Share to Buy Live: Your questions answered

Share to Buy Live is the new events platform from Share to Buy – the UK’s leading property portal dedicated to affordable homeownership and buying schemes. Through home shows, webinars, road shows and more, we connect budding buyers with experts, housing providers and tailored advice to help them get on the property ladder.

We know that in today’s climate – with rising property prices, high mortgage rates, and the ripple effects of a cost of living crisis – buyers need more than just property listings. They need support, clarity, and community – and that’s where we come in!

Share to Buy Live is for anyone looking to take their next step on the property ladder – no matter where you’re starting from. Our events, webinars and resources are designed to help real people with real questions about homeownership. In our community, you’ll find first time buyers, second steppers, growing families and downsizers all looking to find their space.

In short: if you’re looking for a home and need help navigating the market, Share to Buy Live is for you.

Whether attending in person or online, you can expect:

• Access to expert exhibitors, including housing associations, developers, mortgage advisors and solicitors.

• Information about schemes like Shared Ownership, Rent to Buy, First Homes, and more.

• Live Q&As, panel talks and workshops covering affordability, mortgages, legal steps and more.

• The chance to ask questions, register interest, and take the next step in your home-buying journey.

No – all of our events and webinars are free to attend. You’ll just need to register in advance to secure your place.

Our events explore a wide range of affordable homeownership schemes, including:

• Shared Ownership

• First Homes

• London Living Rent

• Discount Full Ownership

• Rent to Buy

• Older Persons Shared Ownership

• Deposit Unlock

You can learn about all of these schemes and many more on the Share to Buy website.

Absolutely! Many attendees come to our events just to learn what’s available. You don’t need to be ready to buy – if you’re curious, exploring or saving, this is the perfect place to start.

Not at all! While our London Home Show is our largest event, Share to Buy Live is expanding nationally. We also host shows in cities like Manchester and Bristol, and our webinars are open to everyone, everywhere.

You can register for a free account on our sister website, Share to Buy, to receive updates about upcoming events and webinars. You can also follow us on social media and check our events page regularly.

Shared Ownership is a government scheme that allows buyers to purchase a share in a property, usually between 10% and 75%, while paying a reduced market rent to a housing association on the remainder. The scheme gives first time buyers and those that do not currently own a home the opportunity to purchase a share in a new-build or resales property.

You can find out more about Shared Ownership and the various other buying and rental schemes available at our events on the Share to Buy website.

The First Homes discount is a government scheme where first time buyers can purchase a home in their local area at a discount of 30% to 50% of the market value of the property. These new-build homes are offered by property developers and aim to help people in areas of high demand who would be unable to afford to buy a home locally without the discount.

You can find out more about the First Homes scheme and the various other buying and rental schemes available at our events on the Share to Buy website.

Help to Buy was a government-backed scheme which aimed to help first time buyers get onto the property ladder. The alternative housing product provided eligible buyers with an equity loan (also known as shared equity) of up to 20% of the value of a new-build Help to Buy home. The Help to Buy government scheme provided a 20% loan so the buyer only needed to raise a 5% deposit, with a 75% mortgage making up the rest. However, the Help to Buy: Equity Loan officially ended in March 2023.

You can find out more about the various Help to Buy alternatives available at our events on the Share to Buy website.

Deposit Unlock is a scheme developed by the Home Builders Federation and reinsurance firm, Gallagher Re.

In order to protect themselves from the devaluation of new properties, mortgage lenders are often stricter on the amount they are willing to lend on newly built homes, often setting minimum required deposits of 15-25%. Deposit Unlock lets buyers put down a 5% deposit on a new-build home with the house builder paying to insure the mortgage to make lenders more comfortable about offering high Loan-to-Value (LTV) mortgages on new homes.

You can find out more about Deposit Unlock and the various other buying and rental schemes available at our events on the Share to Buy website.

Discount Full Ownership is a home-buying scheme offered by housing provider, Pocket Living. If eligible, you can buy 100% of these Pocket homes with a discount of at least 20% below local market prices. You can find out more about Discount Full Ownership and the various other buying and rental schemes available at our events on the Share to Buy website.

Discount Market Sale (also known as Council Shared Equity or a reduced market value scheme) is a low-cost homeownership product where you can purchase a new-build property at a discount of up to 20%. You can find out more about Discount Market Sale and the various other buying and rental schemes available at our events on the Share to Buy website.