Buying a home in the UK: every calculator you need in one workflow
Take stock of where you are, work out what you can afford, run the maths on Stamp Duty and running costs, then build wealth around the home with ISA, pension, and CGT planning. Four steps, one page, every tool free and current for 2026/27.
Take stock of where you are
Before you talk to a broker or adviser, work out two numbers: what you own minus what you owe, and how much housing cost you can comfortably carry. Net worth tells you how big a deposit you can really put down without raiding your safety net. The rent affordability check gives you a monthly comfort range before you commit to a property.
Buy the home
Upfront property taxes can decide whether an offer is affordable. The Stamp Duty calculator handles the 2026/27 SDLT bands for England and Northern Ireland, including the first-time buyer threshold and the 5% surcharge on second homes. For Scotland and Wales, it separates the LBTT and LTT systems.
Run the home and save the difference
Owning a home isn't just the mortgage. Council Tax, insurance, maintenance, and a sinking fund for boilers and roofs all sit on top. Work out the band-by-band Council Tax for your postcode, then channel everything that's left into a clear savings target so the next deposit, kitchen, or rainy-day fund actually builds.
Build long-term wealth around the home
A house pays you back in two ways: the rent you no longer pay, and the equity that compounds over decades. The ISA wraps up to £20,000 a year of savings free of UK tax. The pension calculator projects what your pot grows into, including 25% tax relief at the basic rate. Capital Gains Tax matters most for second properties and shares. The £3,000 annual exempt amount in 2026/27 is far smaller than people remember, and main-home sales remain CGT-free under Private Residence Relief.
Why a Workflow, Not Just One Calculator
Buying a home in the UK is a sequence: where do I stand financially today, then what does this property actually cost, Stamp Duty included, then can I run it month to month after Council Tax and bills, then how do I keep building wealth around the home. This page answers them in that order, with the right calculator at every stage.
All figures are current for the 2026/27 tax year. Stamp Duty Land Tax follows the latest HMRC SDLT bands for England and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses LBTT and Wales uses LTT, which are calculated separately. The first-time buyer threshold sits at £300,000 with relief up to £500,000, and a 5% surcharge applies on second homes and buy-to-let. Capital Gains Tax uses the £3,000 annual exempt amount; main-home sales remain free of CGT under Private Residence Relief.
ISAs allow up to £20,000 a year of savings to grow free of UK income and capital gains tax. The Lifetime ISA adds a 25% government bonus on the first £4,000 each year, capped at age 50, and can be used for a first home up to £450,000. Pension contributions attract tax relief at your marginal rate, and basic-rate taxpayers see a 25% uplift at source. The pension calculator projects compound growth over 20 to 40 years; the long arc is what makes a property purchase part of a lifetime wealth plan, not a one-off transaction.
Financing costs and lender checks change with the market. If you use a broker or lender, compare their illustration against your own deposit, living costs, and monthly comfort range. Lenders typically lend up to 4.5× annual gross income, with some stretching to 5.5× for higher earners. The affordability check on this page uses the 30 to 35% take-home rule as a practical comfort range before you commit.
Not financial advice. These tools provide estimates for educational purposes only. Property finance, Stamp Duty liability, and tax treatment depend on your full circumstances. Consult a qualified broker, an FCA-regulated financial adviser, or HMRC before making decisions. Always confirm current thresholds on gov.uk and your lender's own affordability checks.