Congratulations on starting the journey to home ownership. It's an exciting stage in your life, and we're here to help you every step of the way with common-sense advice and information. Whether you're preparing financially, searching for the right lender, going through the mortgage process, or looking for savings, you'll find help here. Working out how much you can afford to pay is a vital part of your home buying strategy. It gives you a clear indication of your house price range and the size of mortgage your budget can handle.

The general rule is that your household expenses should not add up to more than 40% of your household income, before taxes. Household expenses typically include property taxes, heating costs, mortgage payments and condominium fees as well as any payments on outstanding loans, leases and credit card balances. Your household income includes your salary and any other income you declare.

We have several calculators to help calculate what you can afford. This calculator will also help you estimate the size of your mortgage and your monthly mortgage payments. This section explains why it's important to have a written, detailed budget. It helps you pay attention to how you spend.