You need to weigh the benefits of increasing your deposit against the need to withhold money for upgrades and emergencies.

Maximizing a down payment for a house can make sense: the higher the down payment, the lower the monthly mortgage bill, and the faster the capital builds up.

However, if you leave too much of it on the floor, you might not have enough money to maintain your house or anything.

To find the right amount, you need to balance the benefits of increasing your down payment with the need to save money for urgent updates, life’s emergencies, and the enjoyment of your new home.

“There really is no one-size-fits-all solution,” said Jason Speciner, a certified financial planner in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Impact of a higher down payment

The number of down payments affecting a monthly mortgage payment is significant. Some lenders only require a 3% down payment on traditional home loans, which makes it easier to get started, but means getting into more debt than larger down payments.

Many borrowers wonder if they should get a little more together, around 5% versus 3%, says Rick Bechtel, head of U.S. home loans at TD Bank. But that probably wouldn’t make enough of a difference in monthly mortgage payments to justify getting you in trouble, he says.

“The need for money after graduation is more and more important and sometimes much greater than expected,” he says.

However, a larger down payment can make a significant difference if mortgage insurance is reduced or avoided. Insurance, which can include prepayments and monthly fees, protects the lender when the borrower doesn’t pay. Depending on the type of loan, a larger down payment can eliminate some, if not all, of these costs.

Kristin Phillips, the psychologist from Tampa, Fla., And the author of The Debt Shrink blog says she and her husband Brandon couldn’t leave the traditional 20% but wanted to leave more than the minimum when they bought a home. In 2013.

“Ten percent was a good compromise,” she says. This kept the monthly mortgage below 25% of their income so they could live comfortably. Over time, they made additional mortgage payments to raise enough capital to abolish private mortgage insurance.

Borrow carefully

When deciding on the amount of the advance, consider its impact on other aspects of your budget.

According to the 2018 Bank of the West Millennial study, 29% of homeowners between the ages of 21 and 34 took out loans from a retirement account to fund down payments.

However, the decision should not be taken lightly. Borrowing from a 401 (k) is particularly risky. After losing a job, the loan must be paid on the next tax filing date or taxed as ordinary income with a 10% penalty if the payment is made 59 and a half years ago.

Using a Roth IRA to increase your down payment is a better option, says Aaron Clarke, a certified financial planner and financial advisor at Halpern Financial in Ashburn, Virginia. There are no taxes or penalties for withdrawing contributions. First-time buyers who have contributed to a Roth for at least five years can withdraw up to $10,000 in contributions, excluding taxes and penalties.

However, Linda Rogers, a certified financial planner and owner of Planning Within Reach in Memphis, Tennessee, does not recommend taking out old age credit. Still, many people are behind in savings, he says, and borrowing from an IRA means losing growth tax-free.

Expect the unexpected

34% of first-time buyers say that after buying their current home, they no longer feel financially secure after buying their current home. This emerges from the 2019 NerdWallet Homebuyers Report, which is based in part on a survey of 2,029 adults from the Harris Survey for NerdWallet.

To ensure safety, you shouldn’t be spending your savings on down payment and closing costs. Leave a little for emergencies, like a car breakdown.

Expect the unexpected

34% of first-time buyers say that after buying their current home, they no longer feel financially secure after buying their current home. This emerges from the NerdWallet Homebuyer Report 2019, which was in part based on a survey of 2029 Erwa.