How long is a piece of string? There are many variables at play when considering the ideal deposit to make your house purchase, but the primary one is most likely to be “What is the minimum deposit I can get away with to buy this house?”
Most of us, especially in our early years in the housing market, stretch ourselves to buy the best house we can afford. This is usually a balancing act between location, size and then add-ons like off street parking, garage, extra bedroom… swimming pool? OK, so most of us have to wait a while for the pool, but a minimum number of bedrooms and a location near a decent school are probably high on most family’s wish lists.
Post Credit Crunch, mortgage lenders are under a greater obligation than ever to make sure that the loans they make are affordable. They are also keen to see their customers putting some of their own money into the purchase. Therefore, at present, you will be required to put down a minimum of 5% of the purchase price, leaving 95% on mortgage.
In simple terms, the more deposit you can scrape together, the better the mortgage terms and the better the interest rate you are likely to obtain. Also, with a larger deposit you are of course borrowing less and there is therefore less to pay back and mortgage repayments will be cheaper.
The best deals on the market will usually require a 40% deposit, but with most first time buyers having between 5% and 20% to put down, there are mortgages to suit all. Of course, this is only part of the equation.
For an initial, no obligation, discussion to clarify your options why contact us or call now on 01628 507477.
Homebuying reform to cut homebuying times by around four weeks, and save first-time buyers around £650, says the government.
Buying your first home is a huge milestone, but it can also be a complex process. There are several factors a first-time buyer should consider before making an offer on a property, including understanding the difference between leasehold and freehold and checking council tax bands.
We’ve detailed some questions you can ask your estate agent to help you make an informed decision.
Here are the lowest fixed mortgage rates of the week, available to first-time buyers, home movers, buy-to-let, and those remortgaging.
Call us for more information: 01628 507477 or email: team@mortgagerequired.com.
2 days ago
Remortgaging means switching to a new mortgage deal. This will either be with your current lender or a new one.
Getting advice and moving to a new deal when the time is right can mean lower monthly mortgage payments, better interest rates, or releasing equity from your property.
Here are some signs it may be time to remortgage.
According to Nationwide Building Society’s latest House Price Index, house prices dropped 0.6% month on month in May – the first monthly decline this year.
19 May 2026
Research from Lloyds identifies the most affordable areas in the UK for first-time buyers to be able to get onto the property ladder.
On Wednesday, 13th May, King Charles delivered his speech at the House of Lords, outlining the government’s plans for the upcoming year.
Here is a summary of the housing and energy/environment points.
From 18th May 2026, Halifax (part of Lloyds Banking Group) is launching a ‘£5k Deposit mortgage’ to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder sooner.