Just Mortgages comments on new Your First Home scheme

28 September 2026

John Doughty, chapter managing director at Just Mortgages, said:

“Like many across the industry, we have long called for the return of an equity loan scheme to help answer deposit barriers faced by so many potential FTBs. While we’ve certainly seen tremendous innovation from lenders and developers, as well as the continued growth of schemes like Shared Ownership, there’s no question that the loss of Help to Buy left a hole in the market. Like the scheme or not, it unlocked homeownership for more than 300,000 FTBs, generated £25bn in social value to the UK in the last financial year and crucially, nearly £2bn of profit for the UK treasury. In the current climate, that cannot be understated.

“We eagerly await the full details at the upcoming Budget, in particular whether the new scheme will feature a higher weighting to account for higher property prices found in London – a critical component of the original Help to Buy. I’d also love to see the scheme include pre-owned properties to really maximise the opportunity and unlock more potential buyers. Either way, this could be a tremendous opportunity and one that advisers should grab with both hands. Similar to 100% options we’ve seen enter the market, Your First Home could offer us the best of both – helping those most in need to get on the ladder, or at the very least, encouraging potential buyers to open the door to a conversation and exploring the full range of options available to them.”