Mortgage question
Can I remortgage if I still have a Help to Buy equity loan?
Yes. Around 20 UK lenders in April 2026 — including Halifax, Nationwide, Barclays, NatWest, Santander, Leeds BS, Newcastle BS and Skipton — will remortgage with a Help to Buy equity loan in place. You’re typically capped at 75% LTV on the main loan (a few stretch to 80%), and you’ll need Target HCA to sign a Deed of Postponement, which costs £120–£200 and takes 4–6 weeks.
Which lenders will remortgage with Help to Buy in place?
Most of the big high-street names and several building societies will. In April 2026 the most commonly used are Halifax, Nationwide, Barclays, NatWest, Santander, Leeds BS, Newcastle BS, Skipton and Virgin Money. A handful of specialists (Coventry for Intermediaries, Kensington) fill in the gaps for trickier cases. Rates typically sit 0.1–0.2 percentage points above a standard same-LTV remortgage because the equity loan adds an extra charge on the title.
A specialist broker is worth using — criteria around minimum income, property type (especially ex-new-build flats) and postponement timing vary sharply between lenders.
What’s the main-loan LTV cap?
Most lenders limit the first-charge mortgage to 75% of the property’s current value when a Help to Buy equity loan stays in place. A small group — including Halifax and Leeds BS — will go to 80% for strong cases. Your Help to Buy percentage stays as-is unless you also partially staircase.
| Scenario | Property value | Equity loan (20%) | Max main loan at 75% | Capital raise available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remortgage only | £310,000 | £62,000 | £232,500 | Existing balance only |
| Capital raise to redeem HTB | £310,000 | £62,000 (being redeemed) | £232,500 (freehold) | Can cover redemption if deposit/savings top-up |
| Partial staircase (10%) | £310,000 | £31,000 (new share) | £232,500 | £31,000 to fund redemption |
If your property’s grown in value since you bought, 75% LTV often gives plenty of headroom — remember the LTV is calculated on the current valuation, not the original purchase price.
What’s a Deed of Postponement and why do I need one?
Help to Buy sits as a second charge on your property’s title. When you remortgage, the new first-charge lender needs confirmation from Target HCA that they’ll stay behind it in the queue for any future sale proceeds. That confirmation is the Deed of Postponement.
- Fee to Target HCA: £120–£200 in 2026.
- Turnaround: typically 4–6 weeks — start this on day one of the remortgage application or you’ll miss the offer expiry.
- What you do: log into the Target HCA portal, request the postponement, upload the new lender’s offer when it’s issued. Your solicitor coordinates the rest.
Most mortgage offers last 6 months, so time is usually fine — but if the postponement slips past offer expiry you’ll need a re-offer or extension and possibly a revaluation.
Remortgage-and-redeem in one go
A single transaction where you remortgage onto a higher main loan and use the drawdown to fully or partially redeem Help to Buy is the single biggest remortgage use-case in 2026. It sidesteps the 75% LTV cap because once the equity loan is gone you can go up to 85% or even 90% LTV on a standard residential product. Your solicitor handles both completions on the same day.
Typical costs on a £310,000 home with a full redemption:
- RICS valuation for redemption: £300–£600
- Target admin: ~£200
- Solicitor (remortgage + HTB redemption): £900–£1,400 + VAT
- Product/arrangement fee: £0–£1,500
- New rate: ~5.15% best buy 85% LTV 5-year fix (April 2026)
Run scenarios on the remortgage calculator and compare with a product transfer to see which pays off.
Common misconception: “I have to redeem Help to Buy before I can remortgage”
You don’t. Plenty of homeowners remortgage purely to get a better rate while leaving the equity loan untouched — especially if they’re still in the year 1–5 interest-free window. The lender’s LTV cap just limits how much you can borrow on the main mortgage while the Help to Buy charge remains. If you want the equity loan gone, redeeming in the same transaction is efficient; if you just want a better rate, postponement alone is enough. Information, not regulated advice — talk to a qualified broker before deciding.
Sources
Information, not regulated advice. Mortgage Notes is not an FCA-authorised mortgage adviser. For a recommendation on your specific circumstances, speak to an FCA-authorised broker.