A government-backed initiative set up to help first time buyers and those looking to move up the property ladder, to purchase a property with as little as a 5% deposit. With a deposit of 5%, the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme allows you to borrow an additional 20% of the purchase price of the property from the government; the loan is interest-free for the first 5 years, with the remainder 75% being raised through a mortgage.