The journey to your first home starts here
Tired of scrolling through Rightmove? We specialise in helping first-time buyers get a mortgage faster and for less. Find out how much you could borrow by creating a Tembo mortgage recommendation. We'll compare your eligibility to thousands of mortgage products and over 15 specialist first-time buyer schemes in seconds.
Average £88,000 boost to affordability
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Over 20,000 mortgage products
What is the best type of mortgage for first-time buyers?
The best type of mortgage for first time buyers depends on whether you can borrow what you need without any additional help. With house prices on the rise, many first time buyers find they can't afford to buy using a standard residential mortgage. At Tembo, we specialise in helping buyers discover how they could afford to get a place of their own through a range of budget boosting first-time buyer schemes.
Why Tembo?
We help buyers, movers and homeowners discover how they could boost their affordability in 3 simple steps. It’s why we’re the UK’s Best Mortgage Broker.
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Buying without family help
Not everyone can get family help when buying their first home. But that doesn't mean homeownership is out of reach. Read about some of the specialist mortgages for first time buyers below. To see which you could be eligible for, create a free Tembo plan.
Standard Mortgage
Borrow up to 4-4.5x your income with a standard repayment mortgage. You’ll put down a house deposit and borrow the remainder from a lender, then you’ll pay off the loan by making monthly repayments.
5.5x Income Mortgage
If you meet the qualifying criteria, you could borrow up to 5.5 times your income for a mortgage, significantly increasing your buying budget by 20%. Plus, you only need to put down a 5% deposit.
Professional Mortgages
If you work in a qualifying profession, you could borrow up to 5.5 times or even 6.5 times your salary for a mortgage, significantly increasing your total buying budget. You only need to put down a minimum 5% deposit, too.
Deposit Unlock
Purchase a new-build property from a participating home builder with just a 5% house deposit through the Deposit Unlock scheme.
Forces Help To Buy
If you are a serving military personnel, borrow up to 50% of your annual salary to boost your house buying budget with the Armed Forces Help To Buy scheme.
Private Shared Ownership
If you're struggling to build a deposit or get a big enough mortgage to buy a home, purchase a share of a property through a private Shared Ownership scheme.
Government Shared Ownership
Buy a share of a home with the government’s Shared Ownership scheme and pay rent on the rest. Over time, staircase your way up to full ownership.
Skipton's Track Record Mortgage
Use your track record of paying rent each month in lieu of a deposit to get a 100% mortgage. So you can stop renting, and start building up equity in your a home of your own.
Buy with help from loved ones
If you do have family who want to help you buy your first home, there are various ways they could do this. From guarantor mortgages to co-buying together, explore some of the buying schemes and family assisted mortgages for first time buyers below. To see which you could qualify for, create a free Tembo plan
Income Boost
Add some or all of your loved one's earnings to your mortgage application as a guarantor. With a larger combined income, you can boost your borrowing power while still being the sole owner.
Deposit Boost
If you have a loved one whose a homeowner and wants to help you buy, they can use a Deposit Boost to unlock money from their property. The proceeds will be added to your house deposit, or can be used as your entire down payment.
Savings as Security
If you have a relative with cash savings who'd like to help, they can deposit them into a special account held by the lender as security for the mortgage. This means you won't have to put down any deposit, and your loved one will get their savings back after a set term, as long as you make your repayments.
Deposit Loan
Your loved ones can contribute to your house deposit to bolster your down payment, in return for equity in your home. With a bigger deposit, you can get access to lower mortgage rates or even afford a bigger property.
Compare today's best mortgage rates
See today's best possible rates for first time buyer mortgages from our panel of over 100 lenders.
The interest rates shown are an indication only and are not guaranteed. Current rates may have changed by the time you come to apply.
The application process
4 simple steps to buying your first home
Make a Tembo plan
Check your eligibility for a range of first time buyer mortgages and buying schemes, and get a personalised recommendation with interest rates and repayments in under 10-minutes.
Talk to an expert
Book a call with our experts to complete the qualification process, and we’ll cover off any questions you might have about any of the budget boosting schemes we advise on.
Find a property
Once you’ve found a property, your dedicated advisor will undertake full affordability checks to prepare the mortgage application. Then we’ll submit it on your behalf!
Make home happen
During conveyancing, we’ll liaise with the seller and your solicitors to ensure a smooth purchase. We’ll also provide a free protection review for your insurance needs.
Thousands of happy first time buyers
Tried, tested, trusted. See some of our 5* rated reviews from previous first time buyers who we've helped to make home happen.
