How much can I borrow?
The honest bracket, not false precision: lenders run their own affordability models, but almost all lending lands between 4 and 5 times usable income. This shows your range, the budget it implies, and the monthly payment at today's rates and under stress.
Borrow on the building, not the brochure
The mortgage valuation protects the lender and on many products nobody visits the property at all. Before you commit years of those monthly payments, a survey tells you what the building will add to them, and defects found before exchange are the one negotiating lever that reliably works.
Common questions
How many times my salary can I borrow?
Most lending sits at or below 4.5 times gross income, which is where the regulator caps the flow of higher-multiple loans. Some lenders stretch to 5 or even 5.5 times for larger incomes, professional borrowers or lower loan-to-values, which is why this tool shows a range rather than one figure. Joint applications combine both incomes.
What counts against affordability?
Committed outgoings: loan and car finance payments, credit card balances, childcare and maintenance. Day-to-day bills are assessed through spending models rather than deducted pound for pound. Clearing a £250-a-month car payment before applying can add roughly £13,000 of borrowing at typical multiples.
What is a mortgage stress test?
Lenders check you could still afford the payments if rates rose materially, typically testing several points above the product rate. The stressed figure this tool shows at +3% is the honest version of the monthly payment to plan around, because it is the one a lender will use to say yes or no.
Does a survey affect the mortgage?
The lender’s valuation is for the lender, not you, and on many products nobody visits the property at all. A survey is the independent check on what you are borrowing against, and where it finds real defects the evidence routinely renegotiates the price, which changes the loan you actually need.