News and guides

Information & Guides · 12 October 2024 · 8 min

HMO buy-to-let mortgages: a guide for landlords (including first-timers)

An HMO mortgage is a buy-to-let loan for a property shared by tenants from different households. Here’s how lenders assess them, why rates are higher, and how first-time and student landlords can get one.

Information & Guides · 11 October 2024 · 5 min

Bridging loan exit strategies: how to plan your way out before you borrow

A bridging loan exit strategy is how you repay the whole loan when its term ends. What lenders and FCA rules expect, the main exits, and what happens if your sale or refinance is delayed.

News · 9 October 2024 · 6 min

Swap rates explained: what they are and why they move mortgage rates

Swap rates are what lenders use to price fixed mortgages. Here’s what UK swap rates are, why they rise and fall, how they differ from Bank Rate, and what September 2026’s rise means for you.

News · 8 October 2024 · 5 min

House Prices Surge: Is Now the Right Time to Buy or Sell?

The latest Nationwide House Price Index reveals that UK house prices have experienced their fastest annual growth in two years, with a 3.2% year-on-year…

Information & Guides · 6 October 2024 · 8 min

EPC ratings and mortgages: does a poor EPC affect what you can borrow?

There’s no legal minimum EPC for a residential mortgage, but a poor rating can affect green deals, affordability and resale. Landlords need E now and C by 1 October 2030. What it means for you.

Information & Guides · 5 October 2024 · 6 min

Housing Market Struggles: Can Falling Mortgage Rates Help?

Over the past decade, the UK property market has faced its fair share of turbulence. Economic shifts, changes in housing demand, and fluctuating mortgage…

Information & Guides · 4 October 2024 · 8 min

Flying freehold: what it means, mortgages and whether to buy

A flying freehold is part of a home that sits over land a neighbour owns, like a room above a shared passage. What it means, how lenders treat it, indemnity insurance and whether to buy.

Information & Guides · 2 October 2024 · 8 min

Agricultural ties, covenants and overage clauses: mortgages and what to check

An agricultural tie limits who can live in a home, usually to farm or forestry workers. How ties, restrictive covenants and overage clauses affect value and mortgages, and how a tie can be lifted.

Information & Guides · 30 September 2024 · 9 min

Mortgages for non-UK nationals and non-residents: can you buy a home in the UK?

Yes, you can get a UK mortgage without a British passport. How lenders treat visa holders, pre-settled status, ILR and non-residents, plus deposits, documents and the 2% stamp duty surcharge.

Information & Guides · 28 September 2024 · 10 min

Gifted deposits and source of deposit: what mortgage lenders accept

Most UK lenders accept gifted deposits if there are no strings attached. See which deposit sources lenders accept, what the gifted deposit letter must say and the proof you’ll need.