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Shared ownership is a government-backed scheme, designed to make stepping onto the property ladder more affordable. You buy a portion of a home normally with a mortgage and a deposit, and pay a low-cost rent on the rest.

Read more on the Shared Ownership FAQ

Help to Buy is an equity loan scheme to help you buy a new home. If you have a 5% deposit and can cover 75% of the value of the home with a mortgage (or 55% in London), the Government will lend you up to the remaining 20% (40% in London) in the form of an equity loan that carries 0% interest in the first 5 years. This is available on a variety of new-build properties for first time buyers and is subject to the property price, the subsequent price cap in that region and the developer offering the option.

You can read more on the Help to Buy FAQ

The rules for shared ownership are different to a private purchase. In short, as long as you don’t currently own, or won’t own another property when you move in to a new home, you’re likely to qualify. Help to Buy is available to first time buyers only and the property value itself must fall below a price threshold for that specific area which varies in terms of the average house price in the region.

Read more about eligibility in the FAQ