A mortgage is no more than a secured loan against an asset by way of a lien. A second charge works in exactly the same way.

In other words, a lender loans money to a borrower so that he / she may buy a property. The loan is conditional upon a variety of terms, one of which is the defined collateral for the debt. In this instance, collateral is another name for ‘security’ and this is secured by way of a lien.

The registration of a loan against a property’s title is referred to as a ‘charge’.

Most properties have only one debt registered against them (because most people take out only one loan when purchasing a property) although sometimes a borrower might extend or add to his or her mortgage during its term in order to raise money, perhaps for a home extension - or a child’s wedding.

From time to time, a home owner might be unable to raise money through their primary mortgage lender due to their circumstances or the criteria set by the lender. In these cases the homeowner may wish to borrow money but he cannot borrow it from his existing lender. In these circumstances, it is possible to raise more money by way of a secured loan, with a different lender. It is normal for the new lender to take a second charge against the borrower’s property.

A second charge is a secured loan but it will have less precedence than a first charge. If the borrower defaults on either the first or second charge, either lender can instigate repossession proceedings. However, the first charge lender gets their money first, and there may not be enough money left to repay the second charge lender. In this case, the lender will have to look at other ways to reclaim their outstanding debt.

When taking a second charge mortgage lenders will always consider the affordability of the new repayments and whether the loan will over extend their borrowings. However, in some cases borrowing by way of a secured loan is a far better way of raising money as terms are normally much cheaper and over longer periods than a shorter, unsecured loan agreement.

Here at Mortgage Required, we specialise in secured loans so please get in touch on 01628 507477 if you need more information.

Related articles:

Download our Free First Time Buyers Guide

Recent posts

If you are looking at remortgaging your property but you are unsure whether it’s the right decision, we have listed five reasons why it might be for you.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, many people across the UK are struggling financially, many of whom are finding it hard to get debt-free.

According to research by StepChange, there are five common reasons people don’t seek help and advice with debt concerns.

Friyay Rate Reviews

6 Feb 2024

Every Friday our experts search the market for the latest rates from every lender saving our clients some serious £'s!

Looking to Extend?

2 Feb 2024

Are you looking to extend your property? There are many benefits to adding an extension to your existing home, here are a few. 

Put simply, Equity Release is where you can release equity (money) tied up in your home for any purpose you like. In this short article, we share some reasons why you may want to consider Equity Release.

The team at Mortgage Required may not be able to lower the prices in your local supermarket, but we have come up with a list of tips to help you lower your food shopping bill.

Every year Big Energy Saving Week takes place to raise awareness about energy efficiency, reducing energy bills, and combating fuel poverty. Below are some ways you can get involved and hopefully make a saving!

In this blog we look at what happened in the housing market in relation to house prices last year, and look ahead at the forecast for 2024.