PlexSolutions

UK Housing & State-Finance Model – Methodology

How the model works

The tool models the re-capture of savings from a bond-based, borrower-owned mortgage reform, following the bond-funded model proven across several continental northern European countries (similar – but not identical – systems exist in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Finland). All key figures are editable inputs – decision-makers at Treasury and Downing Street can adjust any assumption to their own judgement and see the results change in real time.

Three independent benefit streams are computed over a user-set political horizon (years + months):

  1. Households – the gap between the standard bank mortgage rate and the bond-based rate, applied to the average outstanding mortgage, across converting homes.
  2. State – debt-cost – a conservative "credibility gain" on the UK's ~£2.7tn public-sector net debt from a deeper, AAA-grade fixed-income ecosystem.
  3. State – tax, benefits & land – VAT and income-tax/NIC recapture of re-spent household income; reduced social-benefit cost per converting home; and a captured share of land-value uplift.

The state's captured revenue then splits (user-tunable) between green infrastructure / NHS and state debt reduction.

Default inputs & sources

Defaults are deliberately conservative starting points and must be updated to current official data before external use.

InputDefaultBasis / source
Bond-based mortgage rate4.0%Conservative opening value; continental northern European covered-bond pricing is typically below standard bank rates
Current bank mortgage rate4.9%Bank of England base rate held at 3.75% (Jul 2026); typical 2–5yr fixed rates 4.5–5%
Average outstanding mortgage£165kBank of England / NimbleFins ~£163,098 (Dec 2025); new-mortgage avg ~£205k (Q1 2026)
UK mortgage stock8.5mUK Finance: 8,501,000 residential mortgages outstanding; £1,746bn total (BoE 2026 Q1)
Reprice / conversion cycle3 yrTypical UK mortgage repricing every 2–5 years
Time to pass legislation0.5 yrUser-estimate: enabling act through both chambers in ~6 months
Gilt credibility gain25 bpsIllustrative, deliberately conservative; tunable
Benefit saving / home£2,400/yrIllustrative average of reduced unemployment/housing benefit; tunable
VAT / income-tax recapture20% / 33%UK standard VAT 20%; combined marginal income tax + NIC ~30–35%
Land-value uplift & share£12k / 30%Illustrative; the state's capture of land-value uplift on released land

All illustrative parameters are flagged as such and are fully editable in the model.

Deliberately excluded from the headline

The model does not claim that UK gilts become structurally cheaper solely because of mortgage bonds. Sovereign yields are driven primarily by inflation expectations, monetary policy, fiscal credibility and currency risk. The credibility gain input captures the modest, defensible contribution from a strengthened fixed-income ecosystem – and it is tunable to zero if the user judges it nil.

Direct sources

Illustrative modelling for policy discussion. Not financial advice; not an OBR or HMT product. Figures should be verified against current official data before any external use. This tool does not constitute an offer or commitment.