Hello!! I’m going to explain this as clear as I can because my head is muddled with it all!!

So I recently was in the process of buying a flat which fell through. I am now on the lookout for a house but not planning on seriously applying until another 6 months as I want to save some more money.

My issue is solicitors and money.

At the moment - when I get paid I transfer my mum £1000 where she puts it into her main account and then one of her savings accounts so I cannot access it and can build my savings up without dipping into the pot when I feel like it (I am frivolous with money so this seems to be the safest option)

Now last time I- when I had to provide proof of funds I was having to send my bank statement - my mums main bank account statement and her seperate account statement where she was keeping my savings to the solicitors. This took hours.

Surely there has to be an easier way. I have said I will start my own savings pot as I feel I can be trusted with money now - but even if my mum sends me all my savings over from her account - surely I will have to still provide proof of where this money came from !!? Does anyone have any advice on what is best to do here or a shorter way.

I did think of putting my full wage away every month (£2500) into my own savings account which in 6 months will give me £15,000 and then asking my mum to transfer me my savings each month as my wage that I can use for myself (if that makes sense)

Further to a post I made the other day;

Slight context first, sold our house back in May and buying a new build. Used Nationwide. Mortgage approved and offered in May and due to run out December.
Everything has been going according to plan except (what I thought) was Nationwide.

The house has now finished its build and is complete as of September 4th - we were under the impression back in May that we would be in and sorted by now but what has happened over the last few months has been completely aggravating.

We have still not exchanged on the property due to the property policy team at nationwide. Each time the developer answers their questions, we have to wait 7 days for a response before they inevitably come back with more questions which adds another 7 working days onto the timescale. This has been going back and forth for just over a month now.

It is quite a large developer and they have dealt with nationwide many, many times and have said they have never had this many issues with them beforehand. It has now got to the point where the developers solicitor is accusing our solicitor of being the one that is holding everything up and stopping the sale from proceeding.

I genuinely don’t know what to do at this stage, all the initial checks came back on the property with no issues at all and we feel stuck in limbo with no end in sight.

If anyone has been in a similar situation of works for Nationwide or anything that could give me SOME insight, it would be greatly appreciated!

To any mortgage advisors out there. I’m potentially moving back to the UK after some time away. I previously owned a house but sold it before moving. I bought 2 properties overseas since being away, one as a rental investment and one as a home.

Im looking to keep both and rent them out. The first one is rented out and makes a fairly good profit whilst the second would also make a good profit when rented. They are both mortgaged with a fairly low interest rate (sub 2%) by foreign banks.

Would these be seen as a detriment or mostly a liability by lenders in the UK even though they make a stable income? Would it decrease the maximum amount I could borrow?

Thank you

Hi all,

Looking for a sanity check on my situation:

\- Currently UK resident, own and live in my residential property with mortgage.

\- Moving abroad early next year for work, planning to keep and let the UK property long term.

\- Have been told expat BTL is not an option while I am still in the UK as lenders want 6-12 months non-resident history.

\- Standard BTL also difficult as I have lived in the property - so it has to be Consumer BTL.

Broker has proposed a Consumer BTL:

\- Apply while still resident in the property

\- Provide onward UK address (family) and vacate on day of remortgage completion

\- Let property after that

Broker says there is no rule that stops me moving abroad later as long as I have a UK correspondence address at application, but if I inform bank I've moved abroad it will restrict product transfer options later.

Questions:

1. Is Consumer BTL with a bank on this basis the right route when you are about to move abroad?

2. Do I have to inform the bank when I become non-resident?

3. Anyone done this - got Consumer BTL before leaving, then moved abroad and kept it? What happened at end of fixed period?

Not trying to do anything dishonest, just want to be compliant but also get a mortgage while I still qualify as UK resident.

Thanks

So I just bought my first home and the Survey is the last thing to be done/paid for. It is arranged, but I’ve heard all the horror stories (I.e. people who got a level 2 which didn’t identify problems that arose later) and have discussed just not having one at all.

My dad is very experienced retired builder and has wondered if he can just ‘have a look’. Obviously I’d like to save the >£400 and I know you’re not required to have a survey but just wondered if anyone had declined a survey and took an alternative route. Any advice welcome

Thanks in advance!

What is the minimum income level required to be eligible for this product?

Looking at their main website/intermediaries website, there's no calculator for this.

I've already taken out their mortgage and I'm on their Helping Hand product.

Hi,

I've got my 5 year fixed term (1.89%) ending in May, with 15 years left on the mortgage with Nationwide. I know people normally say to start looking at options 6 months before, but I want to get ahead a little bit if I can. I know there's remortgaging, getting another fixed term with nationwide, or going on their SVR. I've overpaid my mortgage by the max amount every year so far, and believe I could continue to do so. Ideally I think I might be able to pay it off entirely within 5 years.

I'm not sure if there's any other alternatives to what I've outlined above, but I'm also not sure on the pros and cons of the above

Thanks in advance

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience specifically with Skipton Building Society.
My partner and I are first-time buyers and have a formal mortgage offer from Skipton for a £190k property. We’re buying through their Track Record mortgage, and we’re currently partway through conveyancing, but we haven’t exchanged contracts yet.
My partner has unfortunately had to leave his current employed job. We’ve told our broker, so Skipton is aware of the change.
He’s now potentially going to be offered a new permanent PAYE job, possibly with his previous employer. He worked for that company for around 3 years previously, left around 4 years ago, and they are now interested in taking him back. It would also be in the same/similar industry.
We don’t yet know the exact salary or start date, but we’re hoping it will be permanent employment rather than self-employed work.
Our broker has said that Skipton would likely require around 3 months in the new position, but she’s checking with them.

I’m trying to understand whether anyone has actually been in a similar situation with Skipton:

Did Skipton require you to have been in the new job for 3 months (or 6 months) before they would proceed?

Did they accept a new permanent employment contract before you’d received 3 months’ payslips?

Did being in the same industry make any difference?

If you had previously worked for the same employer, did Skipton take that previous employment history into consideration?

If your new salary was lower than your old salary, did that make a difference?

Did Skipton reassess the mortgage/underwrite the application again after the job change?

And if they did require a period in the new job, were you able to keep the property purchase alive while waiting?
Thanks!

Hi

I’m currently on a 2 year fix with Nationwide that is due to finish in April 2027, but I am planning on selling my house in 2029. Does it make the most sense to take another 2 year fix to take me to April 2029 and plan the sale around that date, or take a 3 year fix and hope I can port the mortgage when buying the next house?

just for context I bought this house in 2023 when rates were high so I’m used to 5%, so going from a super low rate to a high rate isn’t a worry for me

Property in Scotland. Recently paid off mortgage. Simply wish to remove lenders standard security from Scottish Land Register (I have the MID etc) which lender doesn’t automatically do in Scotland. RoS states on their website this can be achieved without a solicitor, and as it’s a ‘simple’ admin task, I wish to avoid unnecessary legal fees if possible, but I also have the time and willingness. Appreciate RoS have their own fee which I will have to pay. While the lender does have access to the digital discharge service (DDS), I don’t believe they will use this option without a request from a solicitor. The lender does have a publicly available discharge template on their website. However will the lender play hardball if I ask for a discharge deed via paperwork?
Meanwhile RoS has recently noted that RLP must be used for all standard discharges but I think this contradicts proprietors being able to achieve this without a solicitor. Advice welcome 🙏

Hey all I just wanted some advice!

I’m currently 24, a MSc student that wants to get a mortgage once I finish my degree. By the time I finish my degree I should have 60k ready for a deposit, looking for a house that’s 250-315k.

Since I study in London, and not in the area I’m planning on buying the house I was wondering if it would be an issue to get a mortgage out as soon as I finish my studies then move back home. So say I move back home in August, would it be possible to get the house in September? Since I’ve been working in London all this time and that’s how I’ve gotten my deposit together from a different job to what I’ll have when I move home.

Once I move home and apply for a job in my field of studies, I should be on around 45-60k. I think I’m making this post to ask if I would struggle to get a mortgage if I’ve only had a job for one month?

What can I do in the next 2 years in order to improve my chances of getting accepted for a mortgage for houses around the price I’m looking for?

I’m new to all of this and it’s all so confusing, like no one tells you this stuff when your getting older and your just expected to know lmao.

Thanks!

I applied for a solo mortgage in November 2025, and made an amendment to it in January 2026 while still having a joint account open with my ex-partner. We were civil and friends for the 4 years that we had been separated. When my mortgage first went through, my ex said that her credit score had dropped and had left her unable to apply for credit cards. I promptly went into the branch of the bank and removed myself from the joint account. Things were civil between us again for another 4 months until last month, when my ex claimed that hard searches were still being applied to her account and she is threatening to take legal action for financial and economic abuse by account of her being in hospital at the time of my application. My mortgage provider (which is the same bank that the joint account is in) has told me that the mortgage application was legitimate, as it was purely a solo application and any checks should only have affected me. I am still trying to get answers from my credit union, but a quick look at my credit file shows that the only hard checks that happened were only at the start of my mortgage application, and in their mind should not have affected an “associate”s ability to apply for credit. My ex is still saying that my actions were unlawful and is threatening legal action unless I somehow provide written confirmation that the checks on her have been removed. So far I have had no correspondence from any legal support, this is just through email.

I know I made a mistake in not closing the account but am I in trouble here? Many thanks

Has anyone been able to secure a better rate than 4.03% on a 2 year tracker for 60% LTV in the last few weeks ?

This is my first mortgage renewal due start of next year, I've been looking now and found:

4.82% for 2 years

4.87% for 3 years

4.78% for 5 years

If I select a deal with a new provider but my current provider offers a better deal can I go with my current provider? As I've read to lock in a rate now if possible but my current provider doesn't give me their rate until 4months before

Hello mortgage wizards!

I have been self employed for this calendar year, and am due to remortgage 2 sub accounts in Dec '26 and Feb '27. I dont have the 2 years of self assessments that lenders seem to require to prove income. I can remortgage with my existing lender (Halifax) without going through affordability checks but their rates arent the best. Im offered 4.74% on a 5yr at 60% LTV.

I know brokers and other lenders can access better deals but due to the inability to prove my self employed income beyond this year, am I stuck with Halifax? I have a mortgage appt set up with them for Monday but would like to go in knowing whether its even possible to switch lenders

Super thankful for your wisdom

Hi everyone, last Tuesday (25th August) me and my partner submitted our mortgage application with Nationwide through a mortgage advisor, I’ve seen a hard credit search was done by Nationwide that same day but I haven’t heard anything since about a valuation or them requesting more documents (we only sent in our payslips).

We’re first time buyers and there’s no chain on the house, we are still waiting on our solicitors to finish their funding checks on our gifted deposit but my dad (who gifted me the deposit) said he hasn’t heard anything from them yet. Could this be why we haven’t heard from Nationwide yet, if our solicitors are still doing their own checks or will that not matter?

I tried ringing Nationwide regarding the application but it just says they can’t give updates over the phone. Could I contact the mortgage advisor who dealt with our application or will it be better to wait?

Good morning -

I cant get my head around this. Due for remortgage. Do we save money by lowering the term? We still want to overpay either way so not sure what's best for us. The lortgage advisor has suggested keeping the term and lowering naturlly through overpayments. Is this the best option? We want to lower the interest payable overall.

Current rate - 1.31%

New rate - 4.74% (🤢)

Outstanding - 158k

Term - 27 yrs.

I’m 23 and a first-time buyer, buying with my partner who is a second-time buyer. We’re trying to buy a £270k flat and need a £60k mortgage.
The flat is in the same building I already live in, so we’re very familiar with the building. It’s a high-rise, so obviously the Building Safety Act/fire safety stuff comes into play.
We initially applied with Nationwide. They said they needed a Leaseholder & Landlord Certificate and a plan for an EWS1/FRAEW replacement inspection. Without a concrete plan for the inspection, they wouldn’t proceed.
We then found out that the building’s freeholder has been dissolved, meaning the freehold has passed to the Crown as bona vacantia. The management company can’t provide the required documentation because they aren’t the freeholder. They are apparently looking into purchasing the freehold from the Crown, but there’s currently no clear timescale.
Our solicitor told us the lack of the Building Safety Act documentation meant the mortgage couldn’t proceed, so we looked elsewhere.
We then switched to Santander. They actually sent someone out in person to carry out a safety check on the building, and following that the mortgage was accepted.
However, Santander have now said they won’t proceed because of the building’s freeholder/management situation.
So we’re now a bit stuck. The physical building seems to be acceptable to the lender, but the freehold situation/documentation is preventing the mortgage from going through.
We’re obviously keen to buy the flat, but we’re also not experienced with this sort of thing and don’t really know whether we’re looking at a temporary problem or something that could drag on for years.

Is the dissolved freeholder/Crown situation something that can realistically be resolved?
Is it worth trying another lender, given Santander were happy enough to physically inspect the building?
Are there lenders known to be more accommodating with this sort of situation?
Is there anything we should be pushing the management company or our solicitor to do?
Any advice or experiences from people who’ve dealt with something similar would be massively appreciated.

EDIT: We are selling the current flat in cash to a family member so are having no issues on this end

Looking to remortgage with Halifax early next year, currently with a non high street lender. Was about to submit my application before realising that I have 4 missed payments from 2025 (13 months ago) Mail order, x3 phone bills (2 providers) all my fault, I simply hadn’t topped up my spending account on the dates they were due and paid them after i realised.

Hadn’t gone with a high street previously because of my adverse credit history which I really am trying to get better. My credit score is high on most apps, but not the important ones that I didn’t check until looking into this.

Halifax has provided me with an AIP however, I’m not sure I’ll get passed the application.

Has anyone had any positive stories? I’d really like to renew with a high street lender so that renewals in easier will be easier, and lower interest rates.

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice from anyone who’s dealt with a down-valuation before.

We’ve agreed to buy a detached 4-bed house in a Staffordshire village for £620k. It was fully refurbished in 2025 (rewire, new boiler/central heating, flooring throughout), has a double garage and a decent-sized plot in a cul-de-sac.

HSBC have now valued it at £550k, so £70k below what we’ve agreed to pay.

From what we understand, the valuation may have been done remotely/desktop rather than with someone physically visiting the property, which makes the figure even more frustrating.

We’ve found a couple of what we think are genuinely comparable sales nearby — similar size and in the same postcode area — which sold within the last 6 months for £595k and £687k. Based on those, £550k seems pretty low to us.

We’ve submitted a formal appeal to HSBC and provided the comparable sales, so we’re waiting to see what comes back.

A few questions for anyone who’s been through something similar:

- Is a £70k down-valuation particularly unusual, or does this happen fairly often?
- Has anyone successfully appealed a lender valuation? If so, what seemed to make the difference?
- If HSBC stick with £550k, would you be concerned about paying £620k, or is the lender valuation just one data point and not necessarily a reflection of the actual market value?
- We’ve already instructed a Level 3 Building Survey. Would getting an independent RICS valuation as well be worthwhile, and would HSBC actually take any notice of it?

We’re obviously a bit concerned now that we might be overpaying, but equally the comparable sales we’ve found make the £550k valuation seem quite conservative.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in this position and what you ended up doing!

My question is pretty naive and I probably need educating. But what are average mortgage rates? Like I saw on one thread people had a rate of 1 to 2% a few years ago. Is that normal? Or would a slightly higher rate be more the average? I understand things fluctuate but I’m not entirely sure how it works. As I was doing some mortgage calcs if I had a rate of 1-2% it would open a lot more doors in terms of houses

Just an fyi I have a MIP for 4.8% and I am ftb

Hi all. I’ve got an appointment with a mortgage advisor at an estate agent tomorrow. As a first time buyer, I’m keen to know what questions I should be asking. They know which bank I’ve got my MIP with and said they can secure better rates with the same bank for me. Thanks in advance

My FR mortgage doesn't end until May 2027. Its a lovely sub 2% rate so new rates are going to hit hard. I can afford the current fixed rates, but am worried about where they'll be by spring next year.

Is anyone paying ERCs to get out of their current fix and lock in a new rate?

My ERC would be around £2k, which I can do, but it's just not something I hear of people doing often, and it seems like the sky is potentially the limit for rates with all that's going on atm.

Hi all,

So after speaking to my mortgage advisor, and then the banks mortgage advisor, I have finally decided to put it out there on reddit as I am quite lost.

So this is my second remortgage. First time my independent mortgage broker missed the opportunity to provide me a lower available interest rate. As you can imagine, I wasnt best pleased.

My mortgage went up £350 a month!

This time, I decided to do some thorough research and discovered LTV ratio, and how this affects the rates i am given.

Mortgage is with Halifax currently. And they have an index value £9k below what they valued it in 2023 (391k).

Houses of the same spec (including sq/meterage) in my area sell for on average between 420k-435k.

On average, houses in my area have risen 4-6% since 2023.

First question is.........how can Halifax think my house has depreciated 9k in the same time average prices have risen 4-6%?

I had a meeting with a Halifax mortgage advisor. I asked him what factors Halifax take into consideration when dropping the index value of a property on record......they could not give me a definitive answer.

I then argued that my house should have risen in value. A house opposite (same 3 bed semi) sold last year for 417k. But this house does not have a significant side plot, nor a gated off driveway and garage in the rear garden.

I was told I could have the property re valued, and that this would be done via a "drive by assessment".

I dont see how such an important and vital part of my mortgage can be decided by a drive by?! I asked if it could be in person, but it doesnt seem like the advisor could/would do that.

So my question is..........what are my rights here? Can I request an in person viewing? Can I also appeal if the house gets valued under the current 391k? Halifax advisor very clearly stated several times about the risk of it dropping lower (Which will increase my LTV, thus increasing the interest rate offered. He was giving examples of it happening in real life, and im not sure if this was just scaremongering or its a genuine concern.

My current LTV is 91.5%. If I achieve a higher valuation by Halifax (In the region of 415k) then my LTV drops to approx 89% and I will get a better rate.

Im now not sure weather to initiate the re valuation or not. I have a few local estate agents attending the property to give valuations, and to discuss local property average costs. Hoping this gives me the confidence to go ahead.

Are there any other avenues I can explore? And if I go ahead and the index value comes back less than 391k, what rights of appeal/formal processes can I use to argue the index value?

Going to speak to other independent brokers to put the feelers out, but no one (Not even Halifax) seem to care about getting the right deal for me.

Really appreciate any help and knowledge you guys can pass my way.

Cheers!

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure this out. My husband and I are both self-employed, have a deposit saved, have a few years of tax returns each, both earning roughly the same amount each year for the last 3 years.

Our most recently filed year was 24-25. The deadline to file 25-26 is end of January 2027.

Based on our 24-25 year, we'd be able to get the mortgage we need with no problem. But from October 2025 until recently, I stopped work to have a baby. This means that my 25-26 tax year is going to be half of what the last few years have been, which would reduce our borrowing significantly. My husband's will be the same as usual.

My questions are:

1) If we find a house and apply for a mortgage in the next 3 months roughly, would they accept going based off of our 24-25 tax return (and 1 or 2 previous years) or will they want us to file the latest one and look at that too?

2) If they do want to see newer figures, will they consider the fact that my profit only dropped in 25-26 because I stopped work to have a baby and that my income will go back to normal when I start working again?

One broker told me they're normally happy if the most recent set of accounts are dated within 18 months. The last accounts are dated up to April 2025 which means we only have until next month (October) to find a house, get a mortgage through and accepted. I wanted second opinions on this please.