First time buyer - what's a reasonable deposit
First time buyer - what's a reasonable deposit
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Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,353 posts

264 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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At the ripe old gate of 42, I'm looking at being a FTB. What would be a reasonable deposit on a £220k property? I am working on the assumption that I can actually get a mortgage, and that its affordable (cannot see a reason why I should be able to).


JapanRed

1,591 posts

140 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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I’d say £20k minimum but ideally £40k to get a decent apr on your mortgage.

I’m sure you could get a mortgage with less than £20k deposit but the rates won’t be brilliant.

As a general rule of thumb, the more deposit the better rate you can get.

Many lenders stipulate that you will need a higher deposit to buy a new build.

LosingGrip

8,858 posts

188 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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Depends how much you can afford. I was going for a 5% on a 150k flat. But going to save up more to get a better rate.

RizzoTheRat

28,905 posts

221 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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worth looking at mortgage options as you'll usually get a better rate the lower the Loan to Value ratio is, and the thresholds often change between lenders.

Sarnie

8,368 posts

238 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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Aim for 10%.....rates change in increments of 5%............so you'll get better rates 15%....then 20% etc.......up to circa 40%.......

But, it can be done at 5% too........but, the biggest jump in rates across all LTV's is when you move from 5% to 10% deposit.......

Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,353 posts

264 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
quotequote all
Thanks for the quick responses everyone, I'm in the 15 - 20 % bracket, so do have a reasonable deposit. Nice to confirm I am not out of touch with reality.

BobSaunders

3,110 posts

184 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
quotequote all
Whatever you can afford, and whatever you can afford monthly. The more deposit the better interest rates accessible. There is no specific calculation as we are all different.

If house values go up, and your mortgage comes down, your LTV will go up meaning that better interest rates after two years will become naturally more accessible.

Make sure you save some money for rainy days when you need to pay the mortgage and bills from savings.

red_slr

20,712 posts

218 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
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Remember whilst saving for an extra year, 2 or 3.. to get that extra 1% discount on the rate you will a) have lost those years as living in your own property and the freedoms that can bring b) lost any asset appreciation over those years c) probably be paying a higher cost for the property (see b) d) rates could easily go up anyway and e) have a mortgage 1,2,3 years later in life.

Obviously if you cant get the mortgage in the first place then you have no option but I would rather have my own place and pay a bit extra up front to get on the ladder.


Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,353 posts

264 months

Wednesday 31st July 2019
quotequote all
BobSaunders said:
Whatever you can afford, and whatever you can afford monthly. The more deposit the better interest rates accessible. There is no specific calculation as we are all different.

If house values go up, and your mortgage comes down, your LTV will go up meaning that better interest rates after two years will become naturally more accessible.

Make sure you save some money for rainy days when you need to pay the mortgage and bills from savings.
Already taken into account! My deposit is not all of my free cash.

sparks_190e

12,738 posts

242 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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We put £10,000 down on our £200,000 new build house last year, also had help to buy. Mortgage is over 37 years £500 a month, fixed for 5 years.

mike74

3,687 posts

161 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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sparks_190e said:
We put £10,000 down on our £200,000 new build house last year, also had help to buy. Mortgage is over 37 years £500 a month, fixed for 5 years.
Nice little compliant, obedient, lifelong worker drone mortgage slave... just what the governbankment want.

(Not having a go at you personally, it's just the reality of things)

Edited by mike74 on Sunday 4th August 06:41

technodup

7,661 posts

159 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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sparks_190e said:
Mortgage is over 37 years £500 a month, fixed for 5 years.
Is this a thing now? 37 years?

I can't see any circumstance where I'd enter into that but each to their own.



oldaudi

1,621 posts

187 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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Sorry for asking. Is that a typo. 37 years. They must take into account how old you’ll be when you hit the 37th year and the possibility that you might be retired by then. I guess you are about 20?

I didn’t know the mortgage market offered that length. Shows how out of touch I must be. I guess you can get those with lower monthly payments and then over pay to help reduce the length of the debt.

m_cozzy

508 posts

213 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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Be interesting to see what they will lend you. I recently bought what was essentially my first property at 44. I had 75k deposit. They would only lend a max of about 120k I seem to recall. This was first direct & I am a higher rate taxpayer. I didnt need quite that much for the small place I wanted & paid the mortgage off after 3 years anyway.


Edited by m_cozzy on Sunday 4th August 07:54

sparks_190e

12,738 posts

242 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
quotequote all
oldaudi said:
Sorry for asking. Is that a typo. 37 years. They must take into account how old you’ll be when you hit the 37th year and the possibility that you might be retired by then. I guess you are about 20?

I didn’t know the mortgage market offered that length. Shows how out of touch I must be. I guess you can get those with lower monthly payments and then over pay to help reduce the length of the debt.
Yes 37 years. I’ll be 68 which is my current retirement age. It was really the only way we could get a house, make it affordable, and get us on the ladder. Combined we only earn about £45k so we didn’t want to have £800/£900 coming out every month. Plan is to overpay when we can afford to, and remortgage to a shorter term if we can. Ultimately we are now in our own place rather than paying £300 more a month to live in someone else’s house.

Edited by sparks_190e on Sunday 4th August 08:39

Sarnie

8,368 posts

238 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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40 years is the max term available...........the standard FTB taking a 25 year term is a thing of the 80's / 90's...........

anonymous-user

83 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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mike74 said:
sparks_190e said:
We put £10,000 down on our £200,000 new build house last year, also had help to buy. Mortgage is over 37 years £500 a month, fixed for 5 years.
Nice little compliant, obedient, lifelong worker drone mortgage slave... just what the governbankment want.

(Not having a go at you personally, it's just the reality of things)

Edited by mike74 on Sunday 4th August 06:41
As opposed to paying £1000+ (plus no stability & inflation busting increases every year for the rest of your life) (then paying rent when you’re a pensioner..) its a no brainier. So it’s far better than being a renting drone/slave!

Good move, congratulations

Mr Whippy

32,453 posts

270 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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Now mortgages are almost the length of your working life with deposits near zero, and interest rates on their arse... it’s kinda pointing to an end of salary vs price ratios moving much more.


Up next, inter-generational mortgages, and being born with a lifetime debt?
Nice.

MitchT

17,119 posts

238 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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I'm 44 and in the same boat. I've seen decent rates on a five year fix with 10% down so put just down as much as you can while leaving some contingency money is my advice. I have a bigger challenge though - a much smaller budget!

CHARLESBERG

158 posts

131 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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I am someone who has taken out a 40 year term mortgage, so they are definitely out there :-D