How much cash do you really need to buy a home?
The price on the listing is only part of the story. To buy a property you need a down payment plus a stack of upfront costs — taxes, notary, registry and agency fees — that can add up to a significant percentage of the price. This calculator adds it all up so you know the total cash you need before you start house-hunting.
Enter the property price and your financing percentage, and the tool breaks down exactly how much money you need on day one.
Where the upfront money goes
The total cash to close a purchase is usually made up of:
- Down payment — the part of the price the mortgage does not cover. If the bank finances 80%, your down payment is 20%.
- Purchase taxes — transfer tax on a resale home, or VAT on a new build, as a percentage of the price.
- Fixed costs — notary, land registry, agency and administrative fees.
- Linked products — insurance or other products the bank bundles with the mortgage.
Add them together and the real cash needed is often 10–15% above the down payment alone.
A worked example
On a 300,000 property financed at 80%:
| Item | Approx. amount |
|---|---|
| Down payment (20%) | 60,000 |
| Taxes (≈10%) | 30,000 |
| Notary, registry, agency | 6,000 |
| Total upfront cash | ≈ 96,000 |
The buyer needs around 96,000 in cash — well above the 60,000 down payment most people budget for.
Why buyers underestimate the cash needed
Most buyers focus on the down payment and forget the closing costs. Between taxes and fees, the gap is large enough that people are sometimes approved for a mortgage but still cannot complete the purchase, because they lack the extra cash. Knowing the full number in advance avoids that trap.
How to use this calculator
- Property price — the purchase price of the home.
- Financing percentage — how much of the price the mortgage covers (e.g. 80%). The rest is your down payment.
- Interest rate and term — used to estimate the mortgage payment.
- Taxes — transfer tax or VAT, as a percentage of the price.
- Fixed costs — notary, registry, agency and other one-off fees.
- Linked products — insurance or other products the bank bundles with the mortgage.
Once you know the cash you need, model the loan itself in detail with the mortgage calculator to see the monthly payment and amortization schedule. And to make sure the down payment you are saving keeps its value, check the inflation calculator.