First-time buyers

Mortgage deals for first-time buyers
We have special offers to help you buy your first home. See our first-time buyer mortgages.

Who can apply for a mortgage?
You must be at least 18 years old to apply. You can apply for a mortgage on your own or for a joint mortgage.

As long as at least one person has never owned a property before, you can apply for our first-time buyer mortgages.

You must pay off your mortgage before you reach 75, and if you are taking out a joint mortgage, it is the age of the oldest person that is taken into account.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

How much can I borrow? 
The amount you can borrow will depend on what we think is a sensible amount to lend you and what you can afford.

We’ll look at your income, your outgoings and any records of previous loans or credit. We’ll also take into account the value of the property you want to buy and the deposit you have.

Use our calculators to get an idea of how much you could borrow and what your monthly payments could be.

What about the deposit amount?
Generally you’ll need 10% deposit, but we may offer special deals if you have less, see our mortgage deals.
If you buy a new-build (a property which was first occupied less than six months ago) then our deposit requirements are different, you’ll need to have at least 20% deposit.

Mortgage types
The two most popular types of mortgages are:

• Fixed-rates - with a fixed-rate your payments stay the same each month until a set date, whatever happens to interest rates generally. This can help you to budget more easily. 
• Trackers - our tracker mortgages move in line with the Bank of England bank rate, so your monthly payments could go up or down within 30 days of a base rate change.

To understand more fully what to look for in a mortgage, see our Mortgages explained guide.

See the costs, our mortgages and how to apply.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

Calculate your way to your first home in 3 easy steps
We’ve developed a range of easy-to-use calculators to help you on your way towards your new home.

 How much can I afford?
Use our budget calculator to work out how much you can afford to put towards mortgage payments or towards saving for a deposit.
Go to Budget calculator 

 How much can I borrow?
Use our borrowing calculator to get a good idea of how much you could borrow. Remember that for most of our mortgages you’ll need a 10% deposit, which means you’ll be borrowing a maximum of 90% of the property's value.
Go to Borrowing Calculator 

 How much will it cost?
Once you’ve decided how much you’d like to borrow and looked at our mortgage deals, you can then find out how much this will cost in monthly payments.
Go to Mortgage Payments Calculator

Certain fees will apply when you get a mortgage with us, these are shown in ‘Fees & charges’ on pages showing mortgage rates.
The mortgage costs involved may include:

• a mortgage account fee,
• an application fee,
• a product fee which will depend on your choice of mortgage,
• a valuation fee based on the value of your property and
• a transfer of funds fee.

Your mortgage expert will explain what fees apply to your mortgage.

See the basics, our mortgages and how to apply.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

• Free Home Harmony service to help you in the first year after buying a home.
• Preferential rates for our current account customers.
• Great deals for first-time buyers.
• As a current concession during the early repayment charge period you can repay up to 10% of the balance each year without a charge.

Mortgage deals you might be interested in as a first-time buyer:

• Lend a Hand
  With the Lend a Hand mortgage you only need 5% cash deposit, plus the backing of someone who wants to help you on the property ladder.
• Local Lend a Hand
  Now your Local Authority could back your first-time mortgage. 
• 2-year fixed-rate first-time buyer exclusives.
• 2-year fixed-rate first-time buyer cashback.
• Choose from all of our mortgages for buying a home.

See the basics, the costs and how to apply.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

How do I start my mortgage application?
Don’t worry if you haven’t found the right place yet. To get a lending decision you don’t need to have the specific property details, or even have made up your mind about which mortgage you’d like.

Start your application online
You can save time by filling in your details online. You can even start a joint application, you'll just need to fill out the details for both of you. It’ll take around 20 minutes to complete your details and then one of our mortgage experts will call you back at a time that suits you and offer all the help you need to continue.
You'll just need to let us know the following:

• Income details.
• Bank account details.
• Any existing mortgage details.
• Address details for the last 3 years.
• Any outstanding financial commitments.  

Speak to one of our mortgage experts
Call 0800 783 3534
We’re open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 9am-2pm on Saturdays.

Book an appointment at your nearest branch by using our request form. Just select 'Mortgages' first and then 'Book appointment with a mortgage expert'. We'll call you back to confirm a day and time that works for you.

Request a pack
If you're not quite ready to start applying you can receive more information in the post. Find out how to request a mortgage information pack.

See the basics, the costs and our mortgages.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE