Estimated maximum release
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We use the maximum loan-to-value for your age. You do not need to give any personal details.
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Illustrative only. The estimate uses the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) for each age on our partner's lender panel (July 2026 criteria, see sources). It is not an offer of credit. What you could actually release depends on the lender's valuation, your property, your health and the plan you choose, and many people release less than the maximum. Advice is required before you proceed with equity release.
Information, not adviceThis page explains how equity release works in general. It is not a recommendation. Equity release is not right for everyone: an adviser will look at your circumstances, your options and the costs before recommending anything, and you will need independent legal advice before any plan completes.
How the estimate is worked out
Take the youngest age
Lenders use the age of the youngest homeowner, even on a joint plan.
Find the maximum LTV for that age
It rises with age: from 25% at 55 to 54% at 80 and over on the panel used here. The full table is on our LTV calculator.
Multiply by the property value
That gives the most that could be released before any mortgage is repaid.
Repay any mortgage
Any existing mortgage has to be paid off from the money released, so it comes off the total.
Three worked examples
| Youngest age | Property value | Maximum LTV | Maximum release | Mortgage | Estimated cash |
|---|
| 65 | £300,000 | 38.5% | £115,500 | £0 | £115,500 |
| 68 | £400,000 | 41% | £164,000 | £40,000 | £124,000 |
| 80 | £250,000 | 54% | £135,000 | £0 | £135,000 |
Based on the July 2026 maximum LTVs used on this page, before fees and costs.
What can make the figure lower
The lender's valuation
The percentage is applied to the lender's valuation, not your own estimate.
Your property
Lenders may lend less, or not at all, on some flats, ex-local-authority homes or homes of non-standard construction, and most have a minimum property value.
The rate you choose
The highest LTVs are usually only available on the more expensive rates.
Releasing less
You do not have to take the maximum. Taking less, or using drawdown and taking money only when you need it, means less interest builds up.
Health and lifestyle
Some lenders offer more if you have certain health conditions, so your own figure could be higher or lower.
Set-up costs
Advice, valuation, legal and lender fees can apply. See rates and costs.
How the amount you owe grows
With most lifetime mortgages you make no monthly repayments, so interest is added to the loan each month and is then charged interest itself. Here is how £50,000 would grow at 6.25% a year (MER), the lowest advertised lifetime mortgage rate in September 2026, with no repayments.
| After | Amount owed |
|---|
| 5 years | £68,286 |
| 10 years | £93,261 |
| 15 years | £127,369 |
| 20 years | £173,952 |
Illustration only, at a fixed rate with interest added monthly. Most plans now let you make some repayments to reduce this. Plans that meet Equity Release Council standards include a no negative equity guarantee: you or your estate will never owe more than the value of your home when it is sold.
Things to think aboutEquity release will involve a home reversion plan or a lifetime mortgage, which is secured against your property and will reduce the value of your estate and impact funding long-term care. Equity release requires paying off any existing mortgage. Any money released, plus accrued interest, would be repaid upon death, or moving into long-term care. Releasing equity may affect your entitlement to means-tested benefits.
Questions
Is this calculator an offer?
No. It gives an estimate based on published maximum loan-to-value figures. Only a lender can make an offer, after a valuation and an application made through an adviser.
Why does my age matter so much?
A lifetime mortgage is usually repaid when the last homeowner dies or moves into long-term care. The older you are, the shorter the expected term, so lenders will release a higher percentage of the value.
Do people usually take the maximum?
Many do not. In the third quarter of 2026 the average new lump sum lifetime mortgage was £112,822 and the average first drawdown was £58,473, according to the Equity Release Council.
What is the minimum age?
For a lifetime mortgage you must usually be at least 55. Home reversion plans often start at 60 or 65.
Sources
- Maximum LTV by age: maximum loan-to-value criteria on our partner Age Partnership’s lender panel, July 2026 (the same figures as our LTV calculator). Individual lenders publish their own limits.
- Lowest advertised lifetime mortgage rate of 6.25% MER: publicly advertised rates checked on 27 September 2026 by Trusted Equity Release.
- Average new lump sum (£112,822) and initial drawdown (£58,473), Q3 2026: Equity Release Council quarterly data, published 26 October 2026.
- Minimum ages and the no negative equity guarantee: MoneyHelper, “What is equity release?”, and the Equity Release Council standards.
Figures are checked when the page is updated and can change. Your own figures will come from the lender and your adviser.