If you’re thinking of buying a house, the first thing you need to do is sit down and go through your finances with a fine-tooth comb. 

Weighing up your incomings against your outgoings will give you a good idea of how much disposable income you have, and what you could potentially afford to pay out on a mortgage.

Below is an example of a basic budget planner. This is a good starting point as you can clearly see any fixed outgoings against any flexible expenses. Feel free to add to it, and personalise it to make it your own.

For a more indepth look at your finances, try using our budget calculator.

Professional advice

A mortgage adviser can help plan your finances. We can look at your monthly expenditure to see how much money you have left over each month, and how much you could afford to borrow. 

If you're buying a house on your own, you might want to read our article 'how to get a mortgage when you're single', for some great hints and tips!

 

Income

Amount (£)

After tax

 

Fixed Outgoings

 

Mortgage/rent

 

Loans/credit card

 

Utilities

 

Insurance

 

Pension

 

Transport

 

Phone/internet

 

Flexible Expenses

 

Food shopping

 

Gym membership

 

Socialising

 

Emergency fund

 

Other e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.

 

Whatever's left

 

Savings

 

Important information

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.