Independent guide. Not affiliated with HM Government, MHCLG or Homes England.Who we areOfficial announcement on GOV.UK
Your First Home Calculator

About Your First Home Calculator

Who runs Your First Home Calculator, why it exists, and how it stays independent of the government, lenders and housebuilders. Free tools, sourced facts.

What this site is

Your First Home Calculator is a free, independent guide to the government’s Your First Home scheme, announced on 26 September 2026 (GOV.UK), and to the other routes into a first home in England: Shared Ownership, First Homes, 95% mortgages, Own New and the Lifetime ISA. The calculators show what each route would cost you in real pounds. The guides explain the rules in everyday English and show their sources.

What this site is not

  • It is not the government, and it is not affiliated with HM Government, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government or Homes England. We say so on every page.
  • It is not a lender, broker, housebuilder or estate agent. We do not sell homes or mortgages and we do not take applications.
  • It is not financial advice. The calculators are illustrations; the guides are information. Before you commit to anything, speak to a regulated mortgage adviser and a solicitor.

Why we built this

The last time the government lent buyers part of the price of a new home, the part that mattered most was the part fewest people understood: you repay a share of the home’s value, not the sum you borrowed. The government’s own evaluation of Help to Buy found “confusion surrounding the equity loan repayment aspect”. This site exists to give first-time buyers straight answers, with the sums shown, before they sign anything.

Who we are

We are a team who have bought new houses and understand the challenges that new home buyers these days can face. We are small, independent and self-funded. We are not a lender, broker, housebuilder, estate agent or government body, and we have nothing to sell you. Our day jobs bring us into contact with housebuilders; that work is kept completely separate from this site. Nobody pays to be mentioned here, and nobody outside the team sees a page before it is published.

Spotted a mistake or have a question? Email hello@yourfirsthomecalculator.co.uk. We read every message and correct errors quickly. The editorial policy explains how every page is researched, checked and corrected, and the how we make money page will always say first if that ever changes.

How we keep it accurate

Every figure on the site links to its source at the point it is used, and every page lists its sources with the date we checked them. Where the government has not yet announced a rule, we say so and label our working assumption as an assumption. On Budget day, 28 October 2026, we will update every page and the calculators within hours, and we will date the change. The calculator methodology page lists every formula and every assumption behind the numbers.

Contact

Corrections, questions and press enquiries: see the contact page. We aim to reply within three working days.

Frequently asked questions

Are you part of the government?
No. We are an independent website with no connection to HM Government, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homes England or any housebuilder or lender. The official information is on GOV.UK, and we link to it on every page.
Can I apply for the scheme through you?
No. We take no applications, hold no waiting list and charge nothing. When pre-registration opens we will link to the government's own page.
Who writes the pages?
We are a team who have bought new houses and understand the challenges that new home buyers these days can face. The editorial policy explains how pages are researched and corrected.

Sources

  1. GOV.UK: New first-time buyer scheme to be confirmed at Budget (the official announcement we work from) (accessed 26 September 2026)