Down Payment Savings Plan
Work out how much to save or invest every month to reach your property down payment by a target date, allowing for returns and property price inflation.
A down payment target is a moving one: while you save, the property price is usually rising too. Planning against today's price is how buyers end up perpetually two years away.
This works out the monthly investment needed to reach the down payment and the stamp duty by your target date, on the price as it will be then rather than as it is now.
How the target is built
Future price = today's price × (1 + inflation)^years
Cash needed = future price × (down payment % + stamp duty %)
Monthly investment = the SIP that grows the shortfall to that figure by the target date
A worked example
An ₹80 lakh flat, buying in 3 years, prices rising 6%: the property will cost about ₹95.3 lakh, and at 20% down plus 7% duty you need ₹25.7 lakh in cash. ₹5 lakh already saved grows to about ₹6.7 lakh at 10%, leaving ₹19 lakh to fund — roughly ₹45,500 a month. In a 3% savings account you would need about ₹57,000 a month instead.
Where to keep the money
- Under 3 years: debt funds, fixed deposits or an RD. Equity is too volatile for a date-certain goal.
- 3–5 years: a conservative hybrid or a mix, shifting to debt as the date approaches.
- Over 5 years: equity can carry more of the load, but move it to debt in the final 18 months so a market fall cannot postpone the purchase.
Returns are assumptions, not promises, and the property-inflation figure is the least predictable input here. Re-run it yearly with the actual prices you are seeing.
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Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
How much should I save monthly for a house down payment?
It depends on the price, your horizon and returns. For an ₹80 lakh flat in three years with ₹5 lakh saved, roughly ₹45,000 a month at a 10% return. A longer horizon reduces it sharply.
Should I invest the down payment in equity?
Only if the purchase is more than five years away, and even then shift to debt in the final stretch. A market drawdown right before you buy can delay the purchase by years.
Should I include stamp duty in the goal?
Yes. It is 5–8% of the price, no lender funds it, and it is the most commonly forgotten item in a down payment plan.
Is it better to wait and save more or buy sooner with a bigger loan?
If prices rise faster than you save, waiting costs you. If prices are flat, waiting reduces the loan and total interest. The buy vs rent calculator models the trade-off over a full horizon.
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