Mortgage & Protection Guides

Shared ownership gets people onto the ladder, but it is staircasing that gets them up it. If you own a share of your home and pay rent on the rest, staircasing is the process of buying additional shares from your housing association, reducing the rent as you go and, in most cases, eventually owning the property outright. It is one of the most common questions shared owners bring to us at Drummonds Finance Group, usually in the form "is it actually worth it?". The mechanics ar

Hundreds of thousands of interest-only mortgages taken out in the late 1990s and 2000s are now reaching the end of their terms, and a lot of the people holding them are discovering that the repayment plan they had in mind, an endowment, an investment, a future property sale, has not quite delivered what was expected. If you have had a letter from your lender reminding you that your term is ending and the balance is due, this guide explains what actually happens next and what

Getting onto the property ladder has never been easy, and for a lot of young buyers right now, it is genuinely hard. Mortgage affordability is tight, property prices in areas like Oxford and Bicester are well above the national average, and saving a deposit while paying rent takes years. Many parents want to help, but going on the deeds of their child's property brings its own complications. A joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage, which solves this problem neatly, lets you

If your mortgage deal is coming to an end, you are in good company. Thousands of homeowners across Oxford, Bicester and the wider UK are facing the same decision right now: do you fix again, jump on a tracker, or sit tight and see what happens? It is one of the most common questions we get at Drummonds Finance Group, and the honest answer is that it depends on your circumstances. But there is a lot we can explain about the current market and what each option actually means fo

If you’re buying a home or remortgaging, one of the first questions people often ask is whether it’s better to use a mortgage broker or go straight to a bank. There’s no pressure either way, but for many buyers, using a broker can make the process simpler, clearer, and less stressful. Rather than trying to compare mortgage deals on your own, a broker helps you understand what’s available, what’s realistic, and which options actually suit your situation. What Does a Mortgage B

Whether you're a first-time buyer, moving home, or remortgaging, one of the first questions you're likely to ask is: "How much can I borrow for a mortgage?" In 2026, with interest rates still fluctuating and lenders tightening affordability criteria, understanding how borrowing capacity is calculated is more critical than ever. In this blog, we explain what lenders look for, how much you could borrow, and how to maximise your mortgage options, with expert guidance from Drummo