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Home Mover Mortgages
Drummonds Finance Group
Moving home can be one of life’s most exciting but overwhelming experiences. Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, relocating for work, or simply looking for a change, there’s a lot to think about, and the mortgage side can feel particularly daunting.
Find out which rates you could get based on your circumstances. Call or message us today to speak to a broker.
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Why Choose Drummonds
✅ Whole-of-Market Access
We’re not tied to any one lender, so we can access a wide range of mortgage deals, including some that aren’t available on the high street.
✅ Personalised Advice
Our team is based in Oxfordshire and knows the local property market inside out. Whether you're buying in Oxford, Bicester, Banbury, or beyond, we can provide tailored advice that considers your location.
✅ End-to-End Service
From the first phone call to the day you get the keys, we manage everything for you—no jargon, no stress.
✅ Nationwide Service
We proudly serve clients across the entire UK. We offer a seamless mortgage advice experience by phone or video call — no need for face-to-face meetings unless you want one.
What are your mortgage options when moving home?
Most home movers end up choosing between three routes, and the right one depends on your current deal, how much you need to borrow and how your circumstances have changed.
The first is porting, where you take your existing rate and its early repayment charge conditions with you to the new property. This works best when you are borrowing roughly the same amount and your current rate is better than what is available today.
The second is porting with additional borrowing. You keep your existing rate on the current balance and take the extra money on a new product from your lender's current range, which leaves you with a mortgage in two parts.
The third is a new mortgage for the full amount, either with your current lender or a different one. If you are still inside a fixed-rate period this usually means paying the early repayment charge, so it only makes sense when the overall saving is bigger than the charge. If you are near the end of your deal or already on your lender's variable rate, this is often the simplest route, and the same comparison we run for remortgage clients applies.
Should you keep your current mortgage deal when moving home?
If you are still inside a fixed-rate period, the big question is whether to take that rate with you or pay the early repayment charge and start fresh. Porting is not automatic: your lender reassesses your income and the new property, and the extra borrowing usually sits on a different rate.
We compare the total cost of keeping your deal against a new mortgage plus the charge, across the whole market. Our guide to porting a mortgage explains how it works, what happens to your early repayment charge and when switching comes out cheaper.
How much can you borrow when you move home?
Most movers use the equity in their current home as the deposit. Equity is what your home sells for, less your outstanding mortgage. If your home sells for £400,000 and you owe £180,000, you have around £220,000 to put towards the next purchase before estate agent and legal fees.
Lenders then look at two things: the loan-to-value on the new home and whether your income supports the mortgage. Most lend around four to four and a half times income, and some go higher for stronger earners or certain professions, which we cover on our 5x and 6x income mortgages page. A bigger deposit usually unlocks a lower rate, so it is worth knowing where the loan-to-value bands fall before you set a budget.
Our mortgage calculator gives a quick guide, and a mortgage in principle tells you what a lender will actually offer.
How to time your mortgage when selling and buying
Most mortgage offers last three to six months, and chains often take longer than people expect. Getting a mortgage in principle early lets you make an offer with confidence and shows estate agents you are a serious buyer.
We also keep an eye on offer expiry dates, the porting window and your exchange date together, so one does not run out while you are waiting on another. If a chain stalls, we can ask lenders to extend offers or look at alternatives before the deadline rather than after it.
Can you buy a new home before selling your current one?
If you find the right home before your current one sells, there are a few routes. Bridging finance can cover the gap for a short period, but it is expensive and needs a clear exit, usually the sale of your current home.
Another option is let to buy, where you remortgage your current home onto a buy-to-let mortgage and use the released equity towards the deposit on your next home. This suits people who want to keep their current property as an investment, but you will need to meet buy-to-let rental criteria as well as residential affordability on the new purchase.
Owning two homes, even briefly, usually means paying the higher rates of stamp duty on the purchase. In England you can normally reclaim the extra if you sell your previous main residence within three years, and we would always suggest confirming the details with your solicitor.
Can you move home if your income or credit has changed?
A lot of movers come to us because their situation no longer fits the high-street box. Since you last applied, you may have gone self-employed, moved onto contracting, started relying on bonus or overtime, or had a credit problem that has since been resolved.
These are the cases we specialise in. We regularly place movers with adverse credit, foreign nationals and people on a spouse visa, NHS staff with mixed pay, older borrowers whose term runs past retirement (mortgage age limits) and households using benefit income.
If a parent wants to help you move up, a joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage or a gifted deposit can make the numbers work without them going on the title.
How much does it cost to move home?
Budget for more than the deposit. The usual costs are solicitor fees, a survey, lender arrangement and valuation fees, any early repayment charge, stamp duty if it applies, and removals.
We explain our fee before any work starts, and we set out every lender fee so you can compare deals on their true cost. Moving is also a sensible point to review your cover, as a bigger mortgage usually means your life insurance and buildings and contents insurance need updating.
Home mover mortgages in Oxfordshire and across the UK
We are based in Wendlebury, between Oxford and Bicester, and advise movers buying in Oxford, Bicester, Banbury and the rest of Oxfordshire. Everything can be done by phone and video, so we help movers anywhere in the UK just as easily, with a face-to-face meeting if you prefer one.
We’ll Be With You Every Step of the Way
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We talk through your plans, your current deal and your income, and check your lender's porting and early repayment charge terms.
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We compare porting, porting with a top-up and a new mortgage across the market, and show you the total cost of each.
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We get a mortgage in principle so you can make offers with confidence.
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Once your offer is accepted, we submit the full application, deal with the lender and valuer, and keep your solicitor and estate agent updated.
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We track your offer and porting deadlines through to exchange and completion.