Dependants and household shape
Children and other dependants add ongoing costs, and lenders allow for them. A couple with no dependants and a couple with three will be assessed very differently on the same pay.
Existing debts and card limits
A car loan, a personal loan or buy-now-pay-later commitments each take a bite out of the surplus a mortgage has to fit into.
Credit card and overdraft limits count even when nothing is owed, because the limit could be drawn at any time.
Employment type and how steady the income looks
Permanent salaried work is the simplest for a lender to assess. Contract, casual, commission-based and self-employed income usually need more history before they are counted, and sometimes they are counted only in part.
Living costs and other commitments
Insurance, childcare, transport, school fees, support payments and everyday spending all shift the result. So does the deposit or equity you bring, because that sets how much you actually need to borrow.
An illustrative comparison
Picture two households earning the same amount. One has no dependants, no consumer debt, no credit cards and modest spending. The other has two children, a car loan, a sizeable unused card limit and higher monthly outgoings.
The first household will be assessed as having far more room for repayments, so the loan a lender is comfortable with will be noticeably larger. The example is illustrative only — your own result depends entirely on your own numbers.
Where to from here
Comparing yourself to someone else is guesswork. Running your own details takes a few minutes and gives you a range based on your situation rather than theirs.