I can’t moan about the persistent rain, so far all my family has had to endure is endless cancelled football matches and a brimming cess pit – which I won’t go into.

The news is full of whole communities, cut off from their homes and businesses, clearly spending their time trying to save their homes and possessions rather than popping off to work as usual.

Besides the obvious problem of claiming on insurance for flood damage, it got me thinking, how are these people going to cope with their loss of earnings? If they were ill they would at least get something, but as far as I know “Can’t get to work because there is a river downstairs in my house,” won’t get a pay-out from anyone.

Thankfully, some banks have announced a range of support for flood victims; Santander said it would offer free overdraft extensions and mortgage payment holidays to customers who have been affected by the flooding. Last week The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) group - which includes NatWest announced that RBS and NatWest mortgage customers with flooded homes will be able to apply for a three month mortgage repayment holiday.

Hopefully by the time this article has been printed, other lenders will have come out in sympathy with the thousands of families battling short-term financial difficulties as they work to recover from the floods.

I would urge anyone having trouble paying their loan (for any reason) to contact their mortgage provider. There are a number of steps they can take to help including payment holidays, accepting interest only or reduced payments for a period of time. The key is to keep the dialogue going, so please contact them as soon as you can. And to anyone who has been affected by the recent flooding – may I wish you the very best of luck with the recovery operation!

For more information contact us on 01628 507477.

 

Recent posts

The UK’s chancellor, Rachel Reeves will deliver the Labour government’s autumn budget at the end of the month, we take a look at what could be announced in relation to housing.

Recent research from Halifax has revealed the most sought-after locations for first time buyers in Britain.  

The data which was taken from the Halifax House Price Index looked at areas outside of London where those looking to purchase their first property were buying. Despite high property prices and increased rates, these first time buyer hotspots have remained popular.   

Taking care of your mental health means looking after your emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. There are several ways we can practice self-care that will help to improve our physical and mental health. This can help to reduce our risk of illness, manage stress, and boost our energy levels!

Buying your first home is very exciting but it can also be very daunting which is why we have set out a “to do list” to help you get started. 

With UK inflation remaining at 2.2% which is slightly above the Bank of England’s 2% target, the decision was made on Thursday 19th September to keep the base rate at 5%.

Virgin Money and Hive Energy introduce new "green" mortgage product called Retrofit Boost Mortgage with the aim to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their home by offering cashback between £3,000 and £15,000

According to recent findings by LV= where 4,000 UK adults were surveyed, mortgage holders said that were likely to consider equity release to free up some money to take care of expenditures in later life.

Following the recent decision by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee to cut the base rate from 5.25% to 5% (the first reduction seen in over four years), we have seen lots of lenders reducing their rates to remain competitive.