The Help to Buy equity loan was by far the most popular government homebuying scheme, assisting over 380,000 purchases before it closed. Its absence leaves a gap, but the alternatives that remain are worth understanding because some are surprisingly generous.\n\nLifetime ISA — Open to anyone aged 18 to 39. Save up to 4,000 pounds per year and the government adds a 25% bonus (up to 1,000 per year). You can use it to buy your first home worth up to 450,000 or keep it for retirement. The catch: withdraw for any other reason before age 60 and you lose 25% of the total (effectively wiping out your bonus and eating into your own savings). It takes time to build a meaningful sum, but for buyers who start early, the free money is hard to beat.\n\nShared Ownership — Buy a share of a home (25% to 75%) and rent the rest from a housing association. Your deposit is calculated on your share, not the full value. A 250,000 property at 25% share needs a deposit on just 62,500. You can staircase to full ownership over time. The new model introduced in 2021 reduced the minimum initial share to 25% and allows staircasing in 5% increments.\n\nFirst Homes — A relatively new scheme offering newly built homes to local first-time buyers at a discount of at least 30% off market value. The discount stays with the property forever, so when you sell, the next buyer also pays a reduced price. Your household income must be below 80,000 (120,000 in London) and the discounted price must not exceed 250,000 (420,000 in London). Availability varies significantly by area because developers need to allocate properties to the scheme.\n\nDeposit Unlock — Not a government scheme but an industry initiative backed by the Home Builders Federation. Lets buyers purchase new-build homes with just a 5% deposit. Developers pay for insurance that protects the lender against the higher LTV risk. Available at participating housebuilders on selected developments only.\n\nOwn New — Another industry scheme allowing buyers to purchase a new-build home by paying their 5% deposit to the developer, who provides an equity loan for a further 20%. You then get a 75% LTV mortgage. After the initial period (usually five years), you remortgage to repay the equity loan. Unlike Help to Buy, this is a commercial arrangement between the developer and buyer, not taxpayer-funded.