2026-07-15
Buying a first home has become increasingly challenging, with rising property prices and the cost of saving for a deposit making homeownership feel out of reach for many buyers.
That's why we're delighted to announce that the Scottish First Homes Fund is now available through SortRefer, giving advisers another way to support eligible first-time buyers across Scotland.
What is the Scottish First Homes Fund?
The Scottish First Homes Fund is a Scottish Government shared equity scheme designed to help first-time buyers purchase their first home by contributing up to £10,000 towards the purchase price. In return, the Scottish Government takes an equity stake in the property equivalent to its contribution.
For example, if a property is bought for £100,000 and the Government contribute £10,000, then the Scottish Government will own 10% of it.
Buyers will still own the property as normal; however, buyers will still need a mortgage on the property, and buyers will still be responsible for:
- Building insurance
- Home contents insurance
- Repairs & Maintenance
- Council tax
- Bills
The scheme aims to make homeownership more accessible by reducing the amount buyers need to borrow, helping them get onto the property ladder sooner.
Who is eligible for the new Help to Buy scheme?
To qualify, applicants must meet the scheme's eligibility criteria, including:
- Being a first-time buyer
- Purchasing a property in Scotland as their main residence
- Taking out a capital repayment mortgage covering at least 25% of the buying price or (valuation, whichever is lower).
Available through SortRefer
The Scottish First Homes Fund is now available through SortRefer and is easy to identify when creating your clients' cases.
Simply create a new Scotland quotation, select ‘Purchase’, then tick the Help to Buy option. From the dropdown menu, choose First Homes Fund Scotland.
Once selected, the relevant costs will automatically be included within the purchase quotation, making it even easier to support eligible first-time buyers.
Discover more
The Scottish First Homes Fund is just one of the ways SortRefer supports introducers across Scotland. Download our Built for Scotland leaflet to explore our full Scottish proposition and see how we can further help you and your clients.
Get in touch
Whether you're already supporting first-time buyers across Scotland or looking to expand your service offering, the scheme provides another valuable option to help clients achieve their homeownership goals.
Our team is here to support you throughout the process, helping ensure applications are submitted efficiently and with confidence.
If you have Scottish first-time buyers who could benefit from additional support, get in touch with our dedicated support team today:
0333 456 4567 / enquiries.scotland@sortrefer.co.uk
