Free tools

Everything worth checking before you buy

Stamp duty, council tax, EPC ratings, a mortgage calculator, the schemes people miss, and where to actually find a lender. No account, no email, every figure sourced or clearly labelled where it isn’t.

Stamp duty calculator

The statutory rates for a home in England, with first-time buyer relief applied where it genuinely applies.

Property details

Enter the price and who’s buying

Purchase price

£50k£2m

I am a…

First-time buyerBuying my first propertyMoving homeSelling my current home to buy this oneAdditional propertyBuy-to-let or a second home

Stamp duty to pay

£0

Nothing to pay at this price

Total purchase cost

£300,000

Property price + stamp duty

That’s the one-off cost. The monthly one is the bigger question, and the demo shows how we answer it.

How stamp duty works

Council tax checker

Type a postcode and see which council bills it, what every band pays this year, and how that compares with the rest of England.

How council tax works

EPC checker

Type a postcode and see every certificated home on it, straight from the official register.

How EPC ratings work

Mortgage calculator

A standard repayment mortgage calculator: pick a price, a deposit, a rate and a term, and see the monthly payment, loan-to-value, and total interest.

Your details

Adjust the sliders to calculate

Property price£300,000

£50k£1.5m

Deposit£30,000

£0£500k

Interest rate4.5%

1%10%

Term25 years

5 yrs40 yrs

Monthly payment

£1,501

per month

Loan amount

£270,000

Loan to value

90%

Total interest

£180,224

Total repayment

£450,224

Estimates only, on a standard repayment mortgage. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments. Real lenders quote based on your income, credit history and circumstances, and rates vary between them.

That’s the mortgage on its own. See how it fits alongside everything else you’d budget for in the live demo.

How this calculator works

Hidden gems for first-time buyers

Government schemes worth knowing about, most of which nobody mentions until you’ve already ruled yourself out. Pick one to see the actual numbers.

Lifetime ISA (LISA)

The government adds 25% on top of what you save towards a first home, up to £1,000 a year.

Government bonus: 25% on what you pay in
Maximum bonus per year: £1,000
You can pay in up to: £4,000 a year
Minimum age to open one: 18
Must open one before you turn: 40
Maximum property price it can go towards: £450,000
Must hold the account before buying with it: At least 12 months
Charge for withdrawing it for anything else: 25%

Mortgage lenders and brokers

The Bank of England’s own base rate, and plain links to lenders and whole-of-market brokers who work with first-time buyers. No affiliate links, no commission, just where to actually start looking.

Bank of England base rate

3.75%

Held since 18 December 2025. Next review 17 September 2026.

Nationwide

Bank or building society

Popular

Visit Nationwide

HSBC UK

Bank or building society

Visit HSBC UK

Barclays

Bank or building society

Visit Barclays

Halifax

Bank or building society

Visit Halifax

Santander

Bank or building society

Visit Santander

NatWest

Bank or building society

Visit NatWest

Lloyds Bank

Bank or building society

Visit Lloyds Bank

Skipton Building Society

Bank or building society

Visit Skipton Building Society

Habito

Whole-of-market broker

Broker

Visit Habito

Mojo Mortgages

Whole-of-market broker

Broker

Visit Mojo Mortgages

Tembo

Specialist broker

Broker

Visit Tembo

Plain links to each lender or broker’s own site, in no particular order. The First Move has no partnership or payment arrangement with any of them, and listing one here isn’t a recommendation. Rates and eligibility are set by each lender, not by us, so compare more than one before deciding.

Built by The First Move, the tool that works out what a home actually costs each month once you own it. See what it costs to live in every English council area, read the guide, or try the live demo.