Let's be honest, the unit blocks have charm. No bills, no landlord, and everything is 200 metres away. But at some point, most of us want a place that's actually ours. Somewhere we can paint a wall without asking permission. Somewhere that builds equity instead of memories of someone else's feet.

The good news is that the military actually gives you some serious firepower to get there, if you know where to look.

Forces Help to Buy (FHTB): An Interest-Free Loan From the MoD

The Forces Help to Buy scheme is one of the most under-used benefits in the military. Here's the short version:

The MoD will lend you up to 50% of your annual salary, capped at £25,000, completely interest-free. You can use it for your deposit, legal fees, or other buying costs. It's repaid over up to 10 years through your pay, so the monthly hit is manageable.

To be eligible you need to:

  • Be a regular (not a reservist)
  • Have completed a minimum of 2 years' service
  • Have at least 6 months left to serve when you apply
  • Not be under notice of discharge or have outstanding disciplinary issues

You apply through JPA. It's not complicated, your salary in, so the system can calculate exactly what you're entitled to. If you're unsure with anything, ask an oppo, or go to your UPO/PSA/SPC.

One detail that catches people out: the FHTB loan isn't secured against your home, so lenders don't treat it like a second mortgage, but they do count the monthly repayment as an outgoing when they work out what they'll lend you. It's interest-free, but it still comes out of your pay, so it can trim your maximum mortgage a little. Factor it in rather than getting caught out at the application stage.

The LISA: A 25% Bonus on Your Savings

A Lifetime ISA (LISA) is a savings account with a twist: the government adds a 25% bonus on everything you put in, up to £4,000 per tax year. That's up to £1,000 in free money every year, just for saving.

Open one, put in £4,000, and by the end of the tax year you've got £5,000. Do that for four years and the government has handed you £4,000 you didn't have to earn.

The rules:

  • You must be aged 18-39 to open one
  • You can only deposit up to £4k per tax year (April to April)
  • The property must cost £450,000 or less
  • It must be your first home
  • You must buy with a mortgage (not cash)
  • There's a 25% penalty if you withdraw for any other reason, so don't touch it unless you're buying

LISAs are offered by a range of providers, including Moneybox, Tembo, AJ Bell and Nutmeg, with a mix of cash and stocks & shares versions. Rates, fees and features vary, so compare a few before you pick one. Remember that a stocks & shares LISA can go down in value as well as up.

Quick heads-up: the government plans to replace the LISA with a new First Time Buyer ISA. No launch date has been confirmed yet, though April 2028 is widely expected. Nothing changes if you already have one; you can keep contributing. If you're 18-39 and haven't opened one yet, bear in mind you can't open one after your 40th birthday, and existing LISAs carry on regardless of what replaces them.

Want to see what the bonus adds up to for you? Try the LISA Bonus Calculator in the Armoury.

Stacking Them Together

Here's where it gets interesting. You can use both at the same time, and many lenders will accept a FHTB loan and a LISA as part of your deposit. Check with your lender or broker, as some have their own rules.

A worked example:

Lance Corporal, 24 years old, salary £28,000.

  • FHTB loan: up to £14,000 (50% of salary)
  • LISA: £8,000 saved over 2 tax years + £2,000 government bonus = £10,000
  • Combined deposit power: £24,000, of which only £8,000 came out of your own pocket
  • Buying as a couple? You can each open a LISA and combine them, doubling the bonus.

That's not a bad starting position for a first home in most parts of the UK outside London.

To see what a deposit like that could buy on your salary, and what the monthly payments would look like, run your own numbers through the Mortgage Affordability Calculator. It has Forces Help to Buy built in.

A Few Things to Think About

Posting. This is the big one. Look into what your units maximum commuting distance is, anything over that and you likely won't receive HTD (Home To Duty (fuel pay)), and you may even be refused to commute.

SLA vs mortgage. While you're in Single Living, costs are low. That's actually a superpower, use the gap between your SLA charge and what a mortgage would cost to build your LISA and savings pot. Treat it like you're already paying a mortgage. Common Sense Isn't That Common covers how I split my pay each month to make that happen.

Your credit score. Before any lender looks at your deposit, they'll look at your credit file. Check yours well before you apply, and read The Invisible Number if you're not sure where you stand. Got car finance or other debts that will eat into what a lender offers? Borrowing Without the Bite covers moving them somewhere cheaper.

Get a Forces-friendly mortgage broker. Not all lenders understand military pay, specialist pay, LOA, LSSA, or the fact your employment situation doesn't fit a standard application. A broker who specialises in forces mortgages will know which lenders play ball. Whoever you use, check they're authorised on the FCA Register.

The Bottom Line

The MoD gives you an interest-free loan. The government gives you a 25% savings bonus. Most of your mates aren't using either of them.

If a LISA fits your plans, £1 is enough to open one, and you can only open one before you turn 40. Check your FHTB eligibility on JPA when you're ready to buy.

The unit blocks will always be there. Your window to use these schemes won't be.