House affordability calculator

A house isn't just the mortgage or rent. Add the bills, the upkeep and the upfront costs to see what a home really costs each month.

I'm looking to

The home & mortgage

Property price
Deposit
Mortgage rate
Mortgage term
£

Running costs / month

£
£
£
£
£
Upkeep & repairs (per year)
A common rule of thumb is about 1% of the property's value a year.
£
Real monthly cost
£0
Mortgage payment
£0
Cash needed upfront
£0

Tip: with PocketSorted Assistant you save these once and every calculator fills them in for you.

Your money

£
After tax — what actually lands in your account. Add a partner's if it's a joint decision.
£
Optional — lenders often lend around 4 to 4.5 times this. We'll flag if the mortgage looks high.

Your other outgoings

£
Energy, groceries, phone, loans, cards — and those little subscriptions that add up.
£
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Estimates only. Stamp Duty Land Tax uses the England & Northern Ireland rates from 1 April 2025 (including first-time buyer relief and the 5% surcharge on additional properties) — always check the latest figures on GOV.UK. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) have their own rates, so enter your figure. Lender criteria vary. This isn't financial or mortgage advice.

How much does a house really cost each month?

The real monthly cost of a home is the mortgage or rent plus council tax (rates in Northern Ireland), energy, water, broadband, insurance and upkeep. This free UK calculator adds them up, works out stamp duty and the cash you need upfront, and shows what is left from your take-home pay.

Worked example

A £250,000 home in England or Northern Ireland, 10% deposit, 4.5% mortgage over 25 years:

Deposit£25,000
Mortgage£225,000
Mortgage payment£1,251 a month
Council tax, energy, water, broadband, insurance£415 a month
Upkeep (1% of the price a year)£208 a month
Real monthly cost£1,874 a month
Stamp duty — first-time buyer£0
Stamp duty — home mover£2,500
Cash needed upfront (first-time buyer)£27,800

The mortgage is about £1,251 a month, but with bills and upkeep the home really costs about £1,874 a month. These are the calculator's starting figures — change them above for your own answer.

How does the house calculator work?

  1. Choose Buy or Rent.
  2. Buying: enter the price, deposit, mortgage rate and term. The payment uses the standard capital-and-repayment mortgage formula.
  3. Stamp duty is worked out for England and Northern Ireland using the GOV.UK rates for first-time buyers, home movers and additional properties. Buying in Scotland (LBTT) or Wales (LTT)? Enter the figure from the official calculator linked below.
  4. Renting: enter the monthly rent and the deposit in weeks of rent.
  5. Add your bills and an upkeep allowance (1% of the price a year to start with), then your take-home pay for a verdict and a check on how many times your income you'd be borrowing.

House calculator questions

How much stamp duty will I pay in England or Northern Ireland?

Home movers pay 0% up to £125,000, 2% from £125,001 to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% from £300,001 to £500,000, as long as the price is £500,000 or less. Additional properties pay 5% on top. Check GOV.UK before you buy.

How much can I borrow for a mortgage?

Lenders look at your income, outgoings and credit history. Many lend around four to four and a half times income, and some go higher in certain cases. The calculator flags a mortgage above 4.5 times your gross income as one that may need a bigger deposit. A mortgage broker can tell you what lenders would actually offer.

Does it work in Scotland and Wales?

The monthly costs do. Stamp duty does not apply there: Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Wales has Land Transaction Tax, so enter your figure from the official calculators linked below.

Why include upkeep?

Homes need repairs and replacements — boilers, roofs, windows, decorating. A common rule of thumb is to allow about 1% of the property value a year. You can set it anywhere from 0% to 3%.

How big is a tenancy deposit?

In England, the most a landlord can take is five weeks' rent if the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent if it is £50,000 to £100,000. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Sources and assumptions

Figures and rates last reviewed 9 October 2026. PocketSorted gives estimates and guidance, not regulated financial advice.