The Edinburgh property market in 2025/26
Edinburgh prices have outpaced wage growth significantly since 2018. Scotland's LBTT differs from SDLT — use a Scottish-specific calculation.
With an average house price of £318,000 against an average local wage of £38,750,Edinburgh’s affordability ratio currently sits at 8.2× earnings. UK lenders typically cap mortgage offers at 4-4.5× income, which gives you a useful sense of how much of the local market your salary can realistically reach.
How to use this Edinburgh mortgage calculator
- The calculator above is pre-filled with Edinburgh’s average house price (£318,000) and a 15% deposit assumption. Adjust to match your own budget.
- Set your interest rate. UK mortgage rates in 2025/26 are typically in the 4.0-5.5% range for 5-year fixed deals — use the rate offered by your lender.
- Pick a mortgage term. 25 years is the UK standard, but 35-40 year terms are increasingly common for first-time buyers in higher-priced cities like Edinburgh.
- Read off your monthly payment and the total interest paid over the term. The calculator also shows you the amortisation schedule.
What deposit do you need in Edinburgh?
Most UK mortgages require a minimum 5% deposit, though 10-15% deposits unlock noticeably better rates. On a Edinburgh first-time-buyer property of £268,000, that translates to:
- 5% deposit: £13,400 (95% LTV mortgage — narrower lender choice, higher rates)
- 10% deposit: £26,800 (90% LTV — solid middle ground)
- 15% deposit: £40,200 (85% LTV — most competitive rates start here)
- 25% deposit: £67,000 (75% LTV — best widely-available rates)
Stamp Duty differences in Scotland
Important: Scotland does not use Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) like England. Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) with different bands and rates. Factor this into your total purchase budget separately from the mortgage itself.
Related calculators
Most Edinburgh buyers will want to model the full purchase, not just the mortgage. The following VideoQuill calculators cover the next steps:
- UK Stamp Duty calculator — exact SDLT/LBTT/LTT due on your purchase price
- UK take-home pay calculator — work out the monthly net income that will cover your payment
- Savings goal calculator — plan how long it takes to reach your Edinburgh deposit
- Buy-to-let calculator — yields and cash flow if you’re investing rather than living there