THE government Help to Buy Scheme has given out almost 3000 loans in Wiltshire since its launch in 2013, making in England's second biggest loan hotspot.

The county has come in second place for the most loans given, where the average price for a new-build home is £333,760. In first place was Wakefield in West Yorkshire, where the average house price for a new home stands at £221,740.

The figures have been released by property portal Zoopla to mark the launch of their new Help to Buy calculator, which empowers first-time buyers to understand their affordability for the government scheme.

Laura Howard, Consumer Expert at Zoopla, said: “Whilst it might be presumed that first-time buyers only use Help to Buy in markets with stretched affordability such as London, our analysis shows that its popularity, in fact, spans the entire country.

“With Zoopla’s also recently revealing that Help to Buy has enabled a number of first- time buyers to get onto the ladder with larger, more desirable properties, it is likely that the scheme will remain popular.

"With this in mind, Zoopla’s new calculator enables those who are actively considering using Help to Buy both to understand the process and their own affordability before searching for their ideal home.”

By entering their household income, preferred mortgage term and interest rate, Zoopla’s Help to Buy calculator allows first-time buyers to work out how much is required for the five per cent deposit, as well as their maximum affordability, estimated monthly mortgage repayment, and the monthly charges they will face after five years.