First Homes Cardiff is a Shared Equity Home Ownership Scheme offered by Cardiff Council. If you are looking to buy your first home, we can help make it easier for you.
A Shared Equity scheme is where you buy a percentage share of a property, but you will be the legal property owner on completion of the sale. This percentage is typically 70%. The remaining equity share (30%) is a charge against the property, which you can buy later. You won’t pay rent on the 30% and you do not have to repay it back to the council while you own the property.
We have modern properties available across Cardiff, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom houses. Most of the properties are on new build sites with private housebuilders or with the Council itself.
You can also buy previously owned properties. We resell homes that have been bought through our scheme if the owner decides to sell it on.
If you are interested in purchasing a property through this scheme, you will first need to be registered.
Before you register, please check if you are eligible. You must be:
- Over the age of 18
- A current passport holder or have ‘indefinite leave to remain’ stamped on their passport (Applicants without indefinite leave to remain who are interested in buying a home must be able to demonstrate the ability to secure a mortgage with a reputable lender)
- A first-time buyer
- A first-time buyer ‘in your own right’. (*people that fall into this category would be applicants that have jointly owned a property and as a result of a relationship breakdown no longer own a property)
- Able to meet the long-term financial commitment of home ownership.
In addition to the above, to fully qualify, applicants must also be either –
- Living and / or working in Cardiff for the last six months
- A keyworker moving to Cardiff for a job *
- Leaving the Armed Forces (*applicants must have lived in Cardiff for at least six months immediately prior to joining the Armed Forces)
- Moving to Cardiff for personal or professional reasons and have an established local connection to Cardiff.
* keyworkers are considered to be those working in Health and Social Care, Education and Childcare, Public Safety and National Security and Food & other necessary essential goods. Those considered key workers may change in line with government guidance
For more information about our eligibility criteria, you can read our Nomination policy.
If you are eligible, you can register for the First Homes Cardiff scheme online.
If you are unsure whether you qualify though, you can also contact the team.
Once registered, you can search for homes for sale.
