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.

mortgage required challenge

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.

Recent posts

There has been a rise in both rent and mortgage costs over the last three years, with renters seeing a greater increase in their monthly payments than those with a mortgaged property.

The new Delayed Start Mortgage launched by Skipton Building Society allows first time buyers to postpone the first three mortgage payments. This product has been designed to help soften the blow of moving in costs for first time buyers. 

Mortgage lenders are starting to recognise their “Green” responsibilities when it comes to the different products they offer. 

A recent study by Boon Brokers where 1,000 people who had used an estate agent over the last year were surveyed, showed that a whopping 52% said they were pressured into using the estate agents’ in-house mortgage broker.

Analysts are predicting further rate cuts this year, with the next one possibly coming down to 4% when the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee meet on Thursday 7th August 2025.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has shared new changes to mortgage rules with the aim to simplify remortgaging, and encourage competition within the mortgage market.

Lloyds Banking Group has jumped on the bandwagon to boost lending for first-time buyers as they allocate an additional £4 billion to help first-time buyers on to the property ladder.

As the Loan to Income (LTI) cap has been increased to 5.5 times income, applicants who fit the First Time Buyer Boost criteria could borrow up to 22% more. 

The government is introducing mortgage reforms to boost homeownership, stimulate economic growth, and make the housing market more accessible, especially for first-time buyers.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced the most significant mortgage reforms in over a decade—great news for those dreaming of homeownership.