It’s been an interesting month at Mortgage Required, as we launched our 2016 campaign,” Saving Britain, one Mortgage at a time.” As well as making the staff dress up as Superheroes (yes really), we hit the road to take the message round the Thames Valley, that just like any other household bill, homeowners can also save money on their mortgage.

The basis of the campaign is to get people to “Take the Mortgage Required Challenge” and check what interest rate they are paying to see if it can be beaten! As we all suspected, in a lot of cases (71% at last count), it can!
Most of the people we spoke to were paying their lender’s standard variable rate, which is simply the rate the bank or building society choose to charge. This ranged from 2.5% to a staggering 5.99%!
The most interesting thing about the campaign has been the reasons given why these borrowers have done nothing previously to try to save money. In no particular order the reasons given were:
1. “I thought it would cost a lot of money to swap,” (the fees are generally nominal compared to the savings)
2. “I didn’t know I was allowed to swap lenders” (you are)
3. “It’s too long and complicated to do it,” (generally it takes 6 weeks and the savings are worth the pain!)
4. “I didn’t know where to start,” (start here!) My favourite by far is the client who told me “I think my mortgage is with Halifax,“ (it wasn’t), “I think it’s about £450 per month,” (it was £720) “but I think it’s a really good deal so I doubt I can save any money,” (we saved her £205 per month)!
It seems that although we are now all getting better at swapping our car insurance and comparing energy tariffs on line, borrowers really want to talk to someone when it comes to something as important as their mortgage. The biggest problem I am told is knowing where to find a good broker who you can trust. I suggest you ask around, take a recommendation or failing that, click here to take the Mortgage Required Challenge now or speak to a super hero mortgage adviser on 01628 507477.
Monday 22nd June saw Keir Starmer resign as Prime Minister and Labour leader. The resignation does not directly impact mortgage rates, as changes were taking place before this announcement. However, it could influence mortgage rates indirectly through financial markets and future government policies.
Homebuying reform to cut homebuying times by around four weeks, and save first-time buyers around £650, says the government.
Buying your first home is a huge milestone, but it can also be a complex process. There are several factors a first-time buyer should consider before making an offer on a property, including understanding the difference between leasehold and freehold and checking council tax bands.
We’ve detailed some questions you can ask your estate agent to help you make an informed decision.
4 days ago
Here are the lowest fixed mortgage rates of the week, available to first-time buyers, home movers, buy-to-let, and those remortgaging.
Call us for more information: 01628 507477 or email: team@mortgagerequired.com.
6 days ago
Remortgaging means switching to a new mortgage deal. This will either be with your current lender or a new one.
Getting advice and moving to a new deal when the time is right can mean lower monthly mortgage payments, better interest rates, or releasing equity from your property.
Here are some signs it may be time to remortgage.
According to Nationwide Building Society’s latest House Price Index, house prices dropped 0.6% month on month in May – the first monthly decline this year.
19 May 2026
Research from Lloyds identifies the most affordable areas in the UK for first-time buyers to be able to get onto the property ladder.
On Wednesday, 13th May, King Charles delivered his speech at the House of Lords, outlining the government’s plans for the upcoming year.
Here is a summary of the housing and energy/environment points.