Right to Buy mortgages
Buying your council home – we know how the scheme works
About Right to Buy
Right to Buy allows eligible council tenants to purchase their home at a significant discount to open market value.
The discount depends on how long you’ve been a council tenant and the type of property – houses and flats have different discount caps. Getting a mortgage on a Right to Buy purchase has its own process, and not all lenders are equally familiar with it. We are.
How the discount works
The Right to Buy qualifying period increased from 3 years to 10 years in England in April 2025.
Council tenants who have held a public sector tenancy for at least ten years are eligible to apply. The discount increases with length of tenancy, up to a maximum which is set by government and varies by region.
In most cases, your discount can be used in place of a cash deposit, which means some buyers are able to purchase with no additional money down.
Getting a mortgage
Most mainstream lenders will consider Right to Buy applications. Some will lend against the discounted purchase price; others will lend against a percentage of the full market value.
We know which lenders take which approach and how to structure the application correctly. We’ll also flag if there’s a better route for your specific circumstances.
Important to know
If you sell the property within five years of purchasing through Right to Buy, you’ll be required to repay some or all the discount, on a sliding scale.
We explain this as part of the initial conversation so there are no surprises.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Book a telephone appointment
We are looking forward to discussing your mortgage options. To make the most of our appointment, please have the following information to hand:
- Your income details
- Any outstanding debts (including monthly payments and outstanding balances)
This initial mortgage consultation is free of charge, and allows us to gather the information we need about your circumstances and mortgage requirements.
Once we have reviewed your details and supporting documentation, we will arrange the next stage of the process with one of our mortgage advisers, who will research the market and provide personalised mortgage recommendations. Should you decide to proceed with an application, our broker fees are typically:
- £699 – First Time Buyers, Home Movers and Remortgages
- £995 – Buy-to-Let, Semi-Commercial and Commercial Mortgages
We will call you at your scheduled appointment time from the following number:
0208 0044 274
People before property
See for yourself by checking out our reviews on Google and Trustpilot.
“We had an amazing experience with Michelle as our mortgage advisor. She was incredibly helpful, friendly and professional throughout the whole process. She always replied very quickly, even outside normal working hours, and was always happy to answer any questions we had. Thanks to Michelle, the whole mortgage process was quick, easy and completely stress-free. We really appreciate all her help and support and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a mortgage advisor. Thank you so much, Michelle! ❤️”
“Very helpful, supportive and efficient team – our experience with them has been great so far, highly recommend!”
“Very simple process to renew a mortgage – Michell did identify some new providers; however, in the end, staying with the current provider proved most appropriate and even updated arrangement with cheaper interest rates in the immediate days preceding the expiry date – all very simple and straightforward – would recommend”
“My partner and I were first time buyers and the thorough and timely support of Michelle and her team made the process of securing our mortgage quick and stress-free.”
“Really good communication and speed of response. This was our first time buying so Michelle really helped us through the process.”
Credit Checker
Knowing where you stand financially before you start your property search makes the whole process simpler. Our free credit checker gives you an instant picture of your credit score and history, so there are no surprises when it comes to your mortgage application. It takes minutes, it will not affect your credit rating, and it puts you in a much stronger position before we speak to lenders on your behalf.
Get your free credit score
When applying for a mortgage, it’s so important to have a good credit score. Once you’ve obtained this, you have a much higher chance of being approved for credit.
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