is Help to Buy still available?
There is no single, currently open UK-wide Help to Buy equity-loan scheme. The former England and Scotland schemes are closed to new applicants. Help to Buy – Wales remains open for applications submitted by 31 March 2027, under Welsh scheme rules.
That means buyers in England should not compare shared ownership with a new Help to Buy equity loan: it is not an available route for new applicants there. Buyers in Scotland should check the Scottish Government’s current LIFT shared-equity options rather than assume England’s or Wales’s rules apply. In Northern Ireland, the relevant route is Co-Ownership, with its own criteria and terms.
How do the two routes work?
| What to compare | Help to Buy – Wales | Shared ownership |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy or borrow | You buy the home with a repayment mortgage and a government equity mortgage of up to 20% of the purchase price. You provide at least a 5% deposit and finance the balance. | You buy a share, usually with a mortgage, and pay rent to the provider on the share you do not own. You are a leaseholder. |
| Homes covered | Eligible new-build homes sold by a scheme-registered builder, priced at no more than £300,000. | New-build or resale homes may be available. Eligibility, supply and lease terms depend on nation, provider and property. |
| What drives the ongoing cost | Mortgage payments and the terms for repaying the equity mortgage; use the current Welsh scheme documents for repayment rules. | Mortgage, rent on the unowned share and applicable service, estate or management charges, insurance and other property costs. |
| What controls the details | Welsh scheme rules, the qualifying lender’s requirements and the equity-mortgage documents. | The specific lease and home information, including rent review, repairs, staircasing and sale provisions. |
The two arrangements are not interchangeable. Help to Buy – Wales involves an equity mortgage linked to the home; shared ownership means buying a leasehold share and paying rent on the remainder.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors#1 Best Overall
When might each route suit you?
Help to Buy – Wales
This may be worth investigating if you want an eligible new-build in Wales, can meet the deposit and repayment-mortgage requirements, and the home costs no more than £300,000. The Welsh Government’s scheme overview sets 31 March 2027 as the application deadline. Check the latest rules and the home’s eligibility before relying on that route.
Shared ownership
It may help if you cannot afford to buy a suitable home outright or take a mortgage for its full price. You finance only your initial share, but you also pay rent on the landlord’s share and may owe other housing charges. Assess the whole monthly cost, not just the deposit or mortgage payment.
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
In England, compare shared ownership with a full purchase or schemes currently offered in your area—not with a closed Help to Buy equity loan. England’s shared-ownership rules should not be carried over to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The GOV.UK guidance links to separate nation-specific rules; Scotland distinguishes shared ownership from shared equity, and Northern Ireland’s Co-Ownership programme has its own terms.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
What does shared ownership cost?
For England, GOV.UK says the usual initial share is 25% to 75%, although some homes allow a 10% share. A deposit is usually 5% to 10% of the share being purchased, rather than that percentage of the home’s full price. Grant-funded new-model homes can have different terms, including a 10% minimum share.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
For a new-build shared-ownership home in England, the stated initial rent limit is 3% of the value of the landlord’s share. GOV.UK says most landlords charge 2.75%. These are programme figures, not a complete monthly-cost estimate: rent is normally reviewed annually, and the lease determines how it may change.
- Monthly and recurring: mortgage payments, rent, service charges, and any estate charge, management fee or reserve fund contribution that applies.
- Buying and owning: solicitor’s fees, a possible reservation fee of up to £500, buildings insurance and potentially stamp duty, depending on the home and circumstances.
- Changing or selling: staircasing valuation and administration costs, plus potential landlord, legal and sale costs under the lease.
England’s GOV.UK eligibility guidance sets a household income limit of £80,000, or £90,000 in London. Confirm the current criteria for the particular home and provider; these limits are not UK-wide rules.
For a sense of how a share translates into an initial purchase amount, the Welsh Government’s Shared Ownership – Wales page gives an illustration of a £200,000 home: a 30% share costs £60,000, with a £6,000 deposit and a £54,000 mortgage. Its mortgage illustration assumes a 25-year term at 4.5%; it is an example, not a current rate offer or a complete monthly-cost calculation. Wales’s overview describes initial shares of 25% to 75%.
Before reserving an English shared-ownership home, ask for its key information document and use its actual rent, service charges and other costs. Generic scheme figures cannot tell you what one property will cost.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Who pays for repairs and maintenance?
Shared owners generally pay for repairs and maintenance even when they own only part of the home. Some grant-funded new-model leases in England include a defined initial repair period of 10 years, but coverage is limited and it does not remove every charge. Check the lease and the home information to see what is covered, for how long, and what remains your responsibility.
Rank #4
For Help to Buy – Wales, use the current scheme documentation and your legal advice to establish your obligations. Do not assume that England’s shared-ownership repair provisions—or the historical terms of England’s Help to Buy scheme—apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you eventually own 100%?
With shared ownership, buying additional shares is called staircasing. It generally reduces the rent because the landlord owns a smaller share afterward, but the lease sets the minimum purchase, valuation process, fees and whether you can reach 100%. Do not assume every home has identical terms or permits unrestricted full ownership.
For England’s new-model leases, the stated minimum staircasing purchase is 5%. They also offer an option to buy 1% a year during the first 15 years; under that option, purchases of 2%, 3% or 4% are not allowed. Older leases may differ. Check the specific lease before treating these terms as applicable to a home.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Help to Buy – Wales is not a shared-ownership staircasing arrangement. It involves an equity mortgage, so buyers need to read the Welsh scheme’s own documents to understand how and when that loan can be repaid.
What happens when you sell?
Under English shared-ownership guidance, an owner who has not staircased to 100% must notify the landlord before selling. Depending on the lease, the landlord may have a 4-, 8- or 12-week nomination period to find a buyer. A RICS valuation, landlord sale fees and legal fees may apply. Certain protected-area leases restrict the route to an open-market sale. The lease’s sale clause—not a general description of the scheme—sets the process for your home.
For Help to Buy – Wales, check the equity-mortgage terms and get legal advice on what must happen when the home is sold. The available guidance does not establish that the English shared-ownership sale process applies to it.
What to check before choosing
- Confirm the nation and live options. Check the relevant government and provider guidance; in particular, distinguish a currently open scheme from a closed one.
- Confirm the property qualifies. For Help to Buy – Wales, check the registered builder, new-build eligibility and £300,000 price ceiling. For shared ownership, confirm the provider’s home-specific criteria and lease.
- Get mortgage figures for the actual purchase. Compare the deposit and mortgage you need, and for Help to Buy – Wales check the qualifying repayment-mortgage requirement.
- Build a full monthly budget. Include mortgage, rent where applicable, service and estate charges, insurance and any other stated recurring costs.
- Read the terms for future changes and exit. Check the equity-mortgage repayment rules or, for shared ownership, rent reviews, repairs, staircasing, lease length and sale restrictions.
For England shared ownership, compare the home’s key information document with its draft lease. For either Welsh option, read the current scheme documents and obtain mortgage and legal advice. The right comparison is between real eligible homes and their actual costs—not a generic claim that one scheme is always cheaper.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
