What Salary Do I Need to Buy a House in the UK? (2026)
Buying a home is the biggest financial commitment most people make. Whether you're just starting to save or ready to apply, here's exactly what salary you need, how much you can borrow, and what deposit you'll need at every price point.
How much can I borrow?
UK mortgage lenders assess affordability in detail, but as a starting point most will lend between 4 and 4.5 times your annual gross salary. Some lenders — particularly for high earners or certain professions — will go up to 5 or even 5.5 times salary.
The 4.5x figure is a reasonable working assumption for most borrowers. The actual amount offered will depend on your deposit, credit score, existing debts, and monthly outgoings.
| Annual salary | Borrow at 4x | Borrow at 4.5x | Max property (10% deposit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | £100,000 | £112,500 | ~£125,000 |
| £30,000 | £120,000 | £135,000 | ~£150,000 |
| £35,000 | £140,000 | £157,500 | ~£175,000 |
| £40,000 | £160,000 | £180,000 | ~£200,000 |
| £50,000 | £200,000 | £225,000 | ~£250,000 |
| £57,000 (avg home) | £228,000 | £256,500 | ~£285,000 |
| £60,000 | £240,000 | £270,000 | ~£300,000 |
| £75,000 | £300,000 | £337,500 | ~£375,000 |
| £100,000 | £400,000 | £450,000 | ~£500,000 |
Max property price assumes a 10% deposit at 4.5x salary. Actual lending depends on individual circumstances.
What salary do you need by region?
House prices vary enormously across the UK. The salary needed to buy the average home in your region (at 4.5x income, 10% deposit) looks very different depending on where you want to live:
| Region | Avg house price | 10% deposit | Salary needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £524,000 | £52,400 | ~£105,000 |
| South East | £385,000 | £38,500 | ~£77,000 |
| East of England | £340,000 | £34,000 | ~£68,000 |
| South West | £320,000 | £32,000 | ~£64,000 |
| UK average | £285,000 | £28,500 | ~£57,000 |
| West Midlands | £245,000 | £24,500 | ~£49,000 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £215,000 | £21,500 | ~£43,000 |
| Scotland | £200,000 | £20,000 | ~£40,000 |
| Wales | £200,000 | £20,000 | ~£40,000 |
| North East | £170,000 | £17,000 | ~£34,000 |
| Northern Ireland | £185,000 | £18,500 | ~£37,000 |
House prices are approximate averages for early 2026 (Land Registry UK HPI). Salary needed calculated at 4.5x income with 10% deposit.
How much deposit do you need?
The minimum deposit most lenders will accept is 5% of the purchase price. However, the size of your deposit directly affects the interest rate you're offered — a larger deposit means a lower loan-to-value (LTV) ratio and access to cheaper deals.
| Deposit | On £200,000 | On £285,000 | On £400,000 | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | £10,000 | £14,250 | £20,000 | Higher rates, fewer lenders |
| 10% | £20,000 | £28,500 | £40,000 | Good range of deals |
| 15% | £30,000 | £42,750 | £60,000 | Competitive rates |
| 20% | £40,000 | £57,000 | £80,000 | Best rates available |
Buying with a partner — joint mortgages
With a joint mortgage, most lenders combine both incomes and apply the same 4-4.5x multiple to the total. This significantly increases what you can borrow and is how many first-time buyers make buying in higher-cost areas possible.
| Combined salary | Borrow at 4.5x | Max property (10% deposit) |
|---|---|---|
| £50,000 (e.g. £25k + £25k) | £225,000 | ~£250,000 |
| £60,000 (e.g. £30k + £30k) | £270,000 | ~£300,000 |
| £70,000 (e.g. £40k + £30k) | £315,000 | ~£350,000 |
| £80,000 (e.g. £40k + £40k) | £360,000 | ~£400,000 |
| £100,000 (e.g. £60k + £40k) | £450,000 | ~£500,000 |
Schemes to help you buy
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
If you are between 18 and 39, you can save up to £4,000 per year in a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% government bonus — that's up to £1,000 free money every year. You can use it to buy your first home worth up to £450,000. Over five years that's potentially £5,000 in bonuses toward your deposit.
Calculate your LISA bonusShared Ownership
Buy a share (usually 25-75%) of a new-build or resale home and pay rent on the rest. This lowers both the deposit required and the mortgage size, making homeownership accessible on a lower income. You can buy additional shares over time (known as staircasing).
Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
The government backs 95% mortgages through this scheme, encouraging lenders to offer 5% deposit deals on properties up to £600,000. Useful if you have a small deposit but a sufficient income to support the repayments.
What will the monthly repayments be?
Borrowing capacity is only half the picture. You also need to be sure the monthly repayments are affordable relative to your take-home pay. As a rough guide, most lenders like to see mortgage repayments no higher than 35-40% of your net monthly income.
At a 5% interest rate over 25 years, here is what typical mortgage sizes cost per month:
| Mortgage size | Monthly repayment | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| £100,000 | ~£585 | ~£7,020 |
| £150,000 | ~£877 | ~£10,524 |
| £200,000 | ~£1,169 | ~£14,028 |
| £250,000 | ~£1,462 | ~£17,544 |
| £300,000 | ~£1,754 | ~£21,048 |
| £400,000 | ~£2,338 | ~£28,056 |
Estimates based on a 25-year repayment mortgage at 5% interest. Use our mortgage calculator for a precise figure at current rates.
See exactly what you can borrow
Enter your salary and deposit into our mortgage affordability calculator to get a personalised borrowing estimate and monthly repayment breakdown.