Top 10 family mortgages to help you buy

Key Takeaways

• Multiple support options: Family can help by boosting your borrowing power (income), providing savings as security, or using property equity.
• No deposit Solutions: Schemes like Barclays Springboard and Lloyds Lend a Hand allow for 100% mortgages if a family member provides 10% as security.
• Retain ownership: Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgages allow parents to support affordability without being added to the property deeds.
• Earn interest: In many "Savings as Security" models, the helper's money is returned with interest after a set period (usually 3-5 years).

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What is a family-backed mortgage?

A family-backed mortgage, sometimes called a family assist or guarantor mortgage, is any scheme where a family member uses their income, savings, or property to help you buy. Depending on the type you choose, this can help you:

• Boost borrowing power: Increase the total loan amount based on combined incomes.
• Increase deposit size: Use family savings or equity to lower your Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio.
• Reduce deposit requirements: Buy with a smaller deposit (or none at all) by using family assets as security.

1. Barclays Mortgage Boost

Barclays' guarantor mortgage, Mortgage Boost, helps you increase how much you can borrow by using the income of someone you trust (like a parent, close relative or friend) to support your application, without that person owning the property or being on the title deeds.

This is a type of Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage, a.k.a an Income Boost. It works by adding a family member or friend to your mortgage application to boost your total eligible borrowing by including their income in the affordability calculations, which may help you qualify for a larger loan than you could on your own.

2. Barclays Springboard mortgage

If you’d like to buy a house but you don’t have a deposit, Barclays Springboard may be the answer. You can borrow up to 100% of the property’s price as long as a family member provides 10% of it as security for five years.

Your helper will need to open a Helpful Start account in their name, where their money will earn interest for an agreed term. As long as you pay your mortgage on time each month, they’ll get their money back after 5 years, plus any interest that has accrued.

Many family-assisted mortgages have restrictions on who can help you, but with Barclays Springboard, your helper doesn’t have to be immediate family. A friend can help you if they wish.

Borrowers can borrow for up to 35 years, helping to keep their repayments as low as possible. Borrowers can also fix their mortgage for up to 5 years. This can make it easier to budget and give you peace of mind, but it’s a good idea to speak to a mortgage broker to find out whether a fix of this length is right for you.

3. NatWest Family-Backed Mortgage

NatWest Family-Backed Mortgage is another type of Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage. This scheme lets you include someone as a second borrower on your mortgage to increase the amount you can borrow, without that person owning the property. The second person is known as a non-owner, typically a family member or friend who’s willing to support your application.

By adding a non-owner to your mortgage application, NatWest will take both incomes into account when calculating what you can afford. This could help you buy your first home sooner or afford a more expensive one than you could on your own.

4. Lloyds Lend a Hand mortgage

Lloyds Lend a Hand is a type of Savings as Security mortgage, like Barclays Springboard mortgage, letting eligible buyers purchase their first home without a deposit by using a loved one's savings as security. This can be a great solution if you can afford monthly mortgage payments, but you’re struggling to save money while renting.

Instead of having to put down a deposit, Lloyds will let a family member put 10% of the purchase price into a 3-year fixed-term savings account. If you pay your mortgage as agreed, they’ll get this money back (plus any accrued interest) at the end of the term.

5. Generation Home Income Booster mortgage

Generation Home’s Income Booster is another type of Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage, which lets you add a family member’s income to your mortgage so you can borrow more money. It’s all about boosting your affordability and making you more attractive to lenders. Borrowers can add a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle. If you’re buying a home with your partner, their family members can get involved too.

Your income booster won’t have to make your mortgage payments from the get-go, but if you get into financial difficulties and struggle to make them yourself, they’ll need to be on standby. The income booster can be retired, but they’ll need to meet Generation Home’s income and age requirements.

6. Nationwide Helping Hand mortgage

If buyers have a generous family member and they have a mortgage with Nationwide, a Helping Hand mortgage could be the key to their first home. It can be particularly helpful if your family member is unable or reluctant to give you a chunk of their savings.

They’ll be able to borrow against the equity in their property and give you that money as a deposit. It’s up to you whether their gift serves as your whole house deposit or you top it up with your own savings.

7. Skipton Building Society Income Booster

Skipton’s joint borrower, sole proprietor mortgage allows you to include up to four applicants on a single application, which means you can combine as many as four incomes to strengthen affordability and potentially increase the amount you’re able to borrow. This can be particularly helpful if you’re struggling to meet lending criteria on your own or want to maximise your budget when buying a home.

In addition, the people supporting your application don’t have to be blood relatives. Friends or extended family members may also be able to act as supporting borrowers, giving you greater flexibility and a wider range of options when deciding who could help you get onto the property ladder.

8. Metro Bank Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage

Metro Bank’s Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage will lend you up to 90% of the property’s value, meaning you don’t need to save a big deposit to get on the housing ladder. To be eligible, you’ll need to find at least one family member or friend who’s willing to be added to your mortgage. Metro’s offering shares some similarities with other lenders' Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgages, in that the mortgage will become your family member’s responsibility, as well as yours, but they won’t be added to the property itself. This means the home will belong entirely to the borrower!

If you don’t have your own savings, Metro Bank will accept a gifted deposit from a member of your immediate family. This can be really helpful, as some lenders will want proof that you saved the money yourself.

9. Tipton and Coseley Family Assist Mortgage

Tipton’s Family Assist Mortgage lets buyers borrow 100% of the property’s value or purchase price (whichever is lowest). That’s right... No deposit needed! A buyer's mum, dad or other relatives can help them in one of two ways:

1. They can put 20% of your purchase price or property value (whichever is lowest) into Tipton’s Family Assist savings account. Once you own 20% of your home (80% LTV), they’re free to withdraw their money. Their money will earn interest while it’s in the Family Assist account.
2. Use a percentage of their property as collateral. A 20% charge (purchase price or property value) will be placed on your family member’s property. This means your mortgage will be secured against a portion of their home.

If the borrower were unable to pay their mortgage, Tipton may need to access your family member’s savings or release equity from their property to cover the shortfall. But Tipton says that they’d only look to access this collateral as a last resort. To qualify for option 2, your family member must own at least 40% of their home.

10. The Family Building Society family mortgage

It will come as no surprise that The Family Building Society offers a choice of family assist mortgages. Its Family Mortgage, for example, allows first-time buyers to borrow up to 95% of the property’s value with the help of relatives.

To be eligible, the borrower needs a 5% deposit (though this can be gifted to them) and at least one family member who is willing to use their savings or property as security.

There are three ways family members can help:

1. Place savings in a Family Security Account, where it’ll earn interest. After 10 years, they’ll get their money back - as long as the buyer has kept up with their mortgage payments.
2. Offset a portion of the mortgage by placing their savings in a Family Offset Account. This reduces the amount of the mortgage that interest is charged on, making the buyer’s repayments more affordable. Unlike the previous option, interest won’t be added to the family member’s savings. To withdraw the money or close the Family Offset Account, a review of the linked Family Mortgage will need to be carried out.
3. Use the value in their property to help the buyer access a better interest rate and reduce their mortgage payments. If the buyer keeps up with their mortgage payments, after 10 years the charge on the family member’s property will come to an end. The family member doesn’t need to use their whole property as security. Instead, an agreed amount will be used as collateral. But they may need to sell their home if they’re unable to make up the shortfall.

How much can a guarantor mortgage increase my budget?

The amount a guarantor mortgage can increase a buyer's budget varies, but the impact can be significant. According to Tembo's Q1 2026 First-Time Buyer Index, buyers who used specialist affordability schemes, including guarantor and family-assisted mortgages, increased their maximum borrowing potential by an average of £88,399, lifting budgets from £271,484 to £390,817. For first-time buyers in high-cost areas where standard lending falls well short of local property prices, family-assisted schemes are often the most effective route onto the ladder.

Frequently asked questions

How does a family assist mortgage work?

A family assist mortgage works by allowing a family member to use their income, savings, or property equity to support a buyer's mortgage application giving the buyer access to a larger loan or a reduced deposit requirement. Here's how the process typically works:

1. The buyer applies for a mortgage with a lender that offers a family assist option.
2. The helper either:
3. • Deposits savings (usually 10–20% of the purchase price) into a linked account, or
4. • Puts a legal charge on part of their own home’s equity, or
   • Goes on the mortgage to boost the buyer’s income.
5. The lender treats the helper’s contribution as extra security, so the buyer can borrow a larger loan, or purchase a property without putting any deposit down themselves.
6. If repayments are made on time, the helper’s savings or charge are released after an agreed period (typically 3–10 years).

What are the risks of a family assist mortgage for helpers?

• Savings or home equity are tied up for several years, so the helper can’t access the funds easily.
• If the buyer falls behind on payments, the lender could keep the savings for longer or call on the equity charge, or the helper will be required to step in to cover the payments.
• The helper’s own borrowing options may be limited while their money or equity is pledged.
• Money and family can be a tricky mix. Without clear expectations upfront, disagreements around repayment, fairness between siblings, or changes in personal circumstances (like a divorce) can create tension. The formal structure of a family assist mortgage helps reduce this risk by setting clear terms from the outset.
• Everyone involved should take independent legal and tax advice before proceeding, so all parties fully understand their obligations and protections.

Is a family assist mortgage still available in 2026?

Yes. As of 2026, a range of UK lenders still offer family assist-style products, including Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Nationwide, Skipton, Metro Bank, Generation Home, Tipton & Coseley, and The Family Building Society. Product names, eligibility criteria, and rates do change, so it's worth checking what's currently on offer. As a specialist mortgage broker, Tembo can search across lenders on a buyer's behalf, compare live rates, and confirm which products they're eligible for before they apply.

When does the helper get their money back?

If you choose to go with a family assist mortgage, which involves your helper depositing savings into a savings account held by the lender, the release period depends on the lender. Most hold the savings or equity for 3–10 years or until the mortgage balance falls below a set loan-to-value, usually 80–90%. If all repayments are up to date, the funds are returned with any interest earned, and any legal charge on the helper’s property is removed.

Can someone who isn't a family member be a helper on a family assist mortgage?

In most cases, the helper needs to be a close family member, such as a parent, grandparent, or sibling. However, some lenders are more flexible. Barclays Springboard and Skipton Building Society's Income Booster both allow friends or extended family members to act as supporting borrowers, for example. Eligibility rules vary by lender, so it's worth checking the specific criteria for each product before applying. A specialist mortgage broker can help identify which lenders will accept a chosen helper.

Does a family assist mortgage affect the helper's ability to borrow?

It can, yes. When a helper pledges savings or places a legal charge on their property, mortgage lenders may factor that commitment into any future credit applications the helper makes, such as a remortgage or personal loan. If the helper joins the mortgage as a joint borrower (as with a Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor arrangement), their share of the mortgage debt will show on their credit file and could reduce what they're able to borrow in their own name. The extent of the impact depends on the lender and the type of arrangement. Helpers should speak to a mortgage broker or independent financial adviser before agreeing to anything, to understand how it could affect their own financial position.

What is a family opportunity mortgage?

A family opportunity mortgage is a US home loan product backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It lets a buyer purchase a home for an elderly parent or a disabled adult child at owner-occupier mortgage rates, even if the buyer won't live in the property themselves. This product is not available in the UK. The closest UK equivalents are family assist mortgages, guarantor mortgages, and Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgages — schemes that allow a family member to use their savings, income, or property equity to help a buyer purchase a home.