Just for fun · live data
The deposit misery index
How long to save a house deposit — not in years, but in working hours and plays of a suitably miserable Smiths song. Pick your age and saving rate and see when you’d realistically get there, as your pay rises with age. Or read the full write-up.
Starting at 24 and saving 15% of your take-home, your pay rises with age and you’d have a 10% deposit by about age 31 — 7.1 years and 13,894 working hours away. That’s 231,563 plays of Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, or roughly 579 days of Morrissey on non-stop repeat. Heaven knows.
Average house price: HM Land Registry (England). Pay by age: approximate ONS median full-time earnings, rising with age. Take-home uses 2026/27 tax & NI, 37.5 hours a week, deposit in today’s money. A bit of fun, not financial advice.
Why a deposit takes so long
A deposit is huge next to a typical wage, and every hour you work is taxed before you can save a penny of it. Because pay rises with age, an older start usually reaches the target sooner — but house prices have run far ahead of wages, which is the real reason it feels impossible. See exactly how far ahead on our pay vs house prices tool, and how many avocados a deposit is worth on the (equally silly, equally true) Avocado Index.
To actually get there faster: automate a fixed monthly saving (see the best way to save for a house), use a Lifetime ISA for the 25% bonus, and check 5% deposit options like the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. Then see what that deposit means for borrowing with the mortgage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to save a house deposit in the UK?
It depends on your age, pay and how much you save. For a typical earner saving around 15% of take-home, a 10% deposit on the average home takes the best part of a decade — the calculator above shows the age you'd realistically reach it, allowing for pay rising as you get older.
Do you earn more as you get older?
Generally yes. Median full-time pay rises through your twenties and thirties and tends to plateau in your forties, so someone starting later often saves a deposit faster because they're earning more.
How many hours of work is a house deposit worth?
A 10% deposit on the average UK home is worth thousands of working hours — years of full-time work once you account for tax, National Insurance and everyday living costs. The tool turns it into hours (and, for fun, Smiths songs).
How can I save a deposit faster?
Save a fixed amount automatically each month, use a Lifetime ISA for the 25% government bonus, and look at 5% deposit schemes like the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme. Small daily cutbacks help far less than the size of your regular saving.
Average house price: HM Land Registry (England). Pay by age: approximate ONS median full-time earnings. A light-hearted illustration, not financial advice.