Teacher Mortgage Affordability Calculator

Why this shows a range, not one number

Every lender sets its own income multiple, and most sit somewhere between 4 and 4.5 times assessed annual income for a standard residential mortgage — a small number of specialist products or lenders go further for strong applications, but 4-4.5x is the realistic mainstream range for most teachers. Rather than pretend there's one universal answer, this calculator shows both ends of that range against your own figures, so you can see the realistic spread before you talk to anyone.

What lenders actually count as your income

The multiple is only ever applied to whatever income figure survives a lender's own assessment process, and for teachers that can be a meaningfully lower number than the total on a payslip. TLRs, SEN allowances, overtime-style payments and part-time or supply income are all treated differently by different lenders — some count a TLR in full, others average it, some discount it, and a minority won't count it at all until it's been held for a set period. Our full mortgage affordability guide covers exactly how this filtering works before the multiple is even applied, which is the detail most generic mortgage calculators skip entirely.

The stress test, in plain English

Since the Mortgage Market Review, lenders have been required to check that a mortgage would still be affordable if interest rates rose significantly above the rate you're actually being offered — a protection against a future rate shock leaving borrowers unable to keep up with repayments. The "stressed" monthly figure in the calculator above illustrates roughly how much higher your repayment could look under that check. You won't actually pay that amount unless rates genuinely rise to that level, but a lender needs to be satisfied you could if they did.

What this calculator can't do

• It can't replicate any specific lender's real criteria. Every lender's income assessment, credit scoring and product range differs — this tool applies a generic, representative range instead.
• It doesn't check your credit history. Your actual borrowing capacity depends heavily on your credit profile, which this tool has no way to see.
• It uses one illustrative interest rate. Real rates vary constantly by product, deposit size and market conditions — always get a current quote.
• It isn't a decision in principle or a mortgage offer. Only a lender, after a full application, can tell you what you're actually able to borrow.

What to do with this figure

Treat the range this calculator gives you as a starting point for a conversation, not an answer in itself. A mortgage broker who can see products across the whole market — rather than just one lender's criteria — is generally the fastest way to find out which end of the range is realistic for your specific circumstances, particularly if any part of your income is a TLR, allowance, or part-time/supply pay that different lenders treat inconsistently.