Deposit savings planner
Work out the deposit for the home you have in mind, see how long it’ll take to save, and compare what a smaller or bigger deposit would mean.
Your deposit is the part of the price you pay yourself; a mortgage covers the rest. Replace the example figures with your own.
Deposit target £25,000See resultsCompare deposit sizes
The same price and saving rate, with different deposits. Choose a row to make it your target.
Add a price, a deposit and your savings to compare deposit sizes.
Bar length shows how long each deposit takes at your current saving rate.
Your savings over time
The line is your balance month by month. Where it crosses a dashed line, you’ve saved that deposit. Hover over the chart, or focus it and use the arrow keys, to read any month.
Add a monthly amount to see your savings over time.
Deposit options in figures
Each deposit size with what you’d borrow, what’s left to save and how long it takes at your current saving rate.
| Deposit | Amount | Mortgage needed | Still to save | Time to save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter a price and deposit above to build the table. | ||||
What the deposit doesn’t cover
The deposit is usually the biggest cost of buying, but it isn’t the only one. Save for these separately, on top of your deposit target.
- Property tax on the purchase. Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland, and Land Transaction Tax in Wales. They’re three different taxes with different rates, and first-time buyers may pay less. Work yours out with the Stamp Duty calculator.
- Legal fees. A solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles the legal transfer and searches.
- Surveys and valuation. Your lender values the property, and you may want your own survey too.
- Mortgage fees. Some mortgages charge arrangement or booking fees.
- Moving in. Removals, essential furniture and any immediate repairs.
Ask for written quotes early so you know what to add to your savings goal. The savings goal calculator can plan for the total.
How the planner works
No lender rules, rates or fees are built in. Every result comes from the figures you enter, using the arithmetic below.
1. Deposit and mortgage
Deposit = price × deposit percentage. Mortgage needed = price − deposit, and loan to value = 100% − deposit percentage. In the example, 10% of £250,000 is £25,000, leaving £225,000 at 90% loan to value.
2. Time to save
Starting from what you’ve saved, each month adds interest and then your monthly amount until the balance reaches the deposit. The result is rounded up to a whole month: £17,000 still to save at £500 a month takes exactly 34 months.
An interest rate is treated as an Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) and converted to a monthly rate: (1 + AER)1/12 − 1. Interest is added monthly, with no tax deducted.
3. Comparison and chart
The comparison runs step 2 for 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% deposits, plus your own percentage if it’s different. The chart draws the same month-by-month balance, so the line crosses each deposit level in exactly the month the table shows.
The calculation code is published with the page and covered by automated tests.
Assumptions and limitations
Read these before relying on the result.
- The price stays the same. House prices change while you save, so revisit your target as you go.
- The interest rate stays the same. Real savings rates change, and tax on interest isn’t included.
- Government bonuses aren’t included. A Lifetime ISA adds a 25% government bonus on up to £4,000 a year, a maximum of £1,000 a year. You must make your first payment before you’re 40, and there are rules on the home you buy and on other withdrawals. Check GOV.UK’s Lifetime ISA guidance1 before relying on it.
- It isn’t a mortgage decision. Lenders decide how much they’ll lend and what deposit they need, based on your income, outgoings, credit history and the property. This planner doesn’t check what you could borrow.
- It isn’t financial advice. Recommending a mortgage is regulated. For advice, use a firm on the FCA Register, or get free guidance from MoneyHelper.
- Lifetime ISA, GOV.UK. Checked 13 October 2026.
Questions
What does loan to value mean?
Loan to value (LTV) is the mortgage as a percentage of the property’s value. A 10% deposit means a 90% LTV mortgage. A bigger deposit means a lower LTV and less to borrow.
Should I aim for a bigger deposit or buy sooner?
It’s a trade-off between the time it takes to save and how much you’d borrow. The comparison above shows the time side. What a lower loan to value would mean for your mortgage depends on lenders’ offers at the time, which this planner doesn’t predict.
Is anything I type saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing is stored, so refreshing or closing the page clears your figures. To keep a copy, use Print or save as PDF.