Do you need a snagging survey with the Your First Home scheme?
A new build bought through the Your First Home scheme needs checking for snags in the same way as any other new build, and the checks you make before you move in determine how easy your snags are to get fixed.
This page outlines what the government has announced about the scheme so far, what has not yet been announced, whether the scheme requires a snagging survey, and how to inspect your home yourself or with a professional. It also explains how the new scheme differs from the existing First Homes scheme, which has a very similar name.
The scheme details in this article reflect the government's announcement of 26 September 2026. The full terms are expected at the Budget in October 2026, and this page will be updated when they are published.
What is the Your First Home scheme?
A proposed government equity loan scheme for first-time buyers of new build homes in England.
The government announced the scheme on 26 September 2026, and says it will be confirmed at the Budget in October 2026. The announcement describes the terms below as what the scheme is expected to support, so they may change before it opens.
What the Government Has Announced:
- A deposit of 2.5% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer
- A government-backed equity loan worth 20% of the purchase price
- An initial interest-free period on the equity loan
- Eligibility for first-time buyers purchasing a new build home in England
- Homes bought from a developer signed up to the scheme, with developers expected to contribute to its costs
The BBC's report of the announcement describes the same deposit, loan and interest-free period, and notes that more detail is expected in the Budget.
What has not been announced yet?
Most of the detail that determines whether the scheme is right for you.
The government has said the scheme will have a household income cap and local property price caps, and that the detail of both will be set out at the Budget. It has also said costs and implementation timelines will be announced then.
Still to Be Confirmed:
- The household income cap
- The local property price caps
- How long the equity loan is interest-free, and what it costs afterwards
- How and when the equity loan is repaid
- When the scheme opens, and which developers and mortgage lenders take part
The HomeOwners Alliance, a consumer organisation, reports that buyers can't apply for the scheme yet, and that pre-registration is expected to open by the end of the year.
We recommend checking any figure you read about the scheme against the government's own announcement. Detail reported before the Budget, including in this article, may change once the terms are confirmed.
sendingsnags is independent of the scheme and of the government. Creating a snag report with us is not an application or a registration for Your First Home, and it has no bearing on whether you are eligible.
Does the Your First Home scheme require a snagging survey?
No inspection requirement has been announced.
The government's announcement of 26 September 2026 does not mention snagging, surveys or inspections. The terms that would set any condition of that kind are due at the Budget, so it is not yet known whether the scheme will ask for one. Until the full terms are published, it is safer not to assume a requirement in either direction.
However, the government's own guidance for buyers already recommends one. Its "How to buy a home" guide, last updated in September 2019, says buyers of a new build should consider agreeing at exchange that a snagging survey will be carried out once the home is built and before completion. The same guide says the survey can be carried out by a professional company or by you.
Irrespective of how you fund your purchase, an inspection is how problems are recorded before you move in. A snag recorded in writing, with photos, before completion is significantly harder to dispute than one first raised months later, when it can be attributed to wear.
When should you record snags on a Your First Home new build?
Before completion if you can, and again after you move in.
Buying through the scheme does not change when a new build can be inspected. The timing depends on your developer, your contract and whether the New Homes Quality Code applies to your purchase.
Where the Code applies, your developer must give you the opportunity to inspect the home before completion, either yourself or through a professional inspector you appoint.
An inspection carried out under the Code uses the NHQB Pre-Completion Inspection Checklist, which is published by the New Homes Quality Board and is free to use. Your own snag list and photos sit alongside that checklist, rather than replacing it.
The Code Applies to You If:
- Your developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board
- You reserved your home on or after the date your developer's registration was activated
The announcement does not say whether developers taking part in Your First Home must be registered. You can check a developer on the public register at nhqb.org.uk, and your reservation paperwork should name the code that applies to your purchase. sendingsnags is independent of the New Homes Quality Board.
We always recommend inspecting again after you move in, and again as the home dries out over its first months. Some issues only appear once the heating has run or the first heavy rain has fallen, and a dated list with dated photos from each inspection supports any snag you raise later.
Our pages When can you snag your new build? and Your right to inspect your own new build cover the timing and the Code in full.
Should you inspect it yourself or pay for a professional survey?
Either can work, and many buyers use both.
The two routes produce different documents, and it is worth being clear about what each one is before you rely on it.
| Question | Your own inspection | A professional snagging survey |
|---|---|---|
| Who inspects | You, or someone you bring with you | A snagging surveyor you pay to inspect on your behalf |
| What it covers | What you can see and test in a walkthrough: finishes, doors and windows, sockets, taps, fitted units, the outside from ground level | The same walkthrough, plus the technical standards and specialist equipment a surveyor brings |
| What you get | A snag list in your own words, with your own photos | A report written by someone who inspects new builds for a living |
| What it is not | A surveyor's report, a structural survey or a mortgage valuation | A substitute for your own record of the home after you move in |
A professional inspection is a paid service. A professional snagging inspection is typically £350 to £600, depending on the size of the home, where it is, and what the inspection includes. Larger homes, London and the South East, a second visit and add-ons such as thermal imaging cost more. We recommend getting a written quote for your home before you book.
A report made in the sendingsnags app is built from your own observations. It records what you saw, where, and how serious it appears, with your photos. It is not a surveyor's report, and it does not assess or confirm whether you are eligible for any scheme.
Where your own inspection finds signs of a problem you cannot judge, such as structural movement, damp or water ingress, record what you observed, photograph it, and state that it requires further investigation. Our page Can I do my own snagging inspection? sets out what you can realistically check yourself, and when a professional inspection is most worth considering.
How is Your First Home different from First Homes?
They are two separate schemes with very similar names.
Your First Home is the equity loan scheme announced on 26 September 2026. First Homes is an existing government scheme that sells homes to first-time buyers at a discount from market value. Reading an article about one as if it were about the other is an easy mistake, and it can lead to wrong assumptions about eligibility.
| Feature | Your First Home (proposed) | First Homes (existing) |
|---|---|---|
| How it helps | A 20% government-backed equity loan alongside a 2.5% deposit | A home sold for 30% to 50% less than its market value |
| Status | Announced on 26 September 2026, not yet open for applications | Available now, with each application checked by the local council |
| Who can use it | First-time buyers in England | First-time buyers in England, aged 18 or over |
| Which homes | New builds from a developer signed up to the scheme | New builds from a developer, or resales of homes first bought through the scheme |
| Income cap | Yes, to be confirmed at the Budget | Yes, set by the government, and higher in London |
| Price cap | Local caps, to be confirmed at the Budget | Yes, set by the government for new builds, which a local council can lower |
| When you sell | Not yet announced | The discount stays with the home, and you sell at the same percentage discount to another eligible buyer |
The government has not said whether the two schemes can be used together. The current First Homes eligibility rules and caps are set out in the First Homes guide on GOV.UK.
Whichever scheme you use, a new build home is inspected in the same way, and the same evidence makes your snags harder to dispute.
Sources
Checked on 28 September 2026:
- GOV.UK, New first-time buyer scheme to be confirmed at Budget, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 26 September 2026
- BBC News, Andy Burnham announces scheme to help first-time buyers, 26 September 2026, updated 27 September 2026
- HomeOwners Alliance, Your First Home Scheme: government announces new help for first-time buyers, updated 28 September 2026
- GOV.UK, First Homes scheme: first-time buyer's guide, last updated 17 October 2024
- GOV.UK, How to buy a home, section 6 "Buying a new build property", last updated 6 September 2019
How we can help
sendingsnags is an app that turns your own walkthrough of a new build home into a clear, photographed snag report you can send to your developer or housing provider. It guides you through every room with a checklist of what to look for, and each check carries a plain explanation of what good looks like and an example drawing of the fault.
Each snag you log can carry photos, your own description and a grade, and the app offers a suggested grade and clearer wording alongside what you typed to make it harder to dispute.
You can start your report at sendingsnags.com. We hope you find it useful.