The short answer
A £350,000 property with a £70,000 deposit (20%, 80% LTV) leaves a £280,000 loan. As a repayment mortgage at 5.5% over 30 years, that's £1,589.81 a month and £292,331.31 in total interest — and the loan is fully cleared. As interest-only, the payment drops to £1,283.33, but total interest climbs to £462,000.00, and the full £280,000 is still owed at the end.
Key takeaways
- £350,000 property, £70,000 deposit: 80% LTV, £280,000 loan.
- Repayment at 5.5% over 30 years: £1,589.81/month, £292,331.31 total interest, loan fully repaid.
- Interest-only at the same rate and term: £1,283.33/month (£306.48 less), but £462,000.00 in total interest and the full £280,000 principal still due at the end.
- Stamp Duty, solicitor fees, and valuation costs are separate from the monthly repayment figure and need their own budget line.
Loan-to-value: why 80% is a common line
LTV = Loan Amount ÷ Property Price × 100
= £280,000 ÷ £350,000 × 100 = 80%
Lenders price mortgages in LTV bands, and 80% is a frequently used threshold — dropping below it (a bigger deposit) often unlocks noticeably better rates, since the lender's risk of loss in a repossession scenario is lower. Checking where a deposit lands relative to the nearest LTV band (75%, 80%, 90%) before finalizing it can be worth a small delay to save for a slightly larger deposit.
Repayment vs interest-only: the full picture
On the same £280,000 loan at 5.5% over 30 years, the two structures look close month to month but diverge sharply over the full term:
| Repayment | Interest-Only | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly payment | £1,589.81 | £1,283.33 |
| Total interest | £292,331.31 | £462,000.00 |
| Balance at end of term | £0 | £280,000 |
Because the interest-only balance never shrinks, every single month's interest is charged on the full original £280,000 — not a declining balance — which is why total interest ends up £169,668.69 higher despite the lower monthly cost. Interest-only only makes sense with a credible, funded plan to repay that £280,000 separately, whether through investments, savings, or the eventual sale of the property.
Related calculators
- Mortgage Calculator — the US-style PITI version with property tax, insurance, and PMI.
- Mortgage Amortization Calculator — see the full month-by-month schedule behind a repayment mortgage.
- Canadian Mortgage Calculator — compare against Canada's semi-annual compounding convention.