House Deposit Savings Planner

Who this is for

A plan for saving a house deposit. You enter the price you are aiming at, the deposit share you want and the buying costs on top, and the sheet works out the total to find and what that means per month. The table then records each month's saving against the plan.

First-time buyers saving towards a deposit, alone or as a couple, and anyone who wants to know whether a target date is realistic before committing to it.

What this helps you track

• The deposit a target price needs at the share you have chosen
• The buying costs on top of the deposit, so the total is honest
• What is still to save once money already put by is counted
• The monthly figure needed to reach the total by your target date
• Month by month, how far along you are as a share of the target

How to use it

1. Enter the target price, the deposit percentage you want and the extra buying costs you expect, such as fees, a survey and moving.
2. Add what you have already saved and the number of months between now and your target date.
3. Read the deposit needed, total needed and monthly saving from the summary in the browser or workbook; on paper, work them out once and write them in the notes.
4. Write each month in the table with the saving you planned, then fill the actual column when the money has gone in.
5. Watch the running total and percentage columns; if actual keeps falling short, change the target date or price rather than the maths.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What deposit percentage should I use?

The one that fits your own plans and the lenders you are looking at. The sheet does not suggest a figure; it works out what your chosen percentage means in money and per month.

What counts as extra buying costs?

Anything you will pay on top of the deposit to complete the purchase and move in: legal fees, surveys, any purchase taxes where you are, removals and first essentials. Use quotes where you have them and your own estimates where you do not.

Does the running total include what I had already saved?

The running total column adds up the actual savings in the table. The total put by column then adds your starting savings, so the percentage of target reflects everything you have.

Can a couple use one sheet?

Yes. Enter the combined starting savings and record combined monthly deposits, or use the note column to show who paid in what if you want to keep it separate.