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What can I afford?
From income and savings, the way banks calculate with a stress rate – an estimate.
Estimate · the banks' average stress rate 2023 (FI): 6.6 %
up to SEK 5.82m
roughly what a bank may arrive at – an estimate, not a loan offer
- The home's price
- SEK 5.82m
- Loanloan-to-value 90 %
- SEK 5.24m
- Down paymentsavings less buying costs SEK 17,072
- SEK 582,928
- The limitThe loan may be at most 90 % – the down payment sets the ceiling
- The savings
- Left to live on at 6.6 %after living costs, housing, loans and amortisation
- SEK 1,066/month
- A month at today's rate 2.72 %interest after the reduction, amortisation and housing
- SEK 21,556/month
- Banks test whether you can carry a higher rate than today's – a stress rate – in a 'left to live on' calculation. Finansinspektionen: the banks' average stress rate was 6.6 % in 2023 and close to 7 % in 2016–2020. Every bank has its own; change it here.
- The margin is thin: Finansinspektionen counts a surplus under SEK 2,000 a month in the banks' calculation as small – almost one in five new mortgage households had that in 2024.
- The interest deduction (30 % of interest, 21 % above SEK 100,000 a year) is deducted in the calculation and needs enough tax to reduce (Income Tax Act ch. 67 s. 10).
- Living costs are yours: Konsumentverket publishes example household costs each year (konsumentverket.se) – they cover about 40 % of a household's spending and not housing or travel.
How this is worked out
We find the highest price P where (1) the loan = P − (savings − buying costs) is at most 90 % of P (Act 2026:226 s. 4) and (2) net income − living costs − other loans − housing − (interest at the stress rate − tax reduction) ÷ 12 − amortisation ÷ 12 ≥ 0. Rounded down to tens of thousands. An estimate: every bank calculates its own way.
Rules and sources
- Act (2026:226) on limiting mortgage credit – s. 4 loans at most 90 % of the value, s. 5 top-ups at most 80 %, s. 7 amortisation 1 % above 50 % and 2 % above 70 %, s. 10 new-builds up to five years · in force from 1 Apr 2026 · read 4 Nov 2026
- Finansinspektionen: the Swedish mortgage market (7 March 2024) – the banks' left-to-live-on test; average stress rate 6.6 % in 2023 (FI's latest stated level; the 2 April 2025 report gives none) · read 4 Nov 2026
- Finansinspektionen: the Swedish mortgage market (2 April 2025) – a surplus under SEK 2,000 a month in the banks' test counts as small; almost 20 % of buyers in 2024 · read 4 Nov 2026
- Income Tax Act (1999:1229) – ch. 45 s. 33 and ch. 46 s. 18 22/30 of the gain, 50 % of a loss; ch. 47 deferral; ch. 65 s. 7 30 %; ch. 67 s. 10 tax reduction 30 %/21 % · read 4 Nov 2026
- Konsumentverket: household costs – estimated household costs for 2026 – a guide to living costs · read 4 Nov 2026
- Statistics Sweden: financial market statistics, Sept 2026 – average rate on new mortgages: variable 2.72 %, fixed 3 months–1 year 3.04 %, 1–5 years 3.39 % – the pre-filled rate · read 4 Nov 2026
General information – not financial or legal advice.