How much deposit do we need as a couple?
A deposit is the part of the purchase price you pay upfront. Bigger deposits usually mean smaller mortgages, lower monthly payments, and better resilience — but only if you keep enough cash aside for moving costs and an emergency buffer.
What deposit size changes (in plain English)
The deposit affects the loan amount: loan = price − deposit. A bigger deposit reduces the loan, and that reduces the monthly mortgage payment for the same rate and term. It also makes stress tests more forgiving: at +1% or +2% rates, the payment still rises — but from a lower starting point.
The right deposit isn’t just “as big as possible”. It’s “big enough to make the plan resilient, while still leaving you with a buffer”.
Worked examples (same home, different deposit)
Both examples below keep everything the same except the deposit. Open a scenario to tweak rate, term, or costs.
A good “deposit decision” checklist
- After paying deposit + purchase costs, do you still have an emergency fund (even a few months of essential costs)?
- Does the plan pass rate rise stress tests (+1%, +2%) without wrecking your savings goal?
- If one income drops, could you cover shared costs for a short period?
- If one person contributes more deposit, have you discussed how you want to treat that (equity vs affordability)?