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Forces Help to Buy calculator

Use our Forces Help to Buy calculator to estimate how much you may be able to borrow through the scheme, what your monthly repayment could be, and how it may affect your mortgage deposit.

The calculator is designed for serving UK Armed Forces personnel who are thinking about buying a home and want to understand how Forces Help to Buy could fit into their mortgage plans.

Estimate your Forces Help to Buy amount

Enter your annual salary before tax.

Your maximum estimated advance is £17,500.

10

Forces Help to Buy is usually repaid over up to 10 years.

Optional — add any deposit you already have saved.

Optional — add an estimated property price to see your deposit percentage.

You may be able to borrow up to

£17,500

through Forces Help to Buy

Monthly repayment

£145.83

over 10 years

Total deposit

£17,500

This calculator provides an estimate based on the standard Forces Help to Buy calculation. It does not confirm your eligibility for the scheme or your mortgage affordability. Mortgage lenders may also consider your monthly Forces Help to Buy repayment when assessing how much you can borrow.

Learn about Armed Forces mortgages

What is Forces Help to Buy?

Forces Help to Buy is an interest-free advance that can help eligible Regular Armed Forces personnel buy a home. It can provide up to 50% of annual salary, capped at £25,000, and is usually repaid through salary deductions over up to 10 years.

It can be used towards a deposit and certain home-buying costs, but it does not guarantee mortgage approval.

Can Forces Help to Buy be used as a mortgage deposit?

Some lenders may accept Forces Help to Buy as part of a mortgage deposit. However, lenders may also include the monthly repayment when checking affordability.

This means the scheme could improve your deposit position, but the repayment may affect how much you can borrow.

Why your deposit percentage matters

A larger deposit can reduce your loan-to-value, also known as LTV. This may affect the mortgage products available to you.

For example, if Forces Help to Buy increases your deposit from 5% to 10%, that may change the range of lenders or rates available. However, this depends on lender criteria and your wider circumstances. You can use our loan-to-value calculator to see how this works.

Forces Help to Buy and mortgage affordability

Although Forces Help to Buy is interest-free, it still has to be repaid. Mortgage lenders may look at the monthly repayment when deciding whether the mortgage is affordable.

This is why the calculator shows both the estimated advance and the estimated monthly repayment. To estimate your wider borrowing, try our how much you could borrow calculator.

Helpful links

Forces Help to Buy: common questions

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