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Whether you’re on a fixed or a variable rate mortgage, once your existing deal expires you will automatically transfer onto a Standard Variable Rate unless you put a new deal in place. As the Standard Variable Rate tends to be considerably higher than other deals that are available, it’s a good idea to start evaluating your options as early as possible.

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Your Options

Product Switch

  • You have the option of staying with your existing mortgage lender and moving to a new deal.
  • Your current lender may offer you an attractive rate to retain you as a customer or you may opt to stay with them for practical reasons such as their customer service, or just because it is easy.
  • If your circumstances haven’t changed since you took out your previous mortgage and you don’t have any arrears, it is a simple application process.
  • Provided you apply in plenty of time your mortgage will move to the new rate as soon as the old one runs out.

Remortgage

  • You’ll probably want to shop around for the best possible mortgage rate, and that may involve moving to a different lender when your existing rate ends.
  • A remortgage involves going through the full application process again so it will take time.
  • You’ll need a solicitor for the legal aspects of the remortgage, but some lenders have their own solicitors that you can use, and they might cover the costs of the legal work.
  • Look out for special deals such as cashback offers, but also be aware of set-up fees when you are comparing lenders.

What To Consider

Cashback Deals

Look out for cashback offers which might make a more expensive rate work out to be more affordable than it looks.

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Overpayment Options

If you want the flexibility to make occasional or regular overpayments when you are able, check that your preferred mortgage allows you to overpay and what the conditions are.

Repayment Holidays

Do you want the security of knowing that you can pause your mortgage payments for a few months if something unexpected happens? Make sure you choose a mortgage with payment holiday options.

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Offset Mortgage

Some mortgages work in tandem with your savings to reduce your monthly payments or pay your mortgage off sooner. Tell your mortgage adviser if you want to look at offset mortgages.

Pay Off A Loan

If you have enough equity, you can increase the amount that you are borrowing to enable you to pay off an outstanding loan, as mortgage rates tend to be lower than standard loan interest rates.

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Release Equity

You may also want to release the equity in your house for major expenses such as building an extension or remodelling your kitchen, by increasing your mortgage.

Future Plans

Before making a final decision think ahead and take into account any major life changes such as starting a family or retiring, which could affect your ability to manage your repayments.

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What You Need To Know

  • What are the early repayment charges if you want to pay off all or some of the mortgage before the end of the fixed term?
  • What are the set up fees?
  • Are there any additional terms and conditions?
  • Apply well in advance of your preferred moving date to secure the best rates as many are only available for a limited time
  • If the interest rate drops during the application process you won’t necessarily miss out, you can change to the lower one
  • Don’t take out any new finance while going through the application process, this can result in your mortgage being declined
  • You must take out buildings insurance as part of any property purchase, be sure to factor this into your monthly budget

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Professional, knowledgeable and efficient service from the start of the process.

Vicky Allan

What Do I Need?

  1. 4 Months Bank Statements
  2. 4 Months Payslips
  3. Last 2 Years SA302s & Tax Year Overviews / 2 Years Accounts
  4. P60
  5. Photographic ID
  6. Proof of Address

Work out what your monthly payments could be.

Mortgage questions? Check out our FAQs first.

A mortgage adviser will take time to understand your circumstances and financial situation, as well as your future plans, and will search through all the mortgages available on the market to find the ones that suit your needs most closely.

We recommend starting at least nine months before your renewal date to give you enough time to consider all your options and make the best decision.

Speak to us today and arrange an appointment to start the process.

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Because we play by the book we want to tell you that...

Because we play by the book we want to tell you that...
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances.
The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.