Mortgage advice for buying your council home
Right to Buy can help eligible tenants buy their council home at a discount. The mortgage side needs careful planning and a mortgage adviser can help you organise your plans.
You may need to think about:
- How much the property is valued at
- What discount you will receive
- Whether the discount can help with the deposit
- How much you need to borrow
- Whether your income supports the mortgage
- Whether your credit history could affect your options
- What costs are involved in buying the property
- Whether the property itself meets lender criteria
- What happens if you want to sell the property later
A mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert will help you to understand these points before you get too far into the process.
Our aim is to help you feel clear about your options, not overwhelmed by the paperwork.
Right to Buy mortgage advice at a glance
Right to Buy allows eligible council tenants in England to buy their council home at a discount.
The mortgage still needs to be affordable, and lenders will review your income, credit history, property value, discount, deposit position and monthly commitments before agreeing the mortgage.
A mortgage broker will help you understand whether the purchase is realistic, how the discount affects the mortgage, which lenders fit your circumstances and what documents you need before applying.
Key points to know:
- Right to Buy is for eligible council tenants in England
- Your landlord confirms eligibility, value, discount and purchase price
- The discount can help reduce the amount you need to borrow
- Some lenders treat the discount as part or all of the deposit
- The lender will still assess affordability and credit history
- Bad credit or complex income needs careful lender choice
- You need to understand purchase costs, repairs and future affordability
- Selling within the first few years can mean repaying some or all of the discount
Why use a broker for a Right to Buy mortgage?
A Right to Buy mortgage is not always the same as a standard house purchase.
Some lenders may have specific criteria for Right to Buy cases. Some may treat the discount differently. Some may be more comfortable than others depending on your income, credit profile, property type and wider circumstances.
A mortgage broker can help you avoid guesswork.
We help you:
- Understand how much you can borrow
- Check whether the Right to Buy discount can help with the deposit
- Compare lenders that consider Right to Buy applications
- Review your income and affordability before you apply
- Check what documents will be needed
- Explain the mortgage process in plain English
- Help you understand the wider costs of buying
- Reduce the risk of applying to an unsuitable lender
- Save time by narrowing down the options early
- Support you from initial advice through to completion
Mortgage advice can make the process feel more manageable and help you move with confidence.
A MORTGAGE IS A LOAN SECURED AGAINST YOUR HOME. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
Right to Buy areas to check
Can the Right to Buy discount be used as a deposit?
In many Right to Buy cases, the discount can help reduce the amount you need to borrow.
Some lenders may be able to treat the discount as part or all of the deposit, depending on their criteria and your wider circumstances.
This is one of the biggest advantages of a Right to Buy purchase, especially if you have limited savings. However, lender rules can vary, so it’s important to check before assuming how your deposit will work.
We help you understand whether your discount is likely to support your mortgage application and whether you need any additional savings.
What will lenders look at?
Even if you are eligible for Right to Buy, the lender will still need to assess whether the mortgage is affordable.
They will look at:
- Your income
- Your employment
- Your credit history
- Your monthly commitments
- Your household spending
- Your age and mortgage term
- The property value
- The discount amount
- Your deposit position
- Your bank statements
- Whether the property is suitable security for the mortgage
Different lenders can assess the same situation in varying ways.
That is why it can help to speak to a mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert before you apply.
Right to Buy if your income is not straightforward
You may still be able to explore Right to Buy if your income is more complex, but which lender you choose becomes more important.
This could apply if you are:
- Self employed
- A company director
- A contractor
- Paid through CIS
- Working part time
- Receiving overtime
- Receiving benefits or tax credits
- Working more than one job
- Recently changed employment
- Approaching retirement
Some lenders may take a more flexible view than others, depending on the details of your case.
Our team of mortgage advisers will help you understand how your income will be assessed and what documents may be needed.
Right to Buy with bad credit
If you have had credit problems in the past, you may be worried that you will not be able to get a mortgage.
The options available will depend on what happened, when it happened, how much was involved and what your finances look like now.
Credit issues could include:
- Missed payments
- Defaults
- CCJs
- Debt management plans
- Historic arrears
- Previous financial difficulties
A credit issue does not always mean there is no route forward, but it can affect which lenders may be suitable.
We help you understand your position before you make a mortgage application.
What costs should you think about?
The mortgage payment is not the only are more cost you need to think about when buying your home.
You also need to think about some or all of the following:
- Solicitor fees
- Valuation costs
- Mortgage product fees
- Survey costs
- Buildings insurance
- Ongoing repairs and maintenance
- Service charges if the property is leasehold
- Future affordability if your circumstances change
If you’re buying a flat, leasehold costs and future major works can be especially important to understand.
Your Mortgage Expert can help you look at the wider picture, to ensure you can truly afford the wider costs related to your Right to Buy purchase.
What happens after your landlord makes an offer?
Once your landlord has reviewed your Right to Buy application, they should provide an offer setting out key details such as the property value, discount and purchase price.
At that point, you need to decide whether to move forward.
This is a sensible time to get mortgage advice, especially if you have not already spoken to a broker.
We can help you understand:
- Whether the purchase price looks affordable
- How much you may need to borrow
- Which lenders may consider the case
- What monthly payments could look like
- What documents are likely to be needed
- What the mortgage process involves
- Whether there are any issues to consider before proceeding
Getting advice early can help you avoid delays and make a more informed decision.
Things to consider before buying through Right to Buy
Right to Buy can be an affordable route into homeownership, but it’s still a major financial decision.
Before moving forward, it is worth asking:
- Can I afford the mortgage now?
- Could I afford the mortgage if rates changed in future?
- Can I afford repairs and maintenance?
- Do I understand the leasehold costs if I am buying a flat?
- Am I planning to stay in the property long term?
- What happens if I want to sell within the first few years?
- Do I understand the responsibilities of owning the home?
Why choose Your Mortgage Expert?
At Your Mortgage Expert, we help clients understand the mortgage side of buying their council home.
We know that Right to Buy can feel like a big step, especially if you have not bought a property before. Our role is to explain the process clearly, help you understand your options and support you from your first conversation through to completion.
Clients choose us because we offer:
- Clear advice in plain English
- Help understanding affordability and lender criteria
- Support with Right to Buy mortgage options
- Guidance on deposit, discount and documents
- Advice for straightforward and more complex cases
- Access to a wide range of mortgage options
- A managed process from enquiry through to completion
- Friendly advice by phone, video or face to face
We are based in Salisbury and help clients locally and across the UK.
Thinking about buying your council home?
If you’re thinking about buying your home through Right to Buy, we can help you understand what is possible, what lenders will need from you and how to move forward.
Last reviewed: May 2026
Reviewed by: Your Mortgage Expert mortgage advice team
About this page: This page explains Right to Buy mortgage advice, including affordability, deposit and discount, lender criteria, bad credit, complex income, purchase costs and how a mortgage broker helps you compare options.