FAQ's

Yes, many mortgages are portable. We’ll help you check your lender's terms and guide you through the process.

Not always. Equity from your current property can often be used as your deposit for the new home.

Key costs include valuation fees, legal fees, potential early repayment charges, removal costs, and possibly stamp duty.

We compare both options. Sometimes switching lenders offers a better deal—even with added fees.

Yes, subject to affordability checks. We’ll calculate what’s possible based on your new circumstances.

If your mortgage is portable, it may be paused or adjusted. We’ll guide you through next steps without starting from scratch.

If your mortgage is portable, you can usually take your current rate and its early repayment charge terms to your new home. Your lender will reassess your income, credit and the new property, so approval is not guaranteed.

Yes. Most home movers use the money left after selling and repaying their current mortgage as the deposit on the next home. The more equity you have, the lower the loan-to-value and usually the better the rate.

Yes, but lenders will assess your income as it is now. Most want one to two years of accounts or tax calculations, though some accept a shorter trading history.

Often, yes. Your current lender may decline a port if your credit file has changed, but specialist lenders consider missed payments, defaults and CCJs depending on how recent they are.

Yes, through bridging finance, let to buy or by having enough income to carry both mortgages. Each has costs and risks, and you will usually pay the higher stamp duty rates until your old home sells.

A mortgage in principle can be done within a day. A full mortgage offer usually takes two to four weeks after application, depending on the lender and the valuation.

Yes. You do not normally have to wait until your fixed-rate mortgage ends before moving house.You may be able to port your existing mortgage rate to the new property, subject to your lender approving both you and the new property. Alternatively, you could repay your current mortgage and arrange a new mortgage, although an early repayment charge may apply.It is worth comparing both options before deciding, particularly if your existing fixed rate is competitive.

Not necessarily.If you repay a mortgage during a fixed or discounted period, an early repayment charge (ERC) may apply. However, if your mortgage is portable and you successfully transfer the product to your new home, your lender may allow you to avoid some or all of the charge.The exact rules vary between lenders, and timing can be important, so your current mortgage terms should be checked before committing to the move.

Ideally, you should speak to a mortgage adviser before you start making offers.This allows you to understand how much you may be able to borrow, how much equity you can use from your current home and whether you are likely to be better off porting your existing mortgage or taking a new one.Once you have found a property and your offer has been accepted, the full mortgage application can normally be submitted.

Yes, in many cases you can.A lender can often provide a Mortgage in Principle before your existing property has sold, based on the assumption that your current home will be sold as part of the move.The lender will still need to take your existing mortgage and financial commitments into account, but getting a Mortgage in Principle early can help you understand your budget before making an offer.

If your new property costs more, you may need a larger mortgage.You could potentially port your existing mortgage and borrow the additional amount from your current lender, or repay your existing mortgage and take a completely new mortgage elsewhere.For example, if you currently owe £200,000 but need £300,000 for your next home, your lender may allow you to port the £200,000 and arrange another £100,000 as additional borrowing.The additional borrowing may be on a different interest rate, so it is important to compare this with taking one new mortgage from another lender.

If you move to a cheaper property, you may need a smaller mortgage.If you are porting your mortgage, you may be able to transfer part of your current borrowing to the new property and repay the rest.However, if you repay part of a mortgage that is still within an early repayment charge period, your lender may charge an ERC on some of the amount being repaid.This is worth checking before agreeing your sale and purchase.

Yes.Even if your mortgage is described as portable, porting is not guaranteed.Your lender will normally treat the move as a new mortgage application and reassess your income, affordability, credit history and the property you are buying.If your circumstances have changed, you need to borrow more or the new property does not meet the lender's criteria, they may decline the application.

This can sometimes affect mortgage porting.If your old mortgage is repaid before the new mortgage completes, some lenders allow a period of time in which you can still port your existing mortgage product to the new property.Depending on the lender, you may initially have to pay an early repayment charge and then have it refunded if the new mortgage completes within their permitted timeframe.The rules and time limits vary considerably between lenders, so this should be checked before completion.

Yes.You do not have to stay with your existing mortgage lender simply because you are moving home.Your current lender may allow you to port your mortgage, but another lender could potentially offer a better rate, allow you to borrow more or have criteria that better suit your circumstances.A whole-of-market mortgage broker can compare staying with your existing lender against arranging a new mortgage elsewhere.

The cost of moving home can go well beyond the mortgage deposit.Depending on your circumstances, you may need to budget for:Stamp Duty Land TaxEstate agent feesSolicitor and conveyancing feesSurvey costsMortgage arrangement feesValuation feesMortgage broker feesRemoval costsEarly repayment charges on your existing mortgageIt is worth calculating these costs before deciding how much of your available savings and equity to put towards your new property.

Usually, these costs are not simply added to the mortgage as a separate expense.However, if you qualify for a larger mortgage than you actually need for the purchase, you may be able to use less of your own money towards the property and retain some savings to cover costs such as Stamp Duty, legal fees or removals.This depends on the lender's maximum loan-to-value, affordability assessment and the amount you are eligible to borrow.You should make sure you have enough money available for these costs before exchanging contracts.

This is completely normal.When your existing property is sold, your solicitor normally uses part of the sale proceeds to repay the outstanding mortgage.Any equity left after repaying the mortgage and associated selling costs can then potentially be used towards the deposit on your new home.For example, if your property sells for £400,000 and your outstanding mortgage is £250,000, you would have around £150,000 of gross equity before estate agent, legal and other costs.Your new property would then be funded using a combination of your available deposit or equity and your new mortgage.