Mortgages
How Do People Afford Houses?
How do people afford houses? An honest look at deposits, income multiples, joint buyers, gifted money and schemes — plus realistic ways to bridge the gap in the UK.
Free tool
What salary do I need to buy a house?
Enter a house price and see the income you would realistically need to get the mortgage, based on your deposit, the interest rate and how much lenders will lend against your salary.
Income you’d likely need£58,400
£1,461/mo repaymentThat is a 10% deposit of £29,200, borrowing £262,800. This uses an income multiple of 4.5×, roughly the cap most lenders apply, with some stretching further for higher earners. Buying with someone? Lenders usually combine both incomes, so you can roughly halve the figure above.
A guide based on a typical income multiple, not a mortgage offer, your actual borrowing depends on outgoings, credit and the lender. Find your area’s average price on our house prices by area pages, then check the monthly cost with the mortgage calculator.
How lenders decide what you can borrow
Two numbers do most of the work. First, the income multiple: most UK lenders will lend around 4 to 4.5 times your annual income, and a few go to 5x. Second, your deposit: the bigger it is, the less you need to borrow, and the better the interest rate you tend to be offered.
This tool works backwards from the price. It takes the loan you would need after your deposit, divides it by the income multiple, and shows the household income that implies, alongside the monthly repayment so you can sanity-check affordability too.
How to use it for your area
Prices vary hugely by region, the salary to buy in Nottingham is a world away from Kensington. Find the typical price where you are looking on our house prices by area pages, drop it into the calculator, and you have the income needed to buy there. Then check how much you could borrow with the affordability calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need to buy an average UK house?
With the average UK home around £292,000 and a 10% deposit, you would be borrowing roughly £263,000. On a typical 4.5x income multiple that points to a household income of about £58,000. Buying as a couple splits that between two incomes, so roughly £29,000 each. The exact figure moves with your deposit, the interest rate and the lender's rules.
How many times my salary can I borrow for a mortgage?
Most UK lenders cap mortgage borrowing at around 4 to 4.5 times your annual income, and a smaller number stretch to 5x or more for higher earners or certain professions. The multiple is only a starting point, lenders then stress-test the payments against your outgoings and existing credit.
Does my deposit change the salary I need?
Yes, a bigger deposit means you borrow less, so you need less income to satisfy the multiple, and you usually unlock a lower interest rate too. Moving from a 5% to a 15% deposit can noticeably cut both the salary needed and the monthly payment.
Can two people combine incomes to buy a house?
Yes. Most lenders add both applicants' incomes together on a joint mortgage, which is why buying with a partner, friend or family member is often the difference between affording a home and not. The calculator's figure is the total household income needed, so split it between the applicants.
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