Equity Loan Scheme Guide

Your First Home scheme: timeline and key dates

Last checked 28 September 2026

The scheme was announced on 26 September 2026. The next big date is the Budget on 28 October 2026, when the rules are due, and pre-registration is expected by the end of 2026. No date has been given for the first purchases.

Independent guide. We are not the government, Homes England, a housebuilder or a lender, and this is not an official site for the scheme. Everything here is general information to help you understand it, not financial advice. The scheme's rules are due at the Budget on 28 October 2026.

  1. 1 April 2013

    Help to Buy equity loan starts

    The last big equity loan scheme in England opens: up to 20% (40% in London from 2016), 5% deposit, new builds (Wikipedia, GOV.UK statistics).

  2. 31 October 2022

    Help to Buy closes to new applications

    Homes had to be finished by 31 March 2023 (HomeOwners Alliance).

  3. 26 September 2026

    "Your First Home" announced

    A 20% government-backed equity loan for first-time buyers of new builds in England, with a 2.5% deposit and an initial interest-free period (GOV.UK).

  4. 28 October 2026

    Budget: the rules

    Chancellor John Healey is due to set out the full details, including costs and the timetable. The household income cap and local price caps are expected then (LBC, HomeOwners Alliance).

  5. By the end of 2026

    Pre-registration expected to open

    Reported as expected by the end of the year (HomeOwners Alliance). How and where to register hasn't been announced.

  6. Not announced

    First purchases

    When buyers can actually complete on a home with the loan has not been announced.

What to expect at the Budget

Chancellor John Healey delivers his first Budget on 28 October 2026 (Bloomberg (31 July 2026); LBC). The government says the scheme's full details, including costs and the timetable, will be set out then (GOV.UK). The details people are waiting for include (HomeOwners Alliance):

We'll update every page on this site on Budget day with what's confirmed.

Pre-registration

Pre-registration is expected to open by the end of 2026 (HomeOwners Alliance). Where you'll register, and what you'll need, hasn't been announced. Registering early is likely to be a way to show interest; it's not known yet whether it will reserve anything. Our getting ready guide covers what you can do in the meantime.

Other dates that matter to first-time buyers

How this compares with Help to Buy's timeline

Help to Buy's equity loan opened on 1 April 2013 and was later extended. The final version (April 2021 to March 2023) was limited to first-time buyers with regional price caps. It closed to new applications on 31 October 2022, and homes had to be finished by 31 March 2023 (HomeOwners Alliance). By the end, 387,195 homes had been bought with it (GOV.UK).

Related guides

Sources