Quick answer: Yes, you can get a mortgage for a new build home with most UK lenders. Expect extra checks: a 10-year new home warranty, a UK Finance Disclosure of Incentives form, limits on developer incentives and, on some flats, a lower maximum loan to value. Timing the mortgage offer against the build completion date is the main practical risk.
The article is updated as of Oct 20, 2026
Buying a brand new home has clear attractions: nobody has lived there before, it comes with a warranty and it is usually more energy efficient than an older property. Lenders like the security too, but they treat new builds as a slightly different risk, mainly because the price can include a “new build premium” that disappears once the home is no longer new.
How Lenders Treat New Build Mortgages
- Loan to value: many lenders lend at up to 90% on new build houses. Some cap new build flats lower. See our guide to loan to value bands.
- Valuation: the surveyor values the home against comparable resales, not just the developer’s price list. A down-valuation means you make up the difference.
- Incentives: cashback, paid stamp duty, flooring or furniture packages are deducted from the price the lender lends against if they exceed the lender’s limit, which is often around 5% of the price.
- Warranty: an acceptable 10-year warranty such as NHBC, Premier Guarantee or LABC Warranty is required.
- Disclosure of Incentives form: the developer must complete the UK Finance form so the lender sees the real price and every incentive.
New Build Deposit: What You Might Need
Illustrative figures on a £280,000 new build home. Your actual deposit depends on the lender, the property type and your circumstances.
| Route | Typical maximum LTV | Deposit on £280,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard new build house | 90% | £28,000 |
| Deposit Unlock (participating developers) | 95% | £14,000 |
| New build flat with some lenders | 85% | £42,000 |
| Shared ownership (e.g. 40% share) | Mortgage on the share only | Deposit on the share, e.g. 5% of £112,000 = £5,600 |
Worked example: incentives
A developer lists a home at £300,000 and offers £18,000 of incentives (6%). If your lender caps incentives at 5% (£15,000), it may treat the excess £3,000 as a price reduction and lend against £297,000. At 90% loan to value that is a mortgage of £267,300 rather than £270,000, so you need £2,700 more deposit. Always ask how incentives will be treated before you reserve.
Timing: Reservation, Exchange and Your Mortgage Offer
New builds run to the developer’s timetable. You usually pay a reservation fee and are given a short deadline to exchange, often around 28 days. If the home is not yet finished, you exchange before completion and wait for the build to be signed off. Many mortgage offers last six months, so a delayed build can mean your offer expires. Some lenders offer longer validity or extensions for new builds. Our guides to how long mortgage offers last and 12-month mortgage offers for new builds explain the options.
Schemes That Can Help With a New Build
- Deposit Unlock: an industry scheme that lets buyers of homes from participating developers buy with a 5% deposit through selected lenders.
- Shared ownership: buy a share of a home and pay rent on the rest. Read our shared ownership guide.
- Family support: gifted deposits, guarantor and family boost routes.
- Help to Buy equity loan: closed to new applications in England in October 2022, so it is no longer available for new purchases.
For first-time buyers comparing schemes, see our first-time buyer government scheme guide.
Self-Build and Small Developer Homes
Where a home is built by a small developer without a warranty provider, some lenders accept a Professional Consultant’s Certificate signed by an architect or surveyor who oversaw the build. Fewer lenders accept this route, so check before you commit. Our guide to mortgages with an architect’s certificate covers it in detail.
Using a Broker for a New Build Purchase
A broker can check lender policies on incentives, flats and offer validity before you pay a reservation fee, and keep the application moving within the developer’s exchange deadline. Developers often recommend a broker, but you are free to use any independent, FCA-regulated broker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a mortgage on a new build?
Yes. Most UK lenders lend on new build homes, but many apply extra rules such as lower maximum loan to value on some new build flats, limits on builder incentives, and a requirement for an acceptable 10-year new home warranty.
How much deposit do I need for a new build house?
Many lenders accept a 10% deposit on a new build house, and schemes such as Deposit Unlock let buyers of participating developers’ homes buy with a 5% deposit. Deposit requirements for new build flats are often higher. Criteria vary by lender.
How long does a mortgage offer last on a new build?
Many mortgage offers last six months, but some lenders offer longer validity, or will extend an offer, for new build purchases where completion is delayed. Check the expiry date against the developer’s expected build completion date.
What is a Disclosure of Incentives form?
It is a standard UK Finance form the developer completes to tell your lender the purchase price and any incentives offered, such as cashback, paid fees or included extras. Lenders use it to work out the true value of the property.
Do lenders need a new build warranty?
Yes. Lenders generally require a new build to have an acceptable 10-year warranty, such as NHBC, Premier Guarantee or LABC Warranty. Self-build or small developer homes may instead need a Professional Consultant’s Certificate.
Related Mortgage Guides
- 12-month mortgage offers for new builds
- How long do mortgage offers last?
- Buying with a £5,000 deposit
- Mortgage loan to value bands
- Mortgage and property advice hub
- Needing Advice home
This guide is reviewed by Damian Youell CeMAP, Senior Mortgage Broker. Meet the rest of our team, including Romany Youell.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Needing Advice is an independent, FCA-regulated mortgage broker. There is no obligation to proceed.
Damian Youell
Damian is the founder of NeedingAdvice.co.uk and the firm’s Senior Mortgage Broker. He specialises in helping clients across the UK with straightforward and complex mortgage cases, including self-employed applications, adverse credit, buy-to-let, remortgages and first-time buyer mortgages.
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