Borrowing capacity calculator

How the calculation works

The maximum monthly payment equals 35% of your net income, minus the loan repayments you already make. The amount you can borrow is then derived from the annuity formula for a loan with constant payments: principal = payment × (1 − (1 + r)^−n) ÷ r, where r is the monthly rate (annual rate ÷ 12) and n the number of payments.

The cost of interest is the difference between the total you repay (payment × n) and the amount borrowed. The total budget adds your deposit to the amount borrowed.

• Check example: €200,000 at 3.5% over 20 years gives a monthly payment of €1,159.92.
• At 0%, the principal is simply the monthly payment multiplied by the number of months.

What the estimate does not include

The calculated payment is assumed to include borrower insurance, as in the 35% rule. But the rate you enter here excludes insurance: in practice, insurance will reduce the amount you can borrow. Notary, guarantee and arrangement fees are not deducted from the total budget: allow for them out of your deposit.

Lastly, the calculator ignores your disposable income, your savings, the stability of your income and your account statements, which banks also examine. It replaces neither a bank simulation nor professional advice.

Terms and rates

Since 2022, France’s High Council for Financial Stability (HCSF) has required banks not to exceed a 25-year term, with some flexibility up to 27 years for a new-build purchase with a deferral period. The calculator accepts up to 30 years so that you can compare, but a long term sharply increases the cost of interest. For the rate, enter the one from your offer or a quote: it moves with the market.