Mortgage Loan-to-Value (LTV) Calculator

As a first-time buyer you're often bombarded with a lot of jargon when you start applying for a mortgage, such as fixed rate, SVR, interest only, cashback and more. One industry term that always crops up – and one you really need to understand – is loan-to-value ratio or LTV.

Your LTV is the ratio between your loan amount and the value of the property. It can be a little confusing as it's often expressed as a percentage. We show you how to work out your LTV manually, below.

It's important to note that you'll only repay and be charged interest on the amount you borrow, not the full value of the property. Therefore, you want your loan-to-value to be as low as possible as the less you borrow, the less you have to pay back in the long term.

The maximum LTV you can take out on a mortgage is typically 95% which means the minimum deposit you'd need to put down is 5%.

Lenders use LTV to assess the risk of lending money to mortgage applicants. From a lender's perspective, the higher the LTV, the riskier it is for them to lend to you. They may charge you a higher interest rate or ask you to provide additional evidence of your income to ensure you can afford the repayments.

Essentially, the lower the LTV, the better the deals available to you. When it comes to remortgaging, even switching from a 95% deal to a 90% one can reduce your interest payments. Bear in mind that ERCs (early repayment charges) may apply, depending on the terms of your mortgage and when you exit a particular mortgage arrangement.

A good LTV for a mortgage can depend on your financial situation, the property's value and the lender's requirements. A lower ratio is generally considered better. As a general rule of thumb, a low LTV is anything from 75% with a 25% deposit and below. A 75% LTV will give you lower interest rates, while a 65% LTV for example could give you access to even more competitive deals.

Nonetheless, saving 25% for a deposit can be quite challenging for many people, especially first-time buyers which is why there are many mortgage options available for borrowers with LTVs at 80%, 90%, and even 95%. There are even a few 100% LTV mortgages products on the market. However, bear in mind that  the higher the LTV, the more interest you'll pay.

Calculating your loan-to-value ratio is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is divide the amount you want to borrow by the property's total value. You should then multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage. For instance, if you want to buy a property worth £250,000 and have a deposit of £30,000, you'll need to borrow the remaining £220,000. You'll therefore need to divide 220,000 by 250,000, which equals 0.88 – giving you an LTV of 88%.

Our LTV calculator offers a quick and easy way to calculate your LTV.

Comparing mortgages by LTV is a key part of choosing a mortgage. A lower LTV is traditionally considered less risky for lenders and enables borrowers to access more competitive deals. 

To compare mortgages by LTV, you can use our first-time buyers best buys tool. You simply enter the property price and the amount you want to borrow. Our best buys will use this information to present you with mortgage deals at that LTV. If you want to know exactly what LTV the deals presented to you are, you can enter the property price/value and the loan amount required into our LTV calculator above.

Note that your LTV will change after you take out your mortgage as your property's value changes and as you pay off more of the mortgage loan. This means that after some time, once you’ve built up more equity in your property, you’ll be able to provide a bigger deposit when you move home or remortgage onto a better deal.

For example, if you purchase a property for £200,000 at a 90% LTV, you owe your lender £180,000. But if market conditions cause the property's value to fall to £150,000 after 6 months, you'll owe the lender more than the property is worth. This could make it difficult for you to remortgage or sell the property.

If, on the other hand, your home has gone up in value and you've been paying towards your mortgage for some time, your LTV will be lower than when you originally took out the mortgage. This means that you may now be able to access better deals with lower interest rates.

Now you’ve worked out your LTV, you’re ready to start looking at the mortgage deals on the market now. You can also call us on 0330 433 2927 to speak to an adviser.