RICS valuations for Help to Buy – Wales equity loans on new builds under £300,000
Cardiff sits at the centre of Wales\'s new build market, with major developments at Plasdŵr in the north-west, Central Quay in Cardiff Bay, and smaller schemes across Radyr, Lisvane, and St Mellons. The Welsh Government\'s Help to Buy – Wales scheme provides equity loans of up to 20% for new-build homes priced below £300,000, and the scheme has been extended to September 2026. When you staircase to increase your ownership share, redeem the loan when selling, or make any changes to the equity arrangement, you need an independent RICS valuation. Ordering a Help to Buy Valuation through Homemove connects you with RICS-qualified surveyors who understand Cardiff\'s new build market and deliver valuations compliant with Welsh Government requirements.
£268,000
Average House Price
603
HTB Wales Purchases (2024-25)
Wales-wide completions
From £330
Help to Buy Valuation Cost
Cardiff pricing
£300,000
HTB Wales Property Cap
Maximum purchase price
Help to Buy – Wales is a Welsh Government shared equity loan scheme available until September 2026. The scheme allows buyers to purchase new-build homes up to £300,000 with a 5% deposit, a mortgage covering up to 75% of the price, and a government equity loan of up to 20%. The equity loan is interest-free for the first five years, after which annual interest charges apply based on the Retail Price Index plus 1.75%. Cardiff, Bridgend, and the Vale of Glamorgan have seen 4,000 Help to Buy purchases between them since the scheme launched, with developments at Plasdŵr, Central Quay, and Atlantic Wharf providing the majority of eligible stock. A RICS Help to Buy Valuation is mandatory whenever you staircase, redeem the loan, or sell the property, as it determines how much you owe the Welsh Government based on current market value.
The valuation must be carried out by a RICS-qualified surveyor who is independent of the developer, the buyer, and the Welsh Government. The surveyor inspects the property internally, assesses the specification and finish quality, and compares the home to at least three similar properties that have sold recently within a two-mile radius. For Cardiff new builds, the comparables will typically be drawn from the same development or nearby schemes with similar construction dates and specifications. The completed valuation report must be on headed paper, signed and dated by the surveyor, and formatted as a PDF ready to submit to the Welsh Government\'s Help to Buy agent. This is not a mortgage valuation or a survey — it is a Red Book valuation prepared specifically for the equity loan calculation.
Cardiff\'s new build market sits below the £300,000 cap in most areas outside the city centre. Typical Help to Buy properties in Plasdŵr, Radyr, and Lisvane are three- and four-bedroom houses priced between £220,000 and £295,000, while Cardiff Bay apartments at Central Quay and Atlantic Wharf range from £180,000 to £280,000 for one- and two-bedroom units. The Welsh Government calculates the equity loan as a percentage of the purchase price, so if you bought a £250,000 home with a 20% equity loan, the government holds a £50,000 stake. When you staircase or sell, the valuation establishes the current property value, and the repayment amount is recalculated as 20% of that new figure. Your surveyor\'s report is the only basis the Welsh Government will accept for this calculation.
Source: Estimated distribution of Cardiff new build stock eligible for Help to Buy – Wales based on major development mix.
Help to Buy – Wales is administered separately from the English scheme and has different rules. The Welsh Government scheme is available on new builds up to £300,000 and has been extended to September 2026, while the English scheme closed in March 2023. Welsh equity loans are capped at 20% of the purchase price, compared to 20% outside London and 40% in London under the old English scheme. When you need a Help to Buy Valuation in Cardiff, ensure your surveyor understands the Welsh Government requirements — the valuation format, comparable evidence standards, and submission process differ from English Help to Buy valuations. Using a Wales-based RICS surveyor familiar with Cardiff's new build market ensures your valuation meets all Welsh Government criteria.
| Valuation Type | Cardiff | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help to Buy Valuation | From £330 | From £350 | -£20 |
| Shared Ownership Valuation | From £290 | From £310 | -£20 |
| Independent Valuation | From £340 | From £367 | -£27 |
Help to Buy Valuation
Cardiff
From £330
National Avg
From £350
Difference
-£20
Shared Ownership Valuation
Cardiff
From £290
National Avg
From £310
Difference
-£20
Independent Valuation
Cardiff
From £340
National Avg
From £367
Difference
-£27
Prices based on a standard new build property under £300,000. Cardiff pricing is slightly below the national average, reflecting Welsh property values.
The RICS-qualified surveyors we work with in Cardiff have direct experience with the Welsh Government\'s Help to Buy – Wales scheme and understand the local new build market. They know the major developments at Plasdŵr, Central Quay, and Atlantic Wharf, can source comparable sales evidence from Land Registry for Cardiff postcodes, and are familiar with the property types, specifications, and pricing that characterise the city\'s Help to Buy stock. Your valuation report will be prepared to Welsh Government standards, formatted correctly, and delivered within the timeframe you need for staircasing or redemption.
Enter the property details — address, property type, purchase price, and number of bedrooms. You'll receive a price straight away. Book and pay online, and we'll arrange access to the property with you or the current occupier within 24 hours.
A local RICS-qualified surveyor visits the property to carry out the internal inspection. For a typical Cardiff new build — a three-bedroom house at Plasdŵr or a two-bedroom apartment in Cardiff Bay — the inspection takes 45 to 90 minutes. The surveyor measures rooms, assesses the specification and condition, photographs key features, and gathers the information needed to complete the valuation report.
The completed valuation report is delivered within 5 to 7 working days. It includes the property description, comparable sales evidence, the surveyor\'s market valuation, and full RICS Red Book compliance. The report is on headed paper, signed and dated, and supplied as a PDF ready to submit to the Welsh Government\'s Help to Buy agent. Our team can talk you through the valuation and explain how the equity repayment calculation works.
Staircasing allows you to buy out part or all of the Welsh Government's equity loan, increasing your ownership share and reducing future interest charges. You can staircase at any time after the first year of ownership, in increments as small as 10% or as large as 100%. The amount you pay is based on the current market value, not the original purchase price — so if your Cardiff property has appreciated, you will pay more to buy the same percentage share. A RICS Help to Buy Valuation establishes the current value, and the Welsh Government calculates the staircasing payment as the relevant percentage of that figure. If your Plasdŵr house was worth £250,000 when you bought it and is now valued at £275,000, buying an additional 20% share will cost £55,000 (20% of £275,000), not £50,000. The valuation must be carried out within three months of the staircasing transaction.
Cardiff has the highest concentration of new build activity in Wales. Plasdŵr in the north-west is the largest development, spanning 900 acres and planned to deliver 7,000 homes over the next 15 years, with schools, shops, parks, and transport infrastructure built into the masterplan. Major housebuilders including Redrow, Barratt, Bellway, and Persimmon have active phases underway, offering three- and four-bedroom houses priced between £220,000 and £295,000. Cardiff Bay has seen a second wave of regeneration, with Central Quay delivering over 1,000 flats in tall residential blocks, and Atlantic Wharf adding mixed-use development with an arena and hotel due to open in 2026. Smaller schemes in Radyr, Lisvane, St Mellons, and Pentwyn add to the city\'s new build supply, which totals several hundred completions per year.
Cardiff, Bridgend, and the Vale of Glamorgan together account for 4,000 Help to Buy purchases since the Welsh scheme began. The £300,000 price cap excludes some of Cardiff\'s city centre apartments, where one-bedroom flats in premium developments exceed the threshold, but the cap comfortably accommodates the majority of family houses at Plasdŵr and the suburbs. Help to Buy Valuations are most commonly required when buyers staircase after a few years of ownership, when the property has appreciated in value, or when selling and needing to redeem the equity loan. The Welsh Government calculates the repayment as a percentage of the current market value, so accurate, independent valuation is critical to ensuring you pay the correct amount and the transaction completes smoothly.
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With Cardiff\'s average house price at £268,000 and most Help to Buy properties priced between £220,000 and £295,000, a Help to Buy Valuation costing £330 to £450 represents a tiny fraction of the transaction value. Compare that to the financial implications of the valuation itself. If your Cardiff property has appreciated from £250,000 to £280,000 and you want to buy an additional 20% share, an accurate valuation saves you from overpaying or underpaying thousands. The Welsh Government calculates the staircasing payment based on the surveyor\'s valuation, so a £10,000 difference in the valuation figure translates to a £2,000 difference in what you pay for a 20% share. The valuation protects both you and the Welsh Government, ensuring the equity calculation is fair and based on independent professional assessment.
When you sell a Help to Buy property in Cardiff, the equity loan must be repaid before the sale completes. The Welsh Government is entitled to the same percentage share of the sale price as the original loan percentage. If you took a 20% equity loan and sell for £290,000, you owe £58,000 to redeem the loan. Your solicitor cannot complete the sale without the valuation report, and any delay in obtaining the report can hold up the entire transaction. Ordering the valuation early — as soon as you accept an offer or instruct your estate agent — ensures the report is ready when your solicitor needs it, avoiding completion delays that could cost you far more than the valuation fee.
Help to Buy Valuations in Cardiff start from around £330 for a standard new build property. Prices increase with property size and value — expect £350 to £450 for larger four-bedroom houses or properties approaching the £300,000 Help to Buy – Wales cap. Cardiff pricing sits slightly below the national average because Welsh property values are lower than the UK average, though the valuation process and RICS Red Book standards are identical. The fee covers the surveyor\'s site visit, internal inspection, comparable sales research, valuation calculation, and preparation of the compliant report on headed paper ready for submission to the Welsh Government.
No. Help to Buy – Wales is a separate scheme administered by the Welsh Government with different rules from the English scheme. The Welsh scheme is available on new builds up to £300,000 and has been extended to September 2026, while the English scheme closed in March 2023. Welsh equity loans are capped at 20% of the purchase price, compared to the 20% or 40% available under the English scheme. The interest-free period is five years in both schemes, but the Welsh Government uses a different agent to manage the loans and requires valuations to meet specific formatting and submission criteria. When ordering a Help to Buy Valuation in Cardiff, ensure your surveyor understands the Welsh Government requirements.
The on-site inspection for a Help to Buy Valuation in Cardiff takes 45 to 90 minutes depending on the property size. A typical three-bedroom house at Plasdŵr or a two-bedroom apartment in Cardiff Bay requires about an hour. The surveyor measures rooms, assesses the specification and condition, photographs key features, and gathers the information needed to complete the valuation. After the inspection, the surveyor researches comparable sales from Land Registry, prepares the valuation calculation, and writes the report. The completed valuation is delivered within 5 to 7 working days of the site visit. If you need the report urgently for a staircasing or redemption deadline, let us know when booking and we can arrange an expedited service.
Yes. Plasdŵr is Cardiff\'s largest new build development and one of the most active locations for Help to Buy – Wales purchases. The development offers three- and four-bedroom houses from multiple housebuilders including Redrow, Barratt, Bellway, and Persimmon, with prices typically between £220,000 and £295,000 — well within the £300,000 Help to Buy cap. When you staircase, sell, or redeem the equity loan on a Plasdŵr property, you need a RICS Help to Buy Valuation. The surveyor will compare your property to similar houses sold recently within Plasdŵr and nearby developments in Radyr and Lisvane, ensuring the valuation reflects the local new build market accurately.
If your Cardiff property has decreased in value since purchase, the Welsh Government\'s equity loan repayment is calculated as the same percentage of the lower current value. So if you bought a new build for £250,000 with a 20% equity loan (£50,000) and the property is now valued at £230,000, you would owe 20% of £230,000 — which is £46,000 — when redeeming the loan. This protects you from having to repay more than the loan is worth. The reverse is also true: if the property has appreciated to £280,000, you owe 20% of £280,000 (£56,000). The Help to Buy Valuation establishes the current market value using independent professional assessment and comparable sales evidence, ensuring the calculation is fair to both you and the Welsh Government.
Yes, if the apartment was purchased using Help to Buy – Wales. Cardiff Bay has seen significant new build activity at Central Quay and Atlantic Wharf, with one- and two-bedroom flats priced between £180,000 and £280,000. Many of these apartments are within the £300,000 Help to Buy cap and have been bought using the Welsh Government equity loan scheme. When you staircase to buy an additional ownership share, redeem the loan when selling, or make any changes to the equity arrangement, you need a RICS Help to Buy Valuation. The surveyor will compare your apartment to similar flats sold recently in Cardiff Bay and consider factors like floor level, views, specification, and access to parking and communal facilities.
You can staircase after the first year of ownership, at any point thereafter, in increments of at least 10% or up to 100%. The staircasing payment is based on the current market value of the property, so if Cardiff house prices have risen, you will pay more for the same percentage share than you would have at the original purchase price. You need a RICS Help to Buy Valuation carried out within three months of the staircasing transaction to establish the current value. The Welsh Government agent uses this valuation to calculate how much you owe to buy the additional equity share. Staircasing reduces the outstanding equity loan balance and the interest you pay on it, and you can staircase as many times as you like until you own 100%.
A Help to Buy Valuation is a RICS Red Book valuation prepared specifically for the Welsh Government to calculate the equity loan repayment or staircasing amount. It includes an internal inspection, comparable sales analysis, and a detailed written report on headed paper. A mortgage valuation is commissioned by the lender to confirm the property is adequate security for the loan — it is usually a desktop review or brief inspection with no detailed report provided to the buyer. When you staircase or redeem a Help to Buy equity loan in Cardiff, the Welsh Government requires a full RICS Red Book valuation, not a mortgage valuation. The two serve different purposes and cannot be used interchangeably. Your lender's mortgage valuation does not satisfy the Help to Buy requirement.
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Homemove is a trading name of HM Haus Group Ltd (Company No. 13873779, registered in England & Wales). Homemove Mortgages Ltd (Company No. 15947693) is an Appointed Representative of TMG Direct Limited, trading as TMG Mortgage Network, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 786245). Homemove Mortgages Ltd is entered on the FCA Register as an Appointed Representative (FRN 1022429). You can check registrations at NewRegister or by calling 0800 111 6768.
