Deposit split calculator
Putting in different amounts? See what each of you would get back if you sold, under three common ways of splitting. Free, nothing saved.
Illustration only: ignores selling costs, tax and who paid the mortgage.
What each of you would get
Nothing written down: equal shares
Joint owners usually start from 50/50, even if one of you paid more.
Deposits back first, the rest split equally
Each gets their deposit back, then the gain is shared.
Shares in proportion to deposits
Everything split by what each of you put in.
Writing it down changes Alex's share by £15,000.
General information for England and Wales, not legal advice.
Three ways couples split it
Equal shares
Half each, even if one of you paid more. It is the usual starting point for joint owners when nothing is written down.
Deposits back first
Each of you gets your own deposit back, then the gain is shared equally.
In proportion to deposits
Everything is split by what each of you put in, so a £40,000 and £10,000 deposit share 80% and 20%.
Agreed which one suits you? See how a written agreement counts, or read the guides. If one of you is putting in more, see our guide to a joint mortgage with an unequal deposit.
Questions people ask
How do we split a house deposit when one of us pays more?
There is no single right answer. Common choices are equal shares, getting each deposit back first and splitting the rest equally, or sharing everything in proportion to what each of you put in. This calculator shows all three side by side so you can see the difference in pounds.
What happens to a bigger deposit if we write nothing down?
Where a home is owned jointly and nothing is written down, the starting point is usually equal shares, even if one of you paid more. Writing down something different, and both agreeing to it, can change that. This is general information, not legal advice.
What does 'deposits back first' mean?
When you sell and pay off the mortgage, each of you gets your own deposit back first. Whatever is left after that is the gain, and it is shared equally. If there is not enough left to return both deposits in full, the calculator shares what there is in proportion to the deposits.
Does the calculator count the mortgage payments we each make?
No. It is an illustration using the deposits, the sale price and the mortgage left to pay off. It ignores selling costs, tax, improvements and who paid the mortgage month by month. Those can matter, and are worth agreeing together.
Is my information saved or sent anywhere?
No. The sums happen in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent to us.
Which split should we choose?
That is for the two of you to decide. Many couples talk it through first, then write down what they agreed. CoHabit has a free 10-minute conversation for doing this side by side.