Housing quango Homes England has extended the practical-completion deadline for people looking to take part in the government’s Help to Buy equity loan scheme, to take account of delays to the sector caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Buyers hoping to secure a 20% government loan in lieu of a deposit, based on the value of a new-build home, were required to complete their transactions with developers by February 28 ahead of the Help to Buy scheme’s end on March 31.

But Homes England has now written to participating housebuilders extending the practical-completion deadline to the end of March, which remains the legal completion deadline for the scheme – due to be replaced with a new offer exclusively for first-time buyers from the start of April.

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