Porting a Mortgage: what you need to know
Getting your head around mortgage jargon isn’t an easy task. Though some phrases such as ‘porting a mortgage’ are vital to understand. Read on to find out what it means and how it might affect you in the future!
Porting a mortgage can be a great option for those of you who are looking to move home. Our guide is going to show you what the process of porting a mortgage will involve, how it can be great option for you and whether you’ll be able to do it! So, if you’re wondering about ‘porting my mortgage’, then worry no more! Right, let’s get started.
What is porting a mortgage?
For those who aren’t aware, porting a mortgage basically involves the process of transferring your mortgage deal from your existing home to another. Essentially, you move your mortgage. The important thing to remember with porting a mortgage is that it is not the mortgage as a whole which is transferred. Instead, it is the interest rate and the T&Cs of your mortgage. Ultimately, it will only be when you have agreed your new mortgage that your lender will look at porting your existing mortgage.
Loads of mortgages in the UK are portable. However, make sure you double check with your lender to see if yours is. Regardless of how much flexibility porting a mortgage might afford you, a lot of lenders may block you from doing this.
So, what are the potential problems?
If you’re asking your lender if you can start porting your mortgage then you will have to re-apply for that deal. Though, this will largely depend on how your financial stability has changed from when you first signed for your mortgage. For example, if you’ve recently become self-employed, have amassed debt or your credit score has changed, these factors will all play a big role in whether you can port your mortgage. This is mainly because you may not be able to borrow as much.
Alternatively, if your financial situation has not changed and your lender’s criteria has too, this may also affect your ability to port a mortgage. Unfortunately, this may mean that even if you didn’t struggle too much with getting a mortgage in the first place then it might not be the case second time around. Furthermore, if you haven’t made all of your payments on time then your mortgage provider may think that you’re leaving them to pursue a better mortgage deal elsewhere. When applying to port your mortgage, make sure you do your research first.
Our solution:
We recommend that the best way for you to deal with these issues is by speaking with your lender. After all, if you are looking to port a mortgage with the same lender then they may be more willing to consider your new mortgage if you have a proven track record of working with them. Also, if you are looking at porting to a mortgage with a lower and more competitive interest rate then this can be a smart move for you to save money.
If you’ve got any more questions contact our team at Mortgages Online or check out some of the other articles on our website. This might help clarify any queries you still have! Luckily for you, all of our services (our insightful articles and tailored mortgage search) are all free – no credit card needed!
For information on mortgage porting, life insurance, home insurance, mortgage repayment charges and everything else, visit our Articles and Blog section. We have loads of info on everything related to mortgages.
