Calculate How Much You Can Borrow
Work out how much you might be able to borrow with our free mortgage affordability calculator.
Enter your income below for an instant estimate of your potential borrowing power, based on typical UK lender criteria.
This tool is designed as a helpful starting point before you speak with a mortgage adviser. It gives you a quick idea of what may be affordable, so you can plan your next steps with more confidence. When you are ready for personalised advice, you can connect with a trusted mortgage adviser through our matching service or directory.
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
Want Help Interpreting Your Results?
These figures can be a useful starting point when thinking about affordability, but choosing the right mortgage often depends on lender criteria and your wider circumstances. Our Best Mortgage Advisers Guide helps you compare trusted advisers who can review your results, explain your options clearly and guide you through the next steps.
Get Matched With a Mortgage Adviser
Our matching service can connect you with a mortgage adviser suited to your needs. By answering a few simple questions, you can be matched with advisers experienced in supporting buyers with similar income, deposit and affordability considerations. This service is designed to help you speak to the right people sooner, whether you’re just starting to explore options or planning your next steps.
How Our Mortgage Affordability Calculator Works
Our Mortgage Borrowing Calculator provides a quick estimate of how much you may be able to borrow based on your gross annual income. Most UK lenders use income multiples to work out a starting point for borrowing limits, typically between 4.5 and 5.0 times your household income.
To keep the process simple, the calculator multiplies your income by the most common lender income multiples and gives you a borrowing range. This helps you understand the budget you may be working with before speaking to a mortgage adviser.
The result is designed as a helpful guide rather than a precise figure, as lenders also assess your wider financial circumstances during a full affordability check.
What Affects How Much You Can Borrow?
Even though this calculator uses income alone, lenders consider a wider range of factors when deciding how much they are prepared to lend. These typically include:
Your regular outgoings and existing credit commitments
Your credit history and how you have managed borrowing in the past
Number of financial dependants
The loan-to-value ratio (LTV) of the mortgage
The mortgage term you choose
Your employment type and income stability
The type of property you are buying
Each lender has its own affordability model, which is why two lenders can offer very different borrowing amounts based on the same income.
What the Results Mean
The figure provided by this calculator is an estimate based on common income multiples used by lenders across the UK mortgage market. It helps you:
Understand your potential borrowing range
Work out what property price bracket you may be able to consider
Prepare for a more detailed conversation with a mortgage adviser
Your actual borrowing limit may be higher or lower depending on your personal circumstances, credit profile and full affordability assessment.
Disclaimer
This Mortgage Affordability Calculator provides an estimate for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It is based on common income multiples and does not take into account your outgoings, credit history or individual lender criteria. For a full assessment of how much you may be able to borrow, personalised advice should be sought.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most lenders start with an income multiple, typically between 4.5 and 5.0 times your household income. They then assess your outgoings, credit commitments and overall affordability to decide your final borrowing limit.
A typical income multiple is around 4.5 times income. Some lenders offer lower multiples, while others offer higher multiples for applicants with strong affordability or higher incomes.
No, this calculator uses income only. Lenders will also consider your regular spending, debts and other financial commitments during a full assessment.
Potentially, yes. Borrowers with low or no credit commitments often have stronger affordability, which can increase the amount a lender is willing to offer. However, the maximum borrowing would not normally exceed the lender’s maximum income multiples.
Income-based calculators give a useful starting estimate. However, your actual borrowing amount will depend on lender criteria, your outgoings, credit history and the details of the mortgage you apply for.
No. Lenders use different affordability models and may offer very different borrowing limits, even when your income is the same.
A mortgage adviser can look at your full affordability and explore lenders that offer higher income multiples or products that may better suit your situation.