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GrantEngland

First Homes Scheme (England)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (delivered by developers via planning obligations, administered locally)

Details being confirmed

Some figures on this page (such as the amount, deadline, or rate) are provisional and due a fresh verification pass against the official source. Please confirm the current details using the official link below before relying on this information.

Description

Lets eligible first-time buyers purchase a new-build home at a discount of 30% to 50% off its market value, with the discount locked into the title so it passes to the next first-time buyer when you sell. Income has to be £80,000 a year or less (£90,000 in London) and you need a mortgage covering at least half the price. Worth treating with care in practice: the December 2024 revision of the National Planning Policy Framework removed the requirement that a quarter of affordable housing be delivered as First Homes, the scheme is not among the tenures funded by the Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026–2036, and its detailed planning guidance has not been updated since December 2021 — so it is still formally open but supply is thin and geographically patchy.

Amount

A 30%–50% discount on the market value of a new-build home, retained on resale for the next first-time buyer

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: England.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance, basic rate taxpayers, higher rate taxpayers.
Notes
Councils can set local eligibility priorities (for example a local connection or key-worker status), but those only apply for the first 3 months a property is on sale; armed forces exemptions apply to local-connection rules. England only. Availability rather than eligibility is the practical constraint — check with the specific developer or council rather than assuming stock exists locally.
Requirement
18 or over, a first-time buyer (everyone buying together must be), household income no more than £80,000 before tax (£90,000 in London), and able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home.

Want help with this application?

This one is usually simple enough to do yourself using the free official link below — but if you'd rather have help, we're building relationships with vetted professionals and can let you know if that becomes available.

Some of the organisations we may connect you with pay us a referral fee if you use their service. This never affects which listings you see in the directory. No live partner is confirmed yet for this listing.

You can also do this yourself for free via the official source

How to apply

Find a developer marketing First Homes in the area you want to live and apply through them; the council checks eligibility against national and any local criteria before the sale proceeds.

View official source

Last verified: 22 September 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.