Buying with friends

With the average first time buyer now in their 30s it’s not surprising that some buyers decide to team up with a friend of relative to get on the property ladder. Raising a deposit as a pair or a group is much easier than doing it on your own, as too is managing mortgage repayments.…

How to improve your credit rating

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will want to make sure you’re able to afford the repayments and can manage your finances well. One of the things they’ll look at will be your credit score. You can check your credit score for free via sites like Experian. If yours isn’t as good as…

Stamp Duty cut already helping FTBs

It’s been less than two months since chancellor Philip Hammond announced Stamp Duty was to be scrapped for first time buyers of properties up to £300,000 yet the initiative is already having a considerable impact, according to the government. A statement released by Downing Street revealed over 16,000 first time buyers have already saved thousands…

Is now the time to fix?

It’s one of the most difficult decisions to make when taking out a mortgage – should you fix or not? There are of course benefits to both. Fixing your mortgage rate gives you the security of knowing what you’re paying each month, making it easier to budget and plan ahead. Meanwhile opting for a variable…

Stamp Duty Hopes

With just days to go until Chancellor Philip Hammond unveils his Budget speculation is mounting that a Stamp Duty holiday may be on the cards. The Chancellor is under pressure to cut the tax for first time buyers in order to help more borrowers get on the property ladder. And several recent studies have shown…

Interest rates rise

For the first time in 10 years, the Bank of England base rate has risen and, understandably, consumers are feeling a little concerned. So what does it mean for you? Well, that all depends on what type of mortgage you have. If you have a fixed rate mortgage you won’t see any change. As the…

Race to remortgage

If you’re a mortgage holder you may well have been been enjoying a fantastic rate in recent years. Interest rates have been at a record lows since 2009 and those borrowers on their lender’s Standard Variable Rate (SVR) have certainly felt the benefit. SVRs tend to move in line with Bank of England base rate…