How do you have a mortgage when you said in another post that you were in an IVA?
I've purchased with my gf. Mortgage is in her name alone until my IVA ends, then I will be added on.
She pays the mortgage, I pay for all bills and food, balances it out.
This is another reason why the scheme works.
If you still live at home with you parents, then sucking it up and saving like mad is the best way to get your own place, but it isn't an option for many people.
Renting a room in a houseshare was only marginally cheaper than the mortgage on our OWN place, but we didn't have the 30% deposit needed. The mortgage offer was only based on my gf's earnings, due to my IVA.
The HBD scheme meant that we were able to use it to cover 25% of the 30% needed as a 'deposit', so we only actually paid 5% deposit.
In 3 years time my IVA is wiped, and we can either re-mortgage with me included to staircase, or sell up, and get a new place with my earnings factored in to the mortgage.
We aren't trying to make money, we're just trying to stop wasting it by way of renting in London, thereby giving us greater purchasing power for our next place.