True monthly cost calculator
Mortgage plus council tax, energy, upkeep — the number that hits your bank.
Typical 2025/26 figures: England average Band D council tax ~£2,280/yr scaled by statutory ninths, average-3-bed energy by EPC rating, ~£25/mo buildings insurance, maintenance at 1% of the price per year. Your bills, rate and lease terms will differ — an illustration, not advice.
The mortgage payment is the headline, but the bank account sees more. A realistic monthly cost stacks up: mortgage; council tax (the England average Band D bill is about £2,280 for 2025/26 — £190 a month — with the band and the council both moving that number); energy (a typical dual-fuel home runs £140–£160 a month at 2025 price-cap levels, but an EPC band D–E house can cost double a band B one); water, broadband, and buildings/contents insurance (£25–£40 a month for most homes).
Then the one nobody budgets: maintenance. The standard rule of thumb is to set aside around 1% of the property’s value per year — £250 a month on a £300,000 home — not because every year costs that, but because the years that cost nothing are saving up for the boiler (£2,500–£4,000), the roof, or the damp surprise. Older and larger homes trend above the 1% line, new builds below it for the first decade. Flats swap some maintenance for a service charge — commonly £1,500–£4,000+ a year — plus possible ground rent on older leases.
Comparing two homes on true monthly cost is often more revealing than comparing on price. A cheaper house in a higher council-tax band with an EPC of E and a 1970s boiler can cost more per month than a dearer, efficient one — and unlike the mortgage, the running-cost lines never amortise away. Run the number before you offer, and re-run it at a higher mortgage rate to see your exposure when the fix ends.
Common questions
What does owning a house cost per month besides the mortgage?
Typically £450–£700 a month for an average home: council tax around £190 (England Band D, 2025/26), energy £140–£160, water £40–£50, insurance £25–£40, broadband £30, and a maintenance reserve of £150–£250. Flats add a service charge, often £125–£350 a month, but shed some maintenance.
How much should I budget for house maintenance?
The common rule is about 1% of the property value per year — £3,000 a year on a £300,000 home — held as a rolling reserve rather than spent evenly. Skew it up for pre-war, extended or long-unrenovated homes, down for recent builds. A survey’s repair list is the best property-specific version of this number.
How much does an EPC band change energy bills?
A lot. The gap between a band C and a band E home of the same size is commonly £500–£1,000+ a year at recent prices. The EPC certificate itself (free to look up for any address) estimates the property’s costs and lists improvements — worth reading before you offer, not after.
Why is my true monthly cost higher than a rent comparison suggests?
Because rent bundles maintenance, buildings insurance and the landlord’s capital risk into one figure, while ownership itemises them. The honest comparison is rent versus mortgage interest plus running costs — not rent versus the whole mortgage payment, part of which is forced saving. The rent-vs-buy calculator does that split properly.
Numbers are half the story. Check the home itself.
One search pulls the official record on any address in England & Wales — value, flood risk, schools, noise and more, scored 0–100.