Can I use Help to Buy to buy a house in Jamaica?

Question

As nice as buying a beach front property in Jamaica would be Kishana, alas the Help to Buy scheme can’t be used for properties outside the UK.

Boring Money · Accepted Answer

As nice as buying a beach front property in Jamaica would be Kishana, alas the Help to Buy scheme can’t be used for properties outside the UK.


The handy FAQ section on the government site HelptoBuy.gov.uk, specifies that;

‘To qualify for the government bonus, the property you are buying must: be in the UK, have a price of £250,000 or less (with a higher price limit of £450,000 in London), be the only home you will own, be where you intend to live and be purchased with a mortgage.’


As a government scheme which boosts the savings of first time buyers with a hefty government top-up of 25%, there’s understandably quite a few eligibility criteria for Help to Buy, which you and your new home will need to meet.

You’ll need to tick these things off your Help to Buy checklist;

Be 16 or over

Be a UK resident

Have a valid National Insurance number

Not have another active cash ISA in the same tax year – (If you’ve opened a cash

ISA this tax year, you can get a Help to Buy but you’ll need to take extra steps.)
Be a first time buyer – that means you’ve never owned property anywhere in the world

Be aiming to buy a house in the UK worth £250,000 or less (or worth £450,000 or less in London)

Be intending to live in this house – no renting it out or using it as a holiday home
purchase this home with a mortgage

And finally...

this house must be the only home you’ll own – you can’t also buy another property to rent out
 

If you’re looking for a more detailed step by step guide to getting on the property ladder, try our Saving for your first property learning path.

It’s packed full of useful tips and information to help you navigate the tricky landscape of a first time buyer, including other useful ISA options, such as Lifetime ISAs.

Best of luck!