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Moving and Packing Tips for a Stress-Free Move

21 Jul 2023

Moving soon? It's never too early to get organised! Be prepared and avoid unwanted stress by checking out our list of tips to get you ready for moving day.

Mortgage Tips to Help with Higher House Prices

10 Mar 2023

Although house prices have been on the rise, purchasing a property is still cheaper in the long run than renting and it’s always worthwhile trying to get on the housing ladder.

What Does The SDLT Reduction Mean For Homeowners?

Here we have looked into SDLT in more detail and explored how the recent tax reduction can help people who want to buy a new home.

How Accurate Are Mortgage Salary Multipliers? | What Factors Affect It?

2 Aug 2022

The term ‘mortgage salary multiplier’ is used when referring to multiplying your income to calculate the maximum amount a mortgage provider would lend to you.

Common Issues Highlighted In A Full Structural Survey

27 Jul 2022

Ultimately, a full structural survey provides you with peace of mind and removes some of the risks associated with buying a property.

How The IPFA’s Whitepaper Could Benefit First-Time Buyers

1 Jul 2022

IPFA stands for ‘Industry Panel for Financial Advice’ and this panel has come together to advocate on behalf of UK financial advisers and all of the customers we serve.

What You Need To Consider When Comparing Mortgage Products

28 Apr 2022

we have put together a list of important things to consider whenever you’re comparing mortgage products from different lenders.

Top 5 Most Common Reasons Why Mortgage Applications Get Rejected

20 Apr 2022

We have listed some of the most common reasons why people are unable to get the mortgages they’ve applied for

Getting A Mortgage As A First Time Buyer | What You Need To Know

31 Jan 2022

Buying your first home comes with a mixture of emotions. Owning a property is a really exciting prospect, but the practicalities associated with actually buying a property can be quite daunting.

What Is A Mortgage And How Does It Work? | A Definitive Guide

11 Jan 2022

If you’re still trying to get to grips with what a mortgage is, below we have covered all of the basics you need to know before buying a property. 

What Credit Score Do You Need For A Mortgage? | All You Need To Know

4 Jan 2022

It is important to ensure that you’re aware of your credit score and you’re obtaining a copy of your credit report before applying for a mortgage. 

What Can Stop You From Getting A Mortgage? | Help & Advice

15 Dec 2021

If you’re wondering what can potentially stop you from getting a good mortgage deal, we have looked into some of the most common factors to be aware of. 

How To Save For A Mortgage | Our 4 Top Tips

1 Dec 2021

Nowadays 100% mortgages, also known as ‘no deposit’ mortgages, are not available and people who are looking to buy a home will require at least a 5% deposit to get a mortgage offer from a lender.

How To Get A Mortgage On A Low Income | Our 5 Top Tips

21 Nov 2021

Getting a foot on the property ladder is becoming more and more difficult for people of all ages. Not only is the price of property in many parts of the UK continuing to rise, but the majority of businesses still only pay their employees minimum wage, so many fear that they will never be able to own their own home. 

What is a Property Chain and How Does it Work?

If you’re new to buying a home, you may hear lots of familiar phrases that you don’t fully understand. One of these phrases commonly used is ‘the chain’. If you’re unsure what this is and why it’s talked about so much, we explain here.

How does a Gifted Deposit Affect a Mortgage?

A gifted deposit is a sum of money given to you by someone else, usually a member of your family. The money you are gifted must be given by way of a gift and not a loan.

Help to Get on the Property Ladder in 2021

How does a first-time buyer get onto the housing ladder? Here we make a few suggestions...

The New 2021 Help to Buy Scheme Explained

The Help to Buy scheme allows first-time buyers to purchase a new-build property with just a 5% deposit.

The Government's Mortgage Guarantee Scheme Explained

With the new mortgage guarantee scheme, even if you only have 5% deposit, you may be able to obtain a mortgage on the remaining 95% of the purchase price

New Stamp Duty Extension Explained

Rishi Sunak has announced that he is to extend the existing Stamp Duty Holiday until the end of June 2021.

The Number of Mortgages Available is Now at a 12 Year High!

Moneyfacts, the independent mortgage market monitor of all things ‘mortgage’ has reported that overall mortgage availability rose in January 2021, to 3,215 products!

Questions to Ask During a Property Viewing

The more complete a picture you can build both before and after you make your offer, the better protected you are from the unknowns in the transaction. Don’t be afraid to ask.

What is a TA10 Fittings and Contents Form?

A TA10 form is one of several forms a seller must complete during the conveyancing process. The TA10 sets out, in detail, what is or is not included in the sale of the property.

What’s So Important About the Bank of England’s Base Rate?

There are largely two main factors that drive interest rates in the UK mortgage market. They are The Bank of England’s Base Rate and LIBOR.

Lease Extension Fees - Don't Get Caught Out

Flats, in particular, are usually owned leasehold because in very simple terms, to own the freehold of a property is basically to own the land below and the air above and, in the case of a flat, clearly this isn’t possible.

The Family Springboard Mortgage from Barclays

What is the Family Springboard Mortgage?

Negotiating Tips When Buying a Property

What can you do to improve your negotiating position? Here are a few simple tips that too many people ignore.

What is the Criteria for a First Time Buyer?

The definition of a first-time buyer has been set out by the government in a guidance note published in 2018. It states the following...

Stamp Duty Holiday

The chancellor has announced a temporary holiday on stamp duty up to £500,000 as part of a number of measures to help stimulate the economy. We have listed below the key facts following this announcement.

Calling all First Time Buyers

One thing that has come out of lockdown is a steady stream of First Time Buyers ready to get on the housing ladder.

What documents do I need to support my mortgage application & when?

Applying for a mortgage can seem an intimidating and complicated process. Thankfully this is something we do every single day, so we can do much of it for you. Simple.

Where can I get an Energy Performance Certificate?

You must have an Energy Performance Certificate before you start marketing your property. Buildings that don’t need an EPC include...

Self-employed? How to Get an SA302 when making a Mortgage Application

If you are self-employed, a mortgage lender may ask you to provide a copy of your SA302.

The Latest Interest Rate Cut and How it Affects You.

Generally referred to as ‘the base rate’, when it falls it is usually (but not always) an indication that lending rates generally will also fall.

Mortgage Required Launch Video Appointments

If you can’t come to us we can quickly set up a video or phone appointment.

Video - What is the Mortgage Lending Criteria?

The mortgage lending criteria is information used to establish if mortgage lender will lend you the funds and how much they will lend to you.

Video - Buying Your Dream Home

Here is Katie, senior mortgage adviser discussing the mortgage process when buying your dream home.

Video - Government Schemes to Help First Time Buyers

Here is Katie, senior mortgage adviser discussing Government schemes available to help first time buyers get onto the property ladder. These include - Help to Buy, Help to Buy ISA, Help to Buy Shared Ownership.

Video - Mortgage Affordability

Here is Katie, senior mortgage adviser discusses mortgage affordability criteria and how a mortgage lender will base the size of your mortgage on your income.

Video - First Time Buyer Frequently Asked Mortgage Questions

Here is Katie, senior mortgage adviser answering frequently asked questions from our first time buyers.

Tips When Buying a Home with a Partner or Friend.

We have recently seen an increase in the number of people buying homes together, even though they are not married. If you are one of these people, here are a few tips to consider.

What You Should do After Receiving Your Mortgage Approval.

After receiving your mortgage offer there are a few things you should do - or rather, not do. They include...

Negotiation Tips When Making an Offer on a Property

Of course, buying your dream home means, by definition, that your heart is driving this at least as much as your head. You need to suppress your desires and keep a cool head. Don’t allow the day dreams and wishes to cloud your judgement.

Should I Use a Mortgage Broker or My Bank?

When shopping for a new mortgage, it might seem sensible to stick with the devil you know - namely, your bank. But is this really the right thing to do?

Step by Step Guide to Buying Your First Property.

Buying your first property can seem complicated but if you understand the process you can save time and money. Here is a brief guide to the process of buying your new home.

What's the Difference Between a Help to Buy ISA and Normal ISA?

With an ISA you’ll earn tax-free interest on your savings or a return on your investments. You can only open one ISA per year, but it is possible to transfer to another with another provider.

What is an Income Multiplier? | How Much Can You Lend?

An Income Multiplier is the number by which a mortgage lender will multiply your sole or joint incomes when calculating the maximum amount they are prepared to lend to you.

Critical Tips When Buying a Home with a Partner or Friend.

More of us are buying their first property with one or more friends as a first step onto the property ladder.

Here are a few tips to consider when buying a home;

What is a Guarantor Mortgage and How Does it Work?

A Guarantor Mortgage allows a third party (maybe your parents) to underwrite your mortgage repayments and obligations. But why would you want that?

What does Subject to Status mean? | The Housing Market

Once the lender has evaluated all the information you provide, they may make a mortgage offer which is, at this stage, subject to status.

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Recent posts

Selling up? It’s important to make your house as appealing as possible to potential buyers. Good decorating can help with first impressions, and increase the perceived value of your property.

With the cost of living affecting so many of us, we have made a list of budget-friendly activities and ideas for you.

Moving soon? It's never too early to get organised! Be prepared and avoid unwanted stress by checking out our list of tips to get you ready for moving day.

Inflation simply put, is the increase in the price of something over time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) tracks the prices of hundreds of everyday items and these items are updated to reflect shopping trends.

We are often asked if it's good advice to consolidate “unsecured” debt (credit cards and loans etc) into your mortgage, the answer is, sometimes

When you’re looking to buy a home, and you own a car, you ideally want to know the rules on parking in the area. Parking rules can be confusing, even for the most experienced of drivers! This is why we have written this blog to help you.

There are several potential sources you can consider when it comes to getting together a deposit to buy a property. Providing proof of the source of your deposit is a key requirement in the application process and will need to be given to both the lender and the solicitor.

Mortgage Prisoners are people who are unable to switch mortgages to a better deal, despite being up-to-date with their mortgage payments.