Joint mortgagesIf you’re struggling to borrow enough to get onto the property ladder, one way to raise a larger deposit and get a bigger mortgage is to buy a home with your partner or with one or more friends or family members. You can take out a joint mortgage as joint tenants, which means all parties own an equal share of the property, or as tenants in common, with which the split can be calculated based on how much each person puts in. Either way, it’s a good idea to seek independent legal advice before taking out a joint mortgage to make sure you all agree on what happens to the property should one of you want to sell or leave. Shared ownershipIf you’re a first-time buyer earning less than £80,000 a year (or £90,000 in London), you could be eligible for a shared ownership mortgage. With this type of home loan, you buy a percentage of a property – say 25% and pay rent on the rest. This can be a good option if you only have a small deposit, as you only have to find say 10% of the value of the share you buy. You can often increase the share of the property you own when it becomes affordable, while stamp duty can usually be deferred until you own 80%. Guarantor mortgages A guarantor mortgage is another way to take out a larger mortgage for your first home. With a mortgage of this kind, the guarantor – most likely a parent or close family member – promises to cover the mortgage repayments if you cannot. Although the guarantor’s name won’t go on the property deeds, it’s still a good idea to seek independent legal advice before asking someone to guarantee your mortgage – just to make sure everyone understands the rules. 100% mortgages  Mortgages that allow you to borrow the full value of the property are rare and come with strict eligibility criteria, such as proving the average rent you’ve been paying for six months or more exceeds the potential mortgage repayments. There is also an increased risk of negative equity, which means that if the price of the property were to fall, you may owe more to the lender than the property is worth. This can prove problematic if you want to move.