Your affordability dashboard

House · £320,000 · England · First-time buyer

To buy this home

£41,405

Deposit + Stamp Duty + legal, survey & moving costs

Needed in your account on completion day

Sensible reserve to keep

£29,900

Emergency fund + contingency + refurbishment buffer

Held back as a safety net, not spent on the purchase

Total cash targetNot sure how much to save? Aim for this figure.

£71,305

Property & budget

Property price

Sets your tax band and cost baseline

£
£50,000£1,000,000

Deposit

Cash you put down towards the property

%
0% · £060% · £192,000

Savings available

Cash you can put towards the move

£
£0£250,000

Monthly essential expenses

Sizes your emergency fund

£
£500£10,000

Buyer & risk profile

Property condition

Drives refurbishment and contingency budgets

Good condition

Excellent / nearly newMajor renovation required

Buyer type

Affects tax reliefs and surcharges

First-time buyer

First-time buyerNon-UK resident buyer

Risk profile

Scales how conservative the targets are

Detailed estimate

Basic estimateCautious estimate

Buffer assumptions

Taxes, legal and survey costs aren't adjustable here, they update automatically from your property price, location and condition.

Emergency fund buffer

Months of essential spending to hold

0 months12 months

Refurbishment buffer

Allowance as a share of property value

%
0%40%

£71,305

Cash needed at completion

Deposit + upfront costs + sensible reserves

£29,900

Reserves to keep after

Emergency, contingency & refurbishment

9.3%

Reserve as % of value

Sensible reserve vs purchase price

£1,000

Stamp Duty Land Tax

England · SDLT

Where your cash goes

Sensible estimate breakdown

  • Deposit£32,000 (45%)
  • SDLT£1,000 (1%)
  • Refurbishment£12,800 (18%)
  • Buying & moving£8,405 (12%)
  • Emergency fund£7,200 (10%)
  • Contingency£9,900 (14%)

Reserve recommendations

Cash to keep available after completion

Final recommendation

Minimum cash reserve

The absolute minimum recommended savings

£17,800

Reserve to keep after completion

Deposit
£32,000
Upfront costs
£9,405
Total cash at completion
£59,205
Recommended

Sensible cash reserve

A realistic, balanced target

£29,900

Reserve to keep after completion

Deposit
£32,000
Upfront costs
£9,405
Total cash at completion
£71,305

Cautious cash reserve

A highly conservative approach

£59,400

Reserve to keep after completion

Deposit
£32,000
Upfront costs
£9,405
Total cash at completion
£100,805

Total recommended cash after completion

Sensible reserve equals 9.3% of the property value, money you should still hold once the keys are yours.

£29,900

Detailed breakdown

All calculations, guides and other content on this site are for general information only, may not be accurate or up to date, and do not constitute financial, tax, legal or mortgage advice. Always verify figures against official sources and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.