Mortgage guide
How much can I borrow for a mortgage?
There is no single income multiple that tells everyone how much they can borrow. A lender looks at income, spending, existing commitments, deposit, credit history and whether the mortgage remains affordable under its lending criteria.
Income
Lenders start with income, but they do not stop there.
Lenders will normally want evidence of your income and its reliability. The way they assess salary, bonuses, overtime, commission, benefits, self-employed profits or company-director income can differ.
This is why two applicants earning the same headline amount can receive different borrowing outcomes — and why different lenders can assess the same applicant differently.
It can provide a rough indication, but lender affordability and eligibility checks determine the amount actually available.
Commitments
Your existing spending and debts affect affordability.
Credit commitments
Loans, credit cards, car finance and other borrowing can reduce available mortgage affordability.
Regular expenditure
Lenders can consider household costs and other committed expenditure when assessing whether payments are sustainable.
Dependants
Childcare and other dependant-related costs can affect disposable income.
Mortgage term
A longer term can reduce the monthly payment, but can increase the total interest paid over the life of the mortgage.
Deposit & LTV
Your deposit helps determine the loan-to-value band.
Loan-to-value — LTV — compares the mortgage amount with the property's value. For example, borrowing £270,000 against a £300,000 property is 90% LTV.
A larger deposit reduces the amount that needs to be borrowed and can open access to different lender products or LTV bands. It does not, however, remove the lender's requirement to assess affordability.
Credit profile
Your credit history can affect which lenders and products are available.
Lenders use information from your application and credit-reference agencies as part of their decision. Missed payments, defaults, County Court Judgments, high existing borrowing or recent credit activity can affect the outcome, but lender policies differ.
Mortgage lenders apply their own underwriting and affordability criteria alongside credit-reference information.
Affordability
Lenders must assess whether the mortgage is affordable.
Under FCA mortgage rules, lenders must carry out affordability assessments for regulated mortgage lending in relevant circumstances. They consider whether repayments can be maintained, rather than relying solely on the property as security.
Depending on the mortgage and applicable rules, lenders can also consider the effect of future interest-rate changes when assessing affordability.
Consider how payments would fit alongside normal living costs, future plans and unexpected expenditure — not simply whether a lender will approve the loan.
Before making an offer
An Agreement in Principle can give a more useful indication.
An Agreement in Principle — also called a Decision in Principle by some lenders — can indicate how much a lender might be prepared to lend based on initial information and checks.
It is not a final mortgage offer. A full application still requires further assessment and the property itself must also be acceptable to the lender.
Useful for planning
It can help establish a realistic property-search range before you make an offer.
Still conditional
Changes in circumstances, documentation, underwriting or the property can affect the eventual mortgage decision.
Mortgage advice
Want to know what you could realistically borrow?
A mortgage review can look at your income, commitments, deposit and circumstances across suitable lenders — while also considering what level of monthly payment fits your wider finances.
Book a conversationThis guide is for general information only and is not personal mortgage or financial advice. Mortgage availability, affordability calculations and lender criteria vary and can change. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Content checked against current FCA and MoneyHelper mortgage guidance on 16 September 2026.