Frequently asked questions

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What is the 5-year equity freeze?

Your boost is an equity loan that is frozen for 5 years. After 5 years, it will step up or down to reflect changes in your property's value.

Your boost is an equity loan that is frozen for the first 5 years after you take out your mortgage. At 5 years, it will unfreeze and begin to move up or down in line with the value of your home – including any increase or decrease in those 5 years.

You are allowed a 6 week grace period at the 5-year mark to give you time, if needed, to arrange a remortgage and pay off your boost.

This means if the value of the property has increased at the 5-year mark, you can still repay the original amount of the boost up until 5 years and 6 weeks after the start of the loan.

However, if the value of the property has fallen, the amount you owe will decrease straight away at exactly 5 years, meaning you could repay less than you originally borrowed right away.

End of year Assumed house price growth Property value Boost balance (assuming no repayments)
Year 1 +2% £200,000 £30,000
Year 2 +2% £204,000 £30,000
Year 3 +2% £208,080 £30,000
Year 4 +2% £212,242 £30,000
Year 5 +2% £216,486 £30,000
Year 6 +2% £220,816 £33,122
Year 7 +2% £225,232 £33,785
Year 8 +2% £229,737 £34,461