--- title: "Help to Buy Mortgage Calculator UK — Equity Loan & Replacement Schemes | First Rung Now" description: "Help to Buy mortgage calculator explained: working out equity loan repayments, current property value implications, alternatives like Shared Ownership and ..." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "First Rung Now", "url": "https://firstrungnow.com", "description": "Independent UK mortgage education and broker matching service.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressCountry": "GB" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "First Rung Now", "url": "https://firstrungnow.com" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Help to Buy Calculator Mortgage", "description": "Help to Buy mortgage calculator explained: working out equity loan repayments, current property value implications, alternatives like Shared Ownership and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme.", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "First Rung Now" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "First Rung Now", "url": "https://firstrungnow.com" }, "mainEntityOfPage": "https://firstrungnow.com/help-to-buy-calculator-mortgage", "datePublished": "2026-06-15", "dateModified": "2026-06-15", "inLanguage": "en-GB" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://firstrungnow.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Mortgage Guides", "item": "https://firstrungnow.com/mortgage-guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Help to Buy Calculator Mortgage", "item": "https://firstrungnow.com/help-to-buy-calculator-mortgage" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Help to Buy still available in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The original Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme in England closed to new applications in October 2022 and completions ended in March 2023. Wales still operates Help to Buy – Wales until at least March 2025 (with reviews ongoing). The First Homes scheme, Shared Ownership and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme have largely replaced Help to Buy for English buyers." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a Help to Buy calculator?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A Help to Buy calculator estimates the equity loan, deposit, mortgage and total purchase budget achievable under a Help to Buy-style structure. For historic Help to Buy borrowers approaching equity loan repayment, calculators help estimate the current repayment cost based on current property valuation rather than the original purchase price." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I calculate what my Help to Buy equity loan is worth now?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Multiply your current property value by the original equity loan percentage. If you bought a £250,000 home with a 20% equity loan and the property is now worth £310,000, you owe 20% of £310,000 = £62,000 (not the original £50,000). This is the most important point: the equity loan repayment scales with property value." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When do I have to start paying interest on my equity loan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Help to Buy equity loans were interest-free for the first 5 years. From year 6, interest starts at 1.75% of the loan amount and rises each year by RPI plus 1% (or CPI plus 2% on more recent vintages). The interest is paid monthly to Homes England — separate from your main mortgage." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I remortgage with a Help to Buy equity loan still in place?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Most major lenders still accept Help to Buy mortgages at remortgage. You need to inform Homes England, who must consent to the remortgage. Many borrowers use the remortgage opportunity to release equity from their home to repay all or part of the equity loan, escaping the rising interest." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What replaced Help to Buy in England?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Three main schemes filled the gap: the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme (95% LTV mortgages backed by government guarantee to lenders), Shared Ownership (buy 25%–75% of a home and pay rent on the rest), and First Homes (30%–50% discount on selected new-build properties for first-time buyers within income limits)." } } ] } ] --- [Skip to content](#main) [![First Rung Now](/assets/logo-mark-BqLOgqvj.png) First Rung Now UK Mortgage Guides ](/) - Mortgages - Remortgages - Buy To Let - Bad Credit - Calculators - Guides - [Find a Broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) - [About](/about) [Speak to a Vetted Broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) 1. [Home](/) 2. [Mortgage Guides](/mortgage-guides) 3. Help to Buy Calculator Mortgage UK Mortgage Guide # Help to Buy Mortgage Calculator: What It Means in 2026 Help to Buy was the headline first-time buyer scheme in England from 2013 to 2023, supporting hundreds of thousands of purchases on new-build properties via government equity loans. The scheme is now closed to new applicants in England, but tens of thousands of households still hold Help to Buy mortgages — and most face the same decision: when and how to repay the equity loan as interest charges begin and rise. This guide explains how the calculator maths work for existing borrowers, what replaced Help to Buy for new buyers in 2026, and the practical options for those still inside the scheme. First Rung Now Editorial Updated 15 June 2026 7 min read On this page 1. [Key takeaways](#key-takeaways) 2. [How the Help to Buy maths actually work](#how-the-help-to-buy-maths-actually-work) 3. [Interest charges from year 6 onwards](#interest-charges-from-year-6-onwards) 4. [Repaying the equity loan: how it works](#repaying-the-equity-loan-how-it-works) 5. [What replaced Help to Buy in England](#what-replaced-help-to-buy-in-england) 6. [Help to Buy in Wales and Scotland](#help-to-buy-in-wales-and-scotland) 7. [Common borrower mistakes](#common-borrower-mistakes) 8. [Speak with a vetted mortgage broker about Help to Buy repayment and remortgage options](#speak-with-a-vetted-mortgage-broker-about-help-to-buy-repayment-and-remortgage-options) 9. [Frequently asked questions](#frequently-asked-questions) 10. [Is Help to Buy still available in 2026?](#is-help-to-buy-still-available-in-2026) 11. [What is a Help to Buy calculator?](#what-is-a-help-to-buy-calculator) 12. [How do I calculate what my Help to Buy equity loan is worth now?](#how-do-i-calculate-what-my-help-to-buy-equity-loan-is-worth-now) 13. [When do I have to start paying interest on my equity loan?](#when-do-i-have-to-start-paying-interest-on-my-equity-loan) 14. [Can I remortgage with a Help to Buy equity loan still in place?](#can-i-remortgage-with-a-help-to-buy-equity-loan-still-in-place) 15. [What replaced Help to Buy in England?](#what-replaced-help-to-buy-in-england-2) 16. [Related guides](#related-guides) 17. [MIP and Your Deposit](#mip-and-your-deposit) 18. [£300k Home Loan](#300k-home-loan) 19. [Remortgages Overview](#remortgages-overview) ### First-time buyers — related reads MIPs, deposits, schemes and the UK buying process. - [Does an MIP include your deposit? Why your MIP is the loan only, and how to work out your real purchase budget. ](/mortgage-in-principle-deposit) - [House buying timeline What actually happens — and how long it takes — between offer accepted and keys. ](/house-buying-timeline) - [£300k home loan Salary, deposit, monthly cost and stamp duty for a £300,000 mortgage. ](/300k-home-loan) - [No deposit mortgage Every active UK 100% LTV product and the trade-offs that decide fit. ](/no-deposit-mortgage) - [No deposit FTB mortgage Skipton Track Record, Family Springboard and FTB-specific 100% LTV routes. ](/no-deposit-mortgage-for-first-time-buyers) Explore the hubs [Mortgages explained](/mortgages)[Remortgages](/remortgages)[Buy-to-let mortgages](/buy-to-let)[Bad credit mortgages](/bad-credit-mortgages)[Mortgage calculators](/mortgage-calculators)[All mortgage guides](/mortgage-guides)[Find a mortgage broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) ## Key takeaways - Help to Buy Equity Loan closed to new applicants in England in 2022 — completions ended March 2023. - Existing borrowers' equity loan repayment scales with current property value, not original purchase price. - Interest starts at year 6 at 1.75% and rises annually by RPI+1% (older vintages) or CPI+2% (newer). - Most borrowers remortgage at year 5–6 to release equity and clear the loan, avoiding rising interest. - Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, Shared Ownership and First Homes are the main 2026 alternatives. ## How the Help to Buy maths actually work Want a vetted broker to help with How the Help to Buy maths actually work? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) Under the original Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme, a first-time buyer purchasing a qualifying new-build property put down a 5% deposit, took out a 75% mortgage (or 55% in London) and received an equity loan from Homes England for the remaining 20% (or 40% in London). The equity loan was interest-free for 5 years. The critical point that surprises many borrowers: the equity loan is denominated as a percentage of the property's value at any given time, not as a fixed pound amount. If you bought a £300,000 home with a 20% equity loan, you owed £60,000 at completion. Five years later, if the property is worth £375,000, you owe £75,000. House price growth has cost you the difference. Conversely, if prices fell to £270,000, you'd owe £54,000. This is why timing your equity loan repayment matters. The cheapest moment to repay is when your property's value is lowest — but practically that's hard to engineer, and most borrowers focus instead on remortgaging at year 5 to release equity and repay the loan before interest charges begin. ## Interest charges from year 6 onwards First-time buyers · keep reading - [Does an MIP include your deposit? Why your MIP is the loan only, and how to work out your real purchase budget. ](/mortgage-in-principle-deposit) - [House buying timeline What actually happens — and how long it takes — between offer accepted and keys. ](/house-buying-timeline) Browse the full hub: [Mortgages explained](/mortgages) Want a vetted broker to help with Interest charges from year 6 onwards? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) Interest on the equity loan starts in the sixth year after completion, at 1.75% of the original loan amount. From year 7, the interest rate increases each year by either RPI plus 1% (for loans pre-2021) or CPI plus 2% (for loans 2021 onwards). With inflation running above 3% through 2023–2025, many older Help to Buy borrowers have seen the interest rate on their equity loan rise materially each year. Worked example: a £60,000 equity loan from 2018 was charged at 1.75% in 2024 (£87.50/month), rising to 1.96% in 2025 (£98/month) after RPI+1%, and approximately 2.18% in 2026 (£109/month). The trajectory is upward and uncapped — there's no built-in ceiling on how high the rate can go. The interest is paid monthly to Target HCA, who administer the loans on behalf of Homes England. It is separate from your main mortgage payment and shows up as a direct debit. ## Repaying the equity loan: how it works Want a vetted broker to help with Repaying the equity loan: how it works? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) Equity loan repayment must happen in chunks of either 10% or 20% of the property's value at the time of repayment (or a full repayment of the outstanding balance). Each repayment requires a RICS surveyor valuation, paid for by you (typically £400–£700). For most borrowers, the practical route is to remortgage at the end of the 5-year fixed period, increasing the main mortgage size enough to release cash, and using that cash to clear the equity loan. This requires the property to have appreciated enough (or the borrower's income to have grown enough) to support a larger mortgage. Most lenders treat this as a "staircasing remortgage" and have streamlined processes for it. Homes England must consent to any remortgage, even where the equity loan isn't being repaid. The process is administrative but adds 2–4 weeks to a typical remortgage timeline. ## What replaced Help to Buy in England First-time buyers · keep reading - [£300k home loan Salary, deposit, monthly cost and stamp duty for a £300,000 mortgage. ](/300k-home-loan) - [No deposit mortgage Every active UK 100% LTV product and the trade-offs that decide fit. ](/no-deposit-mortgage) Browse the full hub: [Mortgages explained](/mortgages) Want a vetted broker to help with What replaced Help to Buy in England? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) For new buyers in 2026, three main schemes fill the gap left by Help to Buy: **Mortgage Guarantee Scheme:** The government provides a guarantee to lenders offering 95% LTV mortgages, encouraging banks to lend at higher LTV. Buyers need only a 5% deposit and access mainstream rates. No equity loan, no government stake in your home — just a normal mortgage with slightly higher rates than 90% LTV products. Available on most property types including older homes. **Shared Ownership:** Buyers purchase 25%–75% of a home (with their own mortgage), and pay subsidised rent to a housing association on the remaining share. They can "staircase" — buying further shares over time — until they own 100%. Available on many new-build developments. Lower deposit requirement (5% of the purchased share, not the full property value) but rent and service charges are ongoing. **First Homes:** Selected new-build properties offered at a 30%–50% discount to first-time buyers within income caps (£80,000 nationally, £90,000 in London). The discount remains attached to the property when you sell, so future buyers also benefit. Limited supply but extremely valuable where available. ## Help to Buy in Wales and Scotland Want a vetted broker to help with Help to Buy in Wales and Scotland? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) Help to Buy – Wales remains open at the time of writing, operating similarly to the English scheme with 20% equity loans on qualifying new-build properties up to £300,000. The Welsh Government has extended the scheme multiple times. In Scotland, the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme closed to new applications in 2022. The Open Market Shared Equity Scheme remains available for low-to-moderate income buyers. ## Common borrower mistakes First-time buyers · keep reading - [No deposit FTB mortgage Skipton Track Record, Family Springboard and FTB-specific 100% LTV routes. ](/no-deposit-mortgage-for-first-time-buyers) - [5x salary mortgage Nationwide Helping Hand, Halifax Income Stretch and 5×+ UK lenders in 2026. ](/5-x-salary-mortgage) Browse the full hub: [Mortgages explained](/mortgages) Want a vetted broker to help with Common borrower mistakes? Free FCA-regulated introduction. We carefully check the broker matches your scenario — no pressure, no upfront fees. [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) Two errors come up repeatedly with existing Help to Buy borrowers. The first is forgetting the equity loan exists when planning a remortgage or sale — borrowers compare their main mortgage balance to the sale price and are shocked to find Homes England takes a percentage of the proceeds. The second is waiting too long to repay. The compounding RPI+1% or CPI+2% interest structure means the longer you leave the equity loan in place from year 6 onwards, the more expensive it becomes. Most brokers recommend planning the repayment route 12 months before the interest-free period ends. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. First Rung Now is not FCA authorised or regulated; we introduce consumers to FCA-regulated mortgage brokers. Nothing in this article is financial advice. Vetted UK Broker Match ### Speak with a vetted mortgage broker about Help to Buy repayment and remortgage options Free, no-obligation introduction to an FCA-regulated adviser with experience in your specific scenario. We've done the due diligence so you don't have to. - FCA-regulated only - Typical reply in 1 working day - No upfront fees [Match me with a broker](/find-a-mortgage-broker) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Help to Buy still available in 2026? ### What is a Help to Buy calculator? ### How do I calculate what my Help to Buy equity loan is worth now? ### When do I have to start paying interest on my equity loan? ### Can I remortgage with a Help to Buy equity loan still in place? ### What replaced Help to Buy in England? ## Related guides [ ### MIP and Your Deposit How deposit and mortgage in principle work for first-time buyers. Read guide ](/mortgage-in-principle-deposit)[ ### £300k Home Loan Salary, deposit and monthly cost analysis. Read guide ](/300k-home-loan)[ ### Remortgages Overview Timing, fees and product transfers. Read guide ](/remortgages) First Rung Now Independent UK mortgage education and broker matching. 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