Best mortgage rates · Residential · July 2026

    Today’s best first-time buyer rates, ranked by what you’ll actually pay.

    From 95% LTV purchase products to best-buys at larger deposits — first-time buyer mortgage rates drawn from 40+ lender product books, re-ranked every night.

    40+ lender product books Fee & no-fee best buys No signup, no credit check Refreshed nightly
    Refreshed nightly — rates as of 13 July 2026
    Loan to valueLTV = loan ÷ property value. A £50k deposit on a £250k home is 80% LTV.

    First-time buyer best rates

    Top deals for buying your first home, ranked by initial rate at your deposit size.

    FixedTracker
    LenderInitial rateMonthlyFixed untilThenProduct fee
    1
    H
    HalifaxBest rate
    4.27%£1,357on £250,000Sept 20287.24%£999See full deal →
    2
    L
    Lloyds Bank
    4.27%£1,357on £250,000Sept 20287.24%£999See full deal →
    3
    T
    The Co-operative Bank
    4.38%£1,373on £250,000Dec 20296.62%£499See full deal →
    4
    H
    Halifax
    4.47%£1,385on £250,000Sept 20287.24%NoneSee full deal →
    5
    L
    Lloyds Bank
    4.47%£1,385on £250,000Sept 20287.24%NoneSee full deal →
    Cheapest with no product feeHalifax at 4.47% — £1,385/moView →

    Monthly payments illustrated on a £250,000 repayment mortgage over 25 years; fees not added to the loan. Rates shown are for comparison — full lender criteria apply.

    First-time buyer mortgage products are a distinct range at most lenders, not simply a relabelled purchase deal. At higher loan-to-value bands — the 90% and 95% LTV brackets where most first-time buyers sit — lenders price differently from one another: some lead with rate, others with cashback or free valuation. Your deposit as a share of the purchase price sets which LTV band you’re in, and moving from 95% to 90% by saving an extra 5% of the purchase price or securing a larger gifted deposit often unlocks a meaningfully cheaper deal.

    Affordability is assessed on income, not just deposit size. Most lenders use income multiples of 4 to 4.5 times gross earnings for straightforward applications, with some stretching to 5 or 5.5 times for higher earners or professions. New-build purchases add one layer of complexity — some lenders cap LTV lower on new builds, particularly flats, so if you’re buying off-plan it’s worth filtering by that property type early. Your first fixed deal will likely end in two or five years; what you remortgage onto then is shaped by how much you’ve paid down and whether house prices in your area have moved.

    We ingest the data ourselves

    Most comparison tables license the same third-party panel. We build ours directly from lender product data, run through our own quality-assurance pipeline — so we sometimes list deals other sites miss.

    Refreshed every night

    Every product, every lender, re-ranked nightly. No manually maintained best-buy lists, no stale screenshots of last week's market.

    Mortgages only

    We're the UK's only mortgage-only comparison site. No credit cards, no car insurance — just every flavour of mortgage, done properly.

    Frequently asked questions

    How these tables work, and how to choose between the deals on them.

    01Can I use a gifted deposit on a first-time buyer mortgage?
    Yes — gifted deposits are widely accepted, but lenders need written confirmation that the gift is not a loan and carries no expectation of repayment. The donor (usually a parent or close family member) signs a gifted deposit letter confirming that. Some lenders also ask for evidence of the donor’s funds. The process is routine; your solicitor and broker will have standard templates. The gifted amount counts as your deposit for LTV purposes once the letter is in place.
    02Do first-time buyer deals include cashback or other incentives?
    Some do. Cashback on first-time buyer products typically runs from a few hundred pounds to around £1,000 and is paid on completion. Free valuations are also common, though the lender chooses the valuer. Incentives are built into the table alongside the rate and fee so you can judge the whole package rather than the headline number alone. A cash incentive on an otherwise ordinary rate rarely outweighs a genuinely cheaper deal over a two or five-year term.
    03How much can I borrow as a first-time buyer?
    Most lenders multiply your gross annual income by 4 to 4.5 for a straightforward application. Joint applications typically use a similar multiple applied to combined income, though some lenders weight the lower earner less. Income type matters: employed income is simplest; self-employed income is usually assessed on a two or three-year average. Outgoings — existing loans, credit card minimums, student loan repayments — all reduce the maximum, as affordability rules require lenders to stress-test payments at a rate above the product rate.
    04What are the trade-offs of a 95% LTV mortgage?
    At 95% LTV you borrow against a thinner equity cushion, which lenders price for: rates at this band are higher than at 90% or 85% LTV. Product choice is also narrower. The practical risk is that a modest fall in property value tips you into negative equity, which limits your remortgage options at the end of the deal. That said, 95% LTV first-time buyer ranges are materially broader than they were a few years ago, and the government’s mortgage guarantee scheme has kept several mainstream lenders active at this band.
    05Should I fix for 2 or 5 years on my first mortgage?
    The honest answer depends on your circumstances, not market forecasts. A 2-year fix costs less in early repayment charges if your situation changes — job move, relationship change, selling sooner than expected. A 5-year fix removes the risk of remortgaging into a worse market in two years and saves you the associated fees and admin. First-time buyers who are confident in their plans for the next five years, and whose budget would strain under a payment rise, often find the certainty of a longer fix worth its modest premium.

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    Important: The information and tools provided on this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy, you should seek independent financial advice to ensure your specific circumstances are fully taken into account before committing to any course of action.

    Rates and product terms can change at any time — always verify with the lender before applying. Our calculators provide estimates based on the inputs you give and modelling assumptions; actual lender decisions and figures may differ. Some content on this site, including property and area summaries, is generated with the help of AI and may contain errors — please verify anything material. We link to lender, broker and third-party websites we don't control and aren't responsible for their content.

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