A Helping Hand for first time buyers

Affordability is an issue for many first time buyers. Helping Hand could help first time buyers borrow up to six times their income.

Features and benefits

  • With Helping Hand, your first time buyers could borrow up to six times their income. That's up to 33% more.
  • Available up to 95% LTV on our 5 year fixed rate mortgages. And 90% LTV on 10 year fixed rates.
  • Your clients could enjoy £500 cashback on completion and up to £500 more for energy efficient homes. Please visit our Green Reward page for more information.

Helping Hand criteria

How Helping Hand could work for your clients

For applicants who are eligible first time buyers with a 5% deposit and no other costs affecting how much they can afford, Helping Hand may allow them to borrow:

  • Up to £300,000 for joint applicants with a joint income of £50,000. This is an additional £75,000 compared to £225,000 without Helping Hand.
  • Up to £180,000 for a single applicant with an income of £30,000. This is an additional £45,000 compared to £135,000 without Helping Hand.
  • Up to £540,000 for joint applicants with an income of £90,000. This is an additional £135,000 compared to £405,000 without Helping Hand. With average London house prices at £528,000, Helping Hand could help your clients purchase a home where house prices are higher than average.

Next steps

  1. Check the affordability calculator

    Find out if your client requires the higher borrowing offered by Helping Hand.

    For all eligible first time buyers, the Affordability calculator will indicate two maximum affordable amounts, one for standard and one for Helping Hand.

    Calculate affordability

  2. Complete a Decision in Principle (DIP)

    In the DIP decision screen, if your clients are eligible, it may return standard affordability and Helping Hand.

    By selecting Helping Hand, only products of 5 years or more will be displayed at full application.

    We're unable to provide further details if your client isn't offered Helping Hand. This may be down to a number of different factors.

    Log into NFI Online

Amending a Full Mortgage Application to Helping Hand

If you've submitted a Full Mortgage Application which has failed affordability, and you want to amend it to Helping Hand to increase the affordability, you'll need to state that the application requires 'Helping Hand'. You'll also need to change the product to a Fixed Rate of 5 years or more.

You can do this by either:

  • using the ‘Amend case’ option (see our Amend Case page for more information)
  • or by contacting us to make a change to your application.

Helping Hand: Jade's story

Jade was a first time buyer with a clear dream: to buy the house next door to her mum’s. Affordability was a major blocker, until her broker turned to Nationwide.


“Nationwide was the only lender that would go to the level of affordability she needed.”


Thanks to Helping Hand, Jade’s mortgage went to offer the same day. The enhanced affordability made all the difference and gave her the chance to stay close to family.

Nationwide is committed to supporting first-time buyers, and supporting you with practical, flexible solutions to provide the best experience for you and your clients. Read on to explore how Helping Hand could support your clients.


"If it wasn't for Helping Hand, it wouldn't have happened."


~ Mortgage broker, Brierly Hill

Product finder

Use our online product finder to get the right mortgage product for your clients.

Product finder

Affordability criteria

Check our criteria to understand what we may be able to lend, along with top tips on affordability.

Check affordability criteria

Affordability calculator

Use our affordability calculator for a thorough calculation of how much your client can borrow.

Use our affordability calculator