Route 1
Rent versus buy
Best when the decision is still open and you want the medium-term cost and flexibility picture first.
Pick the property decision first
Route 2
Buying and moving
Best when the purchase is happening and you need the borrowing, tax and wrapper support pieces together.
Route 3
Landlord and disposal maths
Best when the question is about rental yield, Section 24 drag or CGT after the property is sold.
Core property tools
Decision
Rent vs Buy
Compare medium-term ownership with renting and investing the difference.
Borrowing
Mortgage Calculator
Test monthly cost, term length and the impact of overpayments.
Transaction tax
Stamp Duty
Check the England and Northern Ireland purchase tax quickly.
Wrapper
Lifetime ISA
Model the bonus and the first-home support angle before purchase.
Landlord
Buy-to-Let
Check yield, tax drag and the landlord-side cashflow picture.
Disposal
Property CGT
Estimate the gain and tax before selling an investment property.
Guides and rule checks
Guide
First-Time Buyer Guide
Use the full process guide when the calculator answers are not enough on their own.
Rules
UK rules by nation
Check SDLT, childcare and related nation-specific edges before assuming one rule set fits all.
Update
Tax-year update hub
Best for the pages worth reopening after a fiscal event or rate change.
The full topic map
UK property decisions touch tax (SDLT, CGT, IHT), finance (mortgage, lifetime cost), and life stages (first home, BTL, downsize, inherit). This hub maps the full territory of UK Tax Drag's property content — calculator tools, decision guides, tax explainers and real scenarios.
Buying your first home
First-time buyers in the UK get SDLT relief up to £500,000 (£300,000 nil-rate, then 5% to £500k). Pair that with a Lifetime ISA for the 25% government bonus on deposit savings. Stay below the £450k LISA property cap to avoid penalty on withdrawal.
- First-time buyer guide — the full UK FTB roadmap from saving the deposit to completion
- LISA calculator — see the 25% bonus impact on different contribution patterns
- Stamp duty calculator — FTB-aware SDLT calculation
- LISA vs SIPP — when LISA wins for first-home savings vs general retirement
- Buying with parent help — gifted deposits, joint mortgages, IHT considerations
Mortgages, remortgages and overpayment
UK mortgage rates settled in the 4-5% range through 2026. Decisions span fixed vs tracker, term length, overpayment vs invest, and the remortgage break-even after ERC. The framework: total 5-year cost, not just monthly payment.
- Mortgage calculator — monthly payment + total interest by term
- Remortgage break-even — when switching early to a lower rate pays off
- Overpay vs invest — the mathematics of mortgage rate vs investment return
- Rent vs buy calculator — 10-year cost framework
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
SDLT is the single biggest transaction cost on UK property. Rates differ by buyer type (FTB, owner-occupier, BTL/second home, non-resident). The 5% surcharge on additional properties adds significant cost. Scotland uses LBTT and Wales uses LTT with different bands.
- SDLT calculator — all bands + surcharges
- Second-home SDLT — the 5% additional rate
- 5% surcharge deep dive — reliefs, refunds, exceptions
Buy-to-let landlording
Section 24 mortgage interest relief cap (basic-rate credit only) hit BTL profitability hard from 2020. Many landlords now consider Ltd company SPV structures, but the transfer triggers CGT + SDLT. Long-term yield and CGT on disposal still drive the maths.
- BTL calculator — cash-on-cash + yield
- Full BTL landlord guide — tax, structure, growing a portfolio
- CGT on property sale — 60-day reporting + 18%/24% rates
- Landlord capital allowances — what can and can't be deducted
Selling, downsizing, inheriting
Selling your primary residence is usually fully CGT-exempt. BTL or second homes trigger CGT at 18% (basic-rate band) / 24% (higher-rate). Inherited property gets a CGT uplift at death, but enters IHT at full market value.
- CGT on property — rates and 60-day reporting
- CGT on inherited assets — how the uplift works
- Probate + IHT — the full process when someone dies
- IHT calculator — estate value vs allowances
Costs of living + regional differences
UK property prices and rents vary 3-5x between regions. Combined with regional differences in council tax bands and commute costs, the "where to live" decision is heavily geography-driven.
- Cost of living comparison — UK city by city
- Best UK cities ranked — by affordability + jobs
- Cost of living: London — London-specific premiums
- Cost of living: Manchester — Northwest benchmark
Editorial accountability
Open Trust Centre →
How UK Tax Drag holds itself to account
Every page is reviewed against the editorial standards, written from primary sources, sourced openly, and corrected publicly. No affiliate revenue. No sponsored content. No paid placements.