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How Much Can I Borrow?

Core · /how-much-can-i-borrow

Compare maximum borrowing across 57 UK lenders from your income, deposit and circumstances.

How It Works

Core · /how-it-works

About

Core · /about

About the Author

Core · /author/phillip-wakeling-smith

Contact

Core · /contact

All Guides

Core · /guides

Complete UK Buying Journey

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey

Pillar guide — 11 stages, typical timelines, and what to do at each.

Buying a Home Checklist

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-checklist

Tick-list for all 11 stages — documents, costs, and what goes wrong at each.

Getting Mortgage Ready

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/mortgage-ready

Credit file, deposit, clearing debt — 1, 3 and 6-month readiness plans.

Decision in Principle (DIP)

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/decision-in-principle

What a DIP is, soft vs hard searches, how long it lasts.

Making an Offer

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/making-an-offer

How low to offer, negotiation tactics, gazumping and gazundering.

Mortgage Application: Documents & Underwriting

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/mortgage-application

Documents, underwriting, valuation, timelines — what really happens when you apply.

Exchange & Completion

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/exchange-and-completion

Exchange vs completion, completion statement, completion day.

Your First Weeks in a New Home

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/first-weeks

Council tax, utilities, insurance, and long-term planning.

Buying a New Build

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/new-build

Reservation, incentives, mortgage offer expiry, completion deadlines.

New Build Incentives

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/new-build-incentives

What to negotiate, when to push, and how LTV is affected.

New Build Snagging

The Buying Journey · /guides/buying-a-home-journey/new-build-snagging

Room-by-room checklist, NHBC claims, how to escalate.

How Affordability Is Calculated

Affordability Explained · /guides/how-mortgage-affordability-is-calculated

Income multiples, stress testing, typical borrowing by salary — how lenders decide.

Mortgage Income Multiples Explained

Affordability Explained · /guides/mortgage-income-multiples-explained

The standard 4.49x cap, how lenders reach 5x, 6x and 7x, and who qualifies.

FCA Mortgage Rule Changes 2026

Affordability Explained · /guides/fca-mortgage-rule-changes-2026

CP26/18 explained — what's proposed for the self-employed, past credit problems, and interest-only.

Will Stamp Duty Be Replaced?

Affordability Explained · /guides/stamp-duty-replacement-budget-2026

What Burnham actually said about the October 2026 Budget, and what it could mean for buyers.

How Mortgage Repayments Are Calculated

Affordability Explained · /guides/how-mortgage-repayments-are-calculated

The formula, a worked example, and how rate and term move the payment.

Lender Income Multiples Compared

Affordability Explained · /guides/lender-income-multiples

4.5× vs 5× vs 5.5× vs 6× — which lenders go where.

How Deposit Size Affects Borrowing

Affordability Explained · /guides/deposit-size-mortgage-borrowing

Thresholds, LTV tiers, and when a bigger deposit unlocks better rates.

Affordability with Debt

Affordability Explained · /guides/mortgage-affordability-with-debt

Credit cards, loans, car finance — how each affects your maximum.

Mortgage Declined on Affordability?

Affordability Explained · /guides/mortgage-declined-affordability

What to do next — including whether another lender's criteria fit better.

DIP Came in Lower Than Expected?

Affordability Explained · /guides/dip-lower-than-expected

Why generic calculators can overshoot, and what to do next.

Childcare Costs & Your Mortgage

Affordability Explained · /guides/childcare-costs-mortgage-affordability

How nursery fees change your maximum — and why lenders differ so much.

First-Time Buyer Affordability

Buyer Situations · /guides/first-time-buyer-affordability

What's different for FTBs, stamp duty relief, income multiples.

First-Time Buyer Schemes

Buyer Situations · /guides/first-time-buyer-schemes

Lifetime ISA, First Homes, Shared Ownership, Right to Buy, Freedom to Buy.

First Homes Scheme 2026

Buyer Situations · /guides/first-homes-scheme

Is it still available after the 2026 planning changes? Rules, resale and which lenders accept it.

Discount Market Sale Homes

Buyer Situations · /guides/discount-market-sale

The 20% minimum discount, how council schemes differ, and which lenders accept them.

Freedom to Buy: 5% Deposit Mortgages

Buyer Situations · /guides/freedom-to-buy

The permanent 95% mortgage guarantee scheme — who qualifies and how.

Shared Ownership Affordability

Buyer Situations · /guides/shared-ownership-affordability

Mortgage + rent + service charge — how the two-stage assessment works.

Shared Ownership Rent

Buyer Situations · /guides/shared-ownership-rent

How the rent is set, how much it can rise each year, and what staircasing does to it.

Selling a Shared Ownership Home

Buyer Situations · /guides/selling-shared-ownership

The nomination period, the valuation, the costs, and selling after you staircase.

Mortgages for High Earners

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgages-for-high-earners

Income multiples up to 6.5x, professional and private-bank mortgages, bonus and RSU income.

UK Mortgages for British Expats

Buyer Situations · /guides/expat-mortgage-uk

Who counts as an expat, FX haircuts on foreign income, deposit expectations by country.

Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP)

Buyer Situations · /guides/joint-borrower-sole-proprietor

Parents on the mortgage, child on the title — no 5% SDLT surcharge.

Gifted Deposits Complete Guide

Buyer Situations · /guides/gifted-deposits

Who can gift, how much, the letter, and inheritance tax rules.

Mortgages in Later Life

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgages-later-in-life

Over-50s, 60s, 70s — standard and retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages.

UK Mortgages for Foreign Nationals

Buyer Situations · /guides/foreign-nationals-mortgage

Visa holders without ILR — Skilled Worker, Spouse, Global Talent.

Expat Mortgage With No UK Credit History

Buyer Situations · /guides/expat-no-uk-credit-history

Why your UK file fades abroad, how expat lenders assess without it, and what to keep alive.

Stamp Duty for Expats

Buyer Situations · /guides/expat-stamp-duty

The 2% non-resident surcharge, the 183-day test, and when a refund is possible.

Contractor & Self-Employed Expat Mortgages

Buyer Situations · /guides/expat-contractor-mortgage

Day rates, dividends and retained profit assessed on top of expat criteria.

Expat Mortgage Documents

Buyer Situations · /guides/expat-mortgage-documents

Certified copies, translations and deposit source evidence — the expat paperwork layer.

Which Lenders Accept Benefits?

Buyer Situations · /guides/which-lenders-accept-benefits

Universal Credit, DLA, PIP, and other benefit income.

Property Types Accepted by Lenders

Buyer Situations · /guides/property-types-accepted

Non-standard construction, ex-council, above-commercial and more.

Mortgage on Probation — Lender Pool

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-on-probation

47 of the 74 lenders whose published criteria cover probation accept it as standard with a signed permanent contract.

Mortgage on Maternity Leave

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-on-maternity-leave

Which lenders use your return-to-work salary vs SMP — lender-by-lender.

Mortgage After Separation or Divorce

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-after-separation

Buying out an ex, transfer of equity, maintenance as income.

100% LTV & Guarantor Mortgages Compared

Buyer Situations · /guides/100-ltv-guarantor-mortgages

Track Record, JBSP, Springboard, Family Assist, Income Booster.

Mortgage After an IVA

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-after-iva

Timelines, deposit tiers, and the lenders that consider completed IVAs.

Mortgage After Bankruptcy

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-after-bankruptcy

How soon after discharge you can borrow — and from whom.

Mortgages With a Debt Management Plan

Buyer Situations · /guides/mortgage-with-debt-management-plan

Active and completed DMPs — acceptance, affordability impact, deposits.

Should I Pay Off My Default?

Buyer Situations · /guides/should-i-pay-off-my-default

Satisfied vs unsatisfied — how many more lenders open up, from published criteria.

Check Eligibility Without a Credit Check

Buyer Situations · /guides/check-mortgage-eligibility-without-credit-check

Soft vs hard searches, what leaves a footprint, and how to see your borrowing range with no search at all.

Which Lenders Use Retained Profit?

Buyer Situations · /guides/which-lenders-use-retained-profit

Named lenders for salary + net profit vs dividends, and the few with a published retained-profit policy.

Bad Credit Mortgage Calculator

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator

Which lenders accept defaults, CCJs, DMPs, IVAs and bankruptcy — and at what borrowing level.

Mortgage with a CCJ

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/ccj

Which lenders accept County Court Judgments, and the deposit and age rules.

Mortgage with Defaults

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/defaults

Satisfied vs unsatisfied defaults — published lender criteria and deposit tiers.

Mortgage with Missed Payments

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/missed-payments

Mortgage arrears vs missed unsecured payments — what lenders allow.

Bankruptcy Mortgage Lenders

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/bankruptcy

Which lenders accept discharged bankrupts, by years since discharge.

Mortgage With an IVA

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/iva

Active and completed IVAs — lender criteria, timeframes and LTV caps.

Mortgage with a DMP

Bad Credit & Adverse Mortgages · /bad-credit-mortgage-calculator/dmp

Active or completed Debt Management Plans — acceptance and affordability impact.

Porting Your Mortgage

Sellers & Movers · /guides/porting-your-mortgage

Keep your rate when moving — how it works, top-up rates, ERC refunds.

Let-to-Buy

Sellers & Movers · /guides/let-to-buy

Keep your current home as a rental while buying a new residence.

Remortgage Affordability

Sellers & Movers · /guides/remortgage-affordability

How remortgaging works and when to do it.

Mortgage Affordability in 2026

Sellers & Movers · /guides/mortgage-affordability-2026

Latest base rate, LTI limits, and stress testing changes.

Buy-to-Let Affordability

Buy-to-Let & Landlords · /guides/buy-to-let-mortgage-affordability

ICR, stress rates, portfolio landlord rules.

BTL: Limited Company vs Personal Name

Buy-to-Let & Landlords · /guides/buy-to-let-limited-company-vs-personal

Section 24, ICR stress differences, SPV lenders — how the two structures compare.

First-Time Landlord Mortgages

Buy-to-Let & Landlords · /guides/first-time-landlord-mortgage

Criteria, deposits and rental cover when you've never let before.

Remortgaging a Buy-to-Let to Residential

Buy-to-Let & Landlords · /guides/remortgage-buy-to-let-to-residential

Moving into your rental — the affordability test flips from rent to income.

How to Apply for a Mortgage

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/how-to-apply-for-a-mortgage

The full process from first checks to completion, step by step.

Property Survey Guide (RICS L1/L2/L3)

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/property-survey-guide

Which survey level to choose, costs, how to renegotiate.

Down-Valuation Survival Guide

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/down-valuation

When the lender values below your offer — your 5 options.

Why Some Properties Are 'Unmortgageable'

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/unmortgageable-properties

Cladding/EWS1, flats above shops, short lease, flying freehold.

Lenders Accepting Ex-Council & High-Rise Flats

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/which-lenders-accept-ex-council-high-rise-flats

Storey caps, LPS construction and fire-safety rules — lender by lender, from published criteria.

Estate Agent Offering Their In-House Broker? Your Rights

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/estate-agent-in-house-broker

Estate Agents Act 1979 — conditional selling is a prohibited practice.

Mortgage Application Documents Checklist

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/mortgage-application-documents

Every document lenders ask for, by applicant type — plus a printable checklist.

Changing Jobs Mid-Application

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/changing-jobs-during-mortgage-application

When a new job offer helps vs hurts your pending mortgage.

Made Redundant Mid-Purchase

Home Buying Essentials · /guides/made-redundant-during-mortgage

Disclosure duty, legal position, and the options that save the deal.

Paying Off Your Mortgage Early

After Completion · /guides/paying-off-mortgage-early

Overpayments, shorter terms, offset mortgages — what works.

Remortgaging as an Expat

After Completion · /guides/expat-remortgage

Deal ending while you live abroad — product transfer vs full remortgage, and rented-out homes.

£150k mortgage

Salary Needed by Mortgage Amount · /what-salary-for-a-150k-mortgage

£250k mortgage

Salary Needed by Mortgage Amount · /what-salary-for-a-250k-mortgage

£300k mortgage

Salary Needed by Mortgage Amount · /what-salary-for-a-300k-mortgage

£500k mortgage

Salary Needed by Mortgage Amount · /what-salary-for-a-500k-mortgage

£1m mortgage

Salary Needed by Mortgage Amount · /what-salary-for-a-1m-mortgage

Expat Mortgages UK — Country Guides & Calculator

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages

Expat Mortgage Calculator

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgage-calculator

For British expats buying or remortgaging a UK home: which of the lenders we track accept overseas income, and what they could lend.

Expat Buy-to-Let Mortgage Calculator

Expat Mortgages · /expat-buy-to-let-mortgage-calculator

Which expat-friendly lenders offer buy-to-let from abroad, and what the rent supports.

UAE Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/united-arab-emirates

Singapore Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/singapore

Hong Kong Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/hong-kong

Australia Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/australia

United States Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/united-states

Canada Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/canada

Switzerland Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/switzerland

New Zealand Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/new-zealand

Saudi Arabia Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/saudi-arabia

Qatar Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/qatar

Spain Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/spain

Ireland Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/ireland

France Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/france

Portugal Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/portugal

Cyprus Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/cyprus

Italy Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/italy

South Africa Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/south-africa

Oman Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/oman

Kuwait Expat Mortgages

Expat Mortgages · /expat-mortgages/kuwait

Move Timeline Tool

Decision Tools · /move-timeline

An estimated week-by-week timeline from offer to keys for a purchase in England and Wales.

All Calculators & Tools

Calculators · /calculators

Mortgage Repayment Calculator

Calculators · /mortgage-repayment-calculator

Monthly cost by loan size, rate and term, with total interest and a rate comparison.

Stamp Duty Calculator

Calculators · /stamp-duty-calculator

Stamp duty for England and Northern Ireland, Land Transaction Tax for Wales and LBTT for Scotland, including first-time buyer relief.

Buying Costs Calculator

Calculators · /buying-costs-calculator

The full cost of buying — stamp duty, legals, survey, moving — so completion day holds no surprises.

Adverse Credit Timeline

Calculators · /adverse-credit-timeline

When historic credit issues stop affecting mortgage eligibility, event by event, lender by lender.

Self-Employed Income Calculator

Calculators · /self-employed-income-calculator

See how each lender is likely to assess your income — sole trader, director or CIS.

Shared Ownership Mortgage Calculator

Calculators · /shared-ownership-mortgage-calculator

What lenders could lend on your share, with rent and service charge counted.

Shared Ownership Mortgage Calculator — London

Calculators · /shared-ownership-mortgage-calculator/london

The same check for London, where the household income cap is £90,000 rather than £80,000.

Shared Ownership Calculator — True Cost & Staircasing

Calculators · /shared-ownership-staircasing-calculator

Rent, service charge and mortgage year by year, what staircasing changes, and how it compares with buying outright or renting.

First Homes & Discount Market Sale Calculator

Calculators · /first-homes-calculator

The discounted price, your loan and LTV on both bases, with the First Homes price cap, income cap and 50% mortgage checks.

Pension Contributions Calculator

Calculators · /pension-contributions-mortgage-calculator

Some lenders ignore pension contributions, some deduct them — see what yours do to your maximum.

Car Finance Mortgage Calculator

Calculators · /car-finance-mortgage-calculator

Every £1/month of PCP or HP typically costs £50–£65 or £120–£160 off your maximum borrowing, depending on how the lender assesses it. Work out your figure.

How Much Deposit Do I Need?

Calculators · /how-much-deposit-do-i-need

The deposit staircase — how each extra 5% deposit changes your maximum property price, not just your rate.

Buy-to-Let Mortgage Calculator

Calculators · /btl-mortgage-calculator

Rental-income based buy-to-let borrowing, with stress rates and interest coverage ratios explained.

Stamp duty on a £250k house

Stamp Duty by House Price · /stamp-duty-calculator/250k-house

Stamp duty on a £350k house

Stamp Duty by House Price · /stamp-duty-calculator/350k-house

Stamp duty on a £500k house

Stamp Duty by House Price · /stamp-duty-calculator/500k-house

Stamp duty on a £600k house

Stamp Duty by House Price · /stamp-duty-calculator/600k-house

Stamp duty on a £700k house

Stamp Duty by House Price · /stamp-duty-calculator/700k-house

£50k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/50k-mortgage

£100k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/100k-mortgage

£150k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/150k-mortgage

£200k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/200k-mortgage

£250k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/250k-mortgage

£300k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/300k-mortgage

£400k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/400k-mortgage

£500k mortgage repayments

Repayments by Mortgage Amount · /mortgage-repayment-calculator/500k-mortgage

5x salary mortgage

Income Multiples · /5-times-salary-mortgage

6x salary mortgage

Income Multiples · /6-times-salary-mortgage

All Lender Questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions

Employment questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/employment

Residency questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/residency

Deposit questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/deposit

Property questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/property

Income questions

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/income

Which lenders accept 1 year of self-employed accounts?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/employment/self-employed-one-year-accounts

Which lenders lend on a Skilled Worker visa?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/residency/skilled-worker-visa

Which lenders lend on a flat above a takeaway or shop?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/property/flat-above-takeaway

Which lenders lend on a zero-hours contract?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/employment/zero-hours

Which lenders lend if I've been in the UK <2 years?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/residency/less-than-2-years-in-uk

Which lenders accept a non-family gifted deposit?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/deposit/gifted-non-family

Which lenders allow a concessionary purchase?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/deposit/concessionary-purchase

Which lenders accept dividend income for Ltd directors?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/income/dividend-income

Which lenders count lodger or rental income?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/income/lodger-rental-income

Which lenders lend on non-standard construction?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/property/non-standard-construction

Which lenders lend on high-rise flats?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/property/high-rise-flats

Which lenders accept umbrella company contractors?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/employment/umbrella-company

Which lenders accept CIS contractors?

Lender Questions · /lender-questions/employment/cis-contractors

UK Mortgage Rates Update

Market Data & Research · /rates-update

UK Mortgage Affordability Index

Market Data & Research · /affordability-index

UK Mortgage Affordability Statistics

Market Data & Research · /affordability-index/statistics

Privacy Policy

Legal · /privacy

Cookie Policy

Legal · /cookies

Terms of Service

Legal · /terms