Mortgage & Protection FAQs

The amount you may be able to borrow depends on a number of factors, including your income, regular expenditure, existing credit commitments, deposit and personal circumstances.Different lenders assess affordability in different ways, so the amount available can vary between lenders. We’ll look at your circumstances and help identify suitable options.Ultimately, the lender is responsible for assessing affordability and deciding whether to approve an application.

The deposit you may need depends on your circumstances and the mortgage products available at the time.A larger deposit can sometimes give you access to a wider choice of mortgages or more competitive rates, but smaller-deposit mortgages may also be available.We can discuss your deposit and explain the options that may be suitable for you.

Yes. Buying your first home can feel daunting, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with the mortgage process.We can guide you through the different stages, explain what lenders may need from you, discuss affordability and help you understand your mortgage options.

Being self-employed does not automatically prevent you from getting a mortgage.Lenders may assess self-employed income differently and can ask for information such as accounts, tax calculations, tax-year overviews or business information.The requirements vary between lenders, so we’ll look at your individual circumstances and help identify appropriate options.

Yes. You may want to remortgage because your current deal is coming to an end, your circumstances have changed, or you want to review your mortgage options.We can look at your existing mortgage, discuss what you’re hoping to achieve and help you understand the options that may be available.There can be costs involved in changing your mortgage, so these should be considered alongside any potential benefits.

It may still be possible.Different lenders take different approaches to missed payments, defaults, County Court Judgments and other credit issues. The type of issue, how long ago it happened and your wider financial circumstances can all be relevant.We can look at your circumstances and help identify suitable options rather than assuming a mortgage is not possible.

An Agreement in Principle, sometimes called a Decision in Principle, is an indication from a lender of how much they may be prepared to lend based on the information provided.It can be useful when you are looking for a property, but it is not a mortgage offer and does not guarantee that a full mortgage application will be approved.

It’s usually worth reviewing your mortgage before your current deal comes to an end rather than waiting until the last minute.How early you should start will depend on your existing mortgage and your circumstances. We can review your current deal and help you decide when it makes sense to start looking at your options.

The exact documents required will depend on the lender and your circumstances, but you may be asked for identification, proof of address, evidence of income and bank statements.If you’re self-employed, lenders may also ask for additional information about your income or business.We’ll explain what is required for your particular application and help you prepare the information the lender needs.

There isn’t one set timescale for every mortgage application.It can depend on the lender, the complexity of your application, how quickly documents are supplied, the property valuation and whether the lender needs any additional information.We’ll keep you informed as the application progresses and let you know if anything further is required.

With a fixed-rate mortgage, the interest rate is fixed for an agreed period, so your monthly mortgage payment will generally remain the same during that period.With a variable-rate mortgage, the interest rate can change, which means your monthly payments may rise or fall.There are different types of mortgage rates available, and the most suitable option will depend on your circumstances and preferences.