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Cheap Mortgage Finding

How to find the best deal for you

Kit Sproson
Kit Sproson | Edited by Johanna Noble
Updated 3 December 2020

Getting the right mortgage or remortgage deal can save you £100s each month. But it can be a nightmare knowing how to get it spot on – especially during these uncertain times –  without the advice of a qualified mortgage broker. To help navigate the mortgage maze, here's our step-by-step guide outlining how to find the best mortgage deal for you.

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In this guide

1-min read: How to find your top mortgage deal

                                                                                                                                        Here's a quick lowdown on how to start your hunt for the best mortgage deal – alternatively, you can read our full guide below.

1. Benchmark YOUR top deal in 2 mins 

Use our Mortgage Best Buys comparison tool to see the best deals currently available. Plus, you'll be able to get an idea of what your monthly repayments could look like. If you've already got a mortgage, compare it to your current deal using our Ultimate Mortgage calculator.

2. Use a broker to improve your chances  

Mortgage brokers often have access to special deals that aren’t directly available to customers. So once you've checked out the Best Buys, ask a broker if they can find you an even better deal. Here's a list of some top brokers (and there's nowt wrong with talking to more than one), all fee-free:

  • London & Country*. Phone and online broker that checks the vast majority of deals available to brokers, but not direct-only deals.
  • Habito*. Online-only mortgage broker that checks most deals available to brokers plus direct-only deals, though for the latter you’ll have to do the actual application yourself.
  • Trinity Financial*. London-based broker that checks the vast majority of deals available to brokers, but not direct-only deals (It's waived its fee for MSE users).
  • Trussle*. Online-only mortgage broker that has access to over 90 lenders as part of Legal & General. It offers automated mortgages in principle too.

3. Check deals that brokers miss.

Some lenders don't deal with brokers and others reserve deals for direct sales only. To be confident you're getting the absolute best deal possible, compare your broker's best result to your best result from our Mortgage Best Buys tool.

Step 1: Choose what type of mortgage

Now you're ready to get a mortgage, you need to go about it the right way. There are several things you need to do before you're ready to check out deals:

  • Have you decided whether you want a REPAYMENT or INTEREST-ONLY mortgage (the latter is also nigh on impossible to get)?

    If you pick interest-only, you NEED a separate plan to pay off your debt, as your payments only cover the cost of the interest. A repayment mortgage, while it costs more each month, pays off the original debt too.

    Unless you have a compelling reason, repayment is the way forward. It's also the one you're most likely to get as many lenders won't offer interest-only deals. Those that do will want evidence of a credible repayment plan and might limit the amount you can borrow.

  • Decide if you're going for a FIXED or VARIABLE rate mortgage?

    The most important thing to remember is with a fixed rate, you have the surety of knowing EXACTLY what your mortgage repayments will be for that time.

    In years past, variable rates were often significantly cheaper but right now the pendulum has swung more towards fixed deals, although these too are now slowly creeping up. But always pick the right deal for you – our What type of mortgage to choose? guide has more information on how to decide.

choosing the type of mortgage

  • Make sure you've got enough cash for any ASSOCIATED FEES

    It's not just about the rate when picking a mortgage – a whole raft of fees could come as part of the package – stamp duty, solicitors' fees, valuation/survey costs, mortgage fees and more. Our What fees will you pay? guide will give you the full information on what you'll need to pay and when.

  • Put as much towards your deposit/equity as you can... especially if you're close to an LTV-RATE BOUNDARY

    This may seem contrary to the point above, but mortgage rates drop in steps, known as loan-to-value (LTV) bands. So if you've a 9.75% deposit/equity, it's worth trying to get that up to 10% as you'll get a pick of lower interest rates.

If you've done all this, you're ready to follow the steps below to find the best mortgage for you. Remember that even if you've got an agreement in principle with a lender, you don't have to stick with it – especially if it is no longer offering the best deal.

Step 2: Get an idea of what you can get

Whether you're going for a fixed or variable mortgage, you need to start looking at what rates you can get. This will depend on the size of your deposit and the value of the property.

But, in starting your search for the best deal, the first thing you need to know is:

"NEVER just go to your bank for a cheap deal."

Your existing bank will only give you its tiny range of deals, not the array of alternatives, meaning it's highly unlikely you'll stumble across the best one for you.

Only check what it's offering as a starting point. Then use our Mortgage Best Buys tool to check the whole market.

Comparing mortgages can be confusing. Before the onset of coronavirus there were over 6,000 mortgage products. There are still plenty out there, so you need to know how to search through our comparison site to find the best deals for you. Click on the button below for a full how-to for mastering MSE's Mortgage Best Buys.

  • Need to know how to find the best deals for you?

    The steps below help you benchmark a rate – to get a good estimate of what your rate and payments would look like. This is pretty straightforward and shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes.

    1. Go to our best buys to get a benchmark

      No comparison site guarantees to show you all the deals available. This is because the mortgage market is complicated and some deals are only available through certain brokers, making it very difficult for a comparison site to know about every single deal at all times. But our Mortgage Best Buys tool has all deals available direct, and most available to brokers, so it's a great place to start.

    2. Enter your loan amount and property valuation accurately

      At the top of the screen when you click onto best buys, you have the opportunity to select if you're a first-time buyer, remortgaging or moving home. You'll also need to put in how much you want to borrow, and how much the property is worth. 

      This calculates your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) and so influences which products you're shown.

    3. Find the info you need on screen

      There's a lot of information. Some details are more vital to read than others. The most important information's prominently displayed; choices about your deal are on the left, information about the mortgage products is in the table. Use the site to locate:

      • Buyer type (first-time buyer/remortgage/moving home)
      • Mortgage type (eg, fixed/variable)
      • Initial deal length (eg, two years)
      • Interest rate (eg, 1.89%)
      • Fees (arrangement, booking and valuation – no others)
      • Monthly payment

      It's now time to select what type of mortgage you want.

    4. Use the filters on the left to choose between fixed mortgages and variable mortgages

      If you're already certain, then select the type you want. If you're still not sure, leave all options selected.

    5. Use the filters on the left to select your initial deal length

      The initial deal length is how long your deal will stay at the advertised interest rate. For a fixed mortgage, this is how long the rate is fixed for. For a variable mortgage, this'll be how long a discount applies to the rate. If you know how long a deal you want, pick that from the filter. If not, again, leave them all selected.

    6. Find a realistic benchmark

      We say realistic, because if you're looking at the product at the top of the table, it's probably not. You're probably looking at a lovely low rate with a fairly large fee.

      One way around this is to change the sort filter on the right hand side of the tool. You're able to search products by monthly payment, initial rate, set up fees – and our MSE Total Cost Assessment. This combines the rate and the fees to tell you which will be the cheapest mortgage overall; invariably it's not one with a large fee.

    7. Choose your deal

      8. Once you've found some deals that suit your circumstances and budget, click 'key information' to find out more. This will tell you other information about the product, such as how much you'll need to pay the lender for a valuation, and whether you're allowed to overpay.

    8. Go get your deal

      9. Once you're happy you can click on 'Next Steps'. This will then give you two main options. The first is to contact a broker about the deal. The broker will be able to check that it actually is the best deal for you by doing a comparison with other deals out there.

      If you're confident you've picked a winner, you can go for the second option which is simply clicking through to the lender to start an application.

Has coronavirus made it more difficult to remortgage/get a good deal?

The mortgage market has shifted since lockdown began. Here's what you need to know:

  1. It's harder to find deals for borrowers with small deposit or little equity. If you have a high LTV (meaning an small amount of equity) or a small deposit if you're a first-time buyer, it's become a bit more difficult to find a good deal. This is because many lenders have withdrawn high LTV deals so to find a good deal you typically will need at least a 15% deposit or an LTV of 85%.

  2. There's stricter lending criteria for some. David Hollingworth of L&C Mortgages says that due to economic uncertainty, lenders are following stricter criteria. Many aren't factoring in variable portions of income, such as bonuses, overtime or commission (while they did in the past). And some borrowers on furlough might fall foul of affordability assessments if they're on a reduced income – as it might be trickier to demonstrate that the mortgage is affordable.

  3. There are some positives – rates are still super-cheap (although slowly creeping back up) and lenders are eager to attract borrowers. While millions are asking for payment holidays, if you're keeping up payments, and you've still got full income, there are opportunities for huge savings by remortgaging. See our Remortgage guide on when and when not to remortgage.

Step 3: Talk to a mortgage broker

Update 29 September 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial impact it has had on the mortgage market – in particular that many mortgage lenders have tightened their lending criteria as a result of the economic fallout – it's arguably more important than ever to use the help of a qualified mortgage broker when you're looking to either remortgage or take out a mortgage.

However, demand on mortgage brokers and lenders is particularly high at the moment. For this reason it's likely that you may experience delays when either instructing or working with a broker.

Once you've benchmarked a good rate from using our Mortgage Best Buys, see if a qualified mortgage broker can beat it.

using a mortgage broker

They scour the market to find you a good mortgage deal. By using one, you swiftly cover a huge slew of lenders, and get added clout with them to ease your acceptance as well as an extra layer of protection if things go wrong.

Brokers will also be able to advise you on Help to Buy mortgages and other Government mortgage schemes (incl shared ownership, equity loans etc) if you're eligible – tell your broker upfront if that's what you're looking for.

Qualified mortgage brokers are also worth their weight in gold, because they know key details about lenders' criteria. So they would know if the lender you're thinking of doesn't lend on properties above shops, or in council blocks – so they'd be able to recommend a different lender who does.

But, the key is to find a broker you're comfortable with. The estate agents you meet when house hunting will often recommend brokers. They may even work from the same office. But you are NOT tied to using these, even if you buy via that estate agent.

Ask friends who've moved for recommendations – many local brokers are fantastic. The aim's to find you the best broker for the lowest possible price. Not all brokers are the same. Some are limited in what they can offer you.

Here are the 3 crucial questions to ask... 

1. Can you get me a mortgage from any UK lender, right now?

This finds out if your broker can source you ANY UK mortgage. Not all can so it's important to know which you're dealing with. Here are some of the possible answers:

  • 'NO.'

    Some brokers are tied to one lender or operate off a small panel of lenders, so they search fewer deals. This makes it simpler and cheaper for them to operate.

  • 'We check all products available to brokers.'

    The key point to note here is the last phrase – available to brokers. This used to be called 'whole-of-market'.

    Many of these brokers will exclude lenders and products which are only offered directly to the public, mainly as they won't receive a commission. On top, they may not be able to submit an application on your behalf.

  • 'We check all lenders.'

    Some brokers do check lenders' direct-only deals too. However, they are more likely to charge a fee. In reality, it's unlikely a broker could guarantee you access to EVERY mortgage, as exclusive deals can be arranged between lenders and brokers (and clubs that brokers can join).

Just be clear on what your broker is offering. Weigh up the need to check every deal, your willingness to do some legwork yourself, and if you're happy paying a broker fee. Once you've found a broker you're happy with, you need to ask them the next questions to find out if they're the best broker for you.

2. Do you charge a fee?

This tells you how the broker makes their money from your mortgage deal. Brokers have two possible sources of income, which are:

  • Commission

    Almost all lenders pay brokers what's called a 'procuration fee' of roughly 0.35% of the transaction (£350 per £100,000). This is a commission based on your loan size – and doesn't affect the cost of your mortgage.

    They are obliged to tell you the exact amount they'll be paid before you apply. You can find this info on the Key Facts illustration, which they must provide before you apply.

  • Fees

    Brokers may also charge you a fee directly. This might be on top of the commission, or instead of it (ie, they charge a fee and refund you the commission).

    If they offer you the choice between fee or commission, then they can call themselves 'independent'. If they don't, they can't – which is a bit confusing.

    No reputable broker should charge more than around 1% of the mortgage value, even for customers with a poor credit rating. If yours charges more, walk away.

    Fees can be charged at any point in the process, providing you're told about them at the outset. Yet avoid using any broker who charges you big fees before completion. If the purchase falls through, you'll probably still have to pay.

    • Is it worth paying a fee?

    As this is a MoneySaving site, we've always said our preference is not to pay a fee if you don't have to. For this, you're looking for a fees-free broker who can advise on the widest range of mortgages possible.

    This sort of broker will make its cash from commission but can search out a good deal from a wide range of lenders, then checking the non-broker deals on top yourself.

    However, there are two instances when a fee may be good value for money.

    1. If you want face-to-face advice. Search your local area for a good broker. Just make sure they're whole of market, and that any fee charged is affordable and value for money. It's not the worst thing to spend money on, especially if it means you have someone you trust to get you a decent mortgage.

    2. If you want one that finds 'non-broker' deals. When a broker recommends a mortgage they can't transact for you, they don't make commission. The brokers we've found which include ALL mortgages charge fees to compensate for the chance they won't get paid once they've found a deal.

    If you value a face-to-face service, or you know a red-hot broker who charges a fee, then it's likely to only be a few hundred pounds. A small price to pay for a service you know you can trust.

3. Are you qualified?

You need to find out whether a broker is qualified to advise you. Make sure you're getting advice from a qualified mortgage adviser (the most recognised qualification is called CeMAP). Your broker should assess your needs and eligibility before recommending the most suitable product for you. This route also offers the most protection for you as a consumer.

If the advice turns out to be wrong, the Financial Ombudsman will be able to investigate any wrongdoing. If you chose a product from an information-only service, you'd have no comeback if you made the wrong choice.

Best Buys: Finding the top UK mortgage brokers

Now you know what you're looking for, as we can't review every mortgage broker in the UK, we've concentrated on some of the big ones that have nationwide scope, plus ways to find smaller brokers. Similarly, if you have any doubts about a broker, find a different one – there's nothing wrong with talking to several before you settle on one.

London & Country Mortgages

Fees-free, searches all but direct deals

Well-established phone and online broker London & Country* never charges a fee, and will check the vast majority of deals available to brokers, but won't check direct-only deals, so you'll need to check the remaining ones yourself. 

Read our full review of London & Country below for why we rate it so highly.

  • How do I speak to it? Either online* via this link or by phone on 01225 408000 (please note that L&C's phone lines are very busy at the moment).
  • What lenders will it check? All standard deals available through brokers.
  • Cost: FREE.

  • Full MSE review of London & Country

    L&C has been a top pick on MSE for many years, and we've received consistently strong feedback from people who have used it, and they have a four-star rating on Trustpilot. We also rate L&C highly because you can speak to it on the phone AND online. If you've used L&C, please let us know about your experiences. 

    The advantage of only dealing with lenders that make deals available through brokers is that L&C will be able to help you through the whole process, in terms of filling in forms, information and support. The broker you talk to may also tell you about mortgages from lenders they don't deal with, but they don't have to.

Habito

Fees-free, searches all UK lenders including direct-only deals

Online-only mortgage broker Habito* never charges a fee and checks most deals available to brokers (there may be some deals for specific brokers that it wouldn't list) as well as direct-only deals, though for these direct deals you’ll have to do the application yourself.

Read our full review of Habito below for why we rate it so highly.

  • How do I speak to it? Online* via this link.
  • What lenders will it check? All UK lenders.
  • Cost: FREE.

  • Full MSE review of Habito

    Habito is new-ish to the mortgage broker market, having launched in April 2016. It's online-only, so it's more likely suited to people who are comfortable searching for the best deals online (although it does have a live chat option and you can speak to one of its team over the phone if you really want to) – one of the only reasons we have it below London & Country.

    It's a free service – Habito charges lenders (through commission) instead of homebuyers – and Habito has access to over 90 UK lenders. If it finds you a mortgage from a lender not on its list, it'll let you know so you can choose to go direct. Lenders it currently doesn't have access to include First Direct and Tesco Bank.

    So how does it work? You start by completing its online form (which Habito claims should take five minutes), saying what kind of mortgage you want. Habito will then find the best deal for you and you then open an account if you want to proceed. Everything is done online, including submitting paperwork, but a (human) mortgage expert is on hand to support you through the mortgage application process through online chat or over the phone.

    It has a five-star rating on reviews site Trustpilot and also won a FinTech (financial technology) Startup of the Year award in March 2017.

    If you've used Habito, please let us know about your experiences.

Trinity Financial

Fees-Free, searches most except direct deals

London-based broker Trinity Financial* has waived its fee for MoneySavingExpert.com users if you follow this link, and will check the the vast majority of deals available to brokers, but won't check direct only deals, so you'll need to check the remaining ones yourself.

  • How do I speak to it? Phone (although you can use email to arrange a consultation) and via online form.
  • What lenders will it check? A wide range of lenders ranging from big banks to small building societies.
  • Cost: FREE (its usual fee of £495 is waived if you follow the link above).

  • Full MSE review of Trinity Financial

    We don't have a huge amount of feedback on Trinity Financial, though it is a well-established broker and has five-star reviews on Trustpilot and Google. If you've used Trinity Financial, please let us know about your experiences.

    The advantage of only dealing with lenders that make deals available through brokers is that Trinity Financial will be able to help you through the whole process, in terms of filling in forms, information and support. The broker you talk to may also tell you about mortgages from lenders they don't deal with, but they don't have to.

Trussle 

Fee-free, offers automated mortgage in principle

Launched in December 2015, online-only mortgage broker Trussle* never charges a fee. Although not whole of market, it has access to over 90 lenders as part of Legal & General. It offers automated mortgages in principle and mortgage monitoring services.

  • How do I speak to it? Online only
  • What lenders will it check? All standard UK deals available to brokers
  • Cost: FREE

  • Full MSE review of Trussle

    As an online-only mortgage broker, Trussle is relatively new to the market. Like its other online-only competitors, it's most suitable for those happy searching for the best deals online without meeting a broker face to face.

    It's a free service – Trussle charges lenders (through commission) instead of homebuyers – and has access to over 90 UK lenders. Similar to other brokers, it doesn't work with direct-only providers, so you'll still need to conduct your own search to ensure the deals it finds you are best.

    So how does it work? Anyone can find out what they can afford to borrow or save by switching, without creating an account, but you'll need to create an account to receive mortgage recommendations or to use the mortgage monitoring service. Trussle claims first-time buyers could have an automated mortgage in principle in under five minutes. Trussle will then recommend the best deal for you out of 11,000 mortgage products. Everything is done online, including submitting paperwork, which you can upload electronically to your profile. Its CeMAP-qualified mortgage advisers are available by live chat, email and phone should you need additional help.

    It has a five-star rating on reviews site Trustpilot and investment from US banking giant Goldman Sachs.

    If you've used Trussle, please let us know about your experiences.

Find a good local mortgage broker

FACE-TO-FACE ADVICE

If you prefer face-to-face advice, try to find a local broker that offers it fees-free; there should be quite a few. Websites like Unbiased.co.uk or VouchedFor* both list brokers. You could ask a friend or even use the phone book – but it's crucial you know what you're getting.

  • How do I speak to it? Face-to-face, usually!
  • What lenders will it check? It depends on the one you find
  • Cost: Varies massively, always check

  • Full MSE guide to picking a local broker

    Give them a call, and ask the three questions in the picking a broker section to ensure they fit your bill. Make sure each broker you look at can advise from the entire mortgage market, and is fees-free (if that's what you're looking for).

    For those wanting a more informal route, this website's forum includes a large Mortgage Board where some helpful mortgage brokers voluntarily answer questions – it's an easy, non-committal starting option.

    Many are fee-free mortgage brokers, so if they do help you, there's no reason not to ask them to sort your mortgage for you (always ask them the three questions first, though).

    As always, the golden rule is to seek more than one opinion before deciding.

Quick questions

  • I've had credit problems in the past – do I need to go to a specialist broker?

    If you've had credit problems, whether mild or severe (see the Credit Scores guide), and are trying to sort a mortgage, be very wary of going to the 'specialist poor credit' brokers who advertise everywhere.

    These often charge very high fees as customers tend to think that's all they can get. There's absolutely no need to go to a specialist though; most normal brokers (including the ones listed above) also deal with what's called the 'sub-prime' market too, and at the same fee rates that they normally charge.

  • Am I allowed to speak to more than one broker?

    Most brokers only charge upon completion of the mortgage so there's nothing to stop you getting a second, or even a third, opinion. Two heads are often better than one, so why not try a few brokers and see if any beat the others?

    Do check that the brokers don't submit an Agreement in Principle without your permission as this can involve a hard credit search on your file. Too many of these may actually hurt your credit score, meaning you get a worse deal (see the Credit Scores guide).

    The other benefit of this is that different brokers often have exclusive deals from lenders (though there may be a small fee for 'booking' these). The big national brokers have their own deals and local brokers may offer exclusives via 'broker networks' which negotiate deals for them. Always weigh up the benefit of the exclusive deal against any fees.

  • I've heard some brokers do cashback – how do I get this?

    It's worth asking what commission your broker's getting for arranging the mortgage. This should be stated on the last page of the mortgage illustration too – it's likely to be between 0.35% and 0.5% of the mortgage value. So on a £100,000 mortgage, the commission or 'proc' fee they get will be between £350 and £500.

    It's worth asking if they're prepared to rebate any of their commission as cashback to you when the mortgage completes, especially if you're paying a fee for their services as well.

    You're more likely to be able to strike a deal on larger mortgages (where your fee plus their commission is more than £1,000), but the broker's well within their rights to say no, whatever the final income they get from arranging your mortgage.

Step 4: Check lenders that brokers miss

checking all deals on the market

If you used our Mortgage Best Buys to benchmark a rate before you went to a broker, and it couldn't beat your rate, then you've probably already done this.

And if your broker says it tells you about all deals on the market (not just the ones they can transact for you), this part should already have been done. It may be worth double-checking, but it's likely you've already found the best deal for you.

If you used a standard broker, it may still miss some deals as sadly, some lenders have retreated from the broker market to cut costs. Some simply don't allow brokers to access any of their deals; others reserve some deals for direct sales only.

For belt and braces, compare a broker's best result to the three types of mortgages it may not have included:

  • Lenders that don't operate through brokers

    Yorkshire Bank and First Direct don't offer their deals through brokers. Plus, HSBC only offer their deals through a few broker networks (Countrywide, London & Country and Trinity Financial are among them), so if you're not with a broker who's with those networks, you'll need to check HSBC's deals yourself.

    Yorkshire Building Society also doesn't pay brokers a fee on their main brands (though it does deal with them through their broker brands, Accord and Platform). Brokers who say they search the whole market should include them in a comparison but, they don't have to offer to transact for you.

  • Lenders that don't offer all their deals through brokers

    You'll really need to do some legwork for these. A few lenders, including Nationwide and Halifax, now put some deals through brokers and offer some only direct. Just to show there's nothing like keeping things simple!

    Tesco Bank is another that offers most of its deals through brokers – with the exception of its 95% mortgage deals that are only available direct.

    A recent trend is that the direct deals can be much more competitive (but not always). Usefully, MSE's Mortgage Best Buys tool finds the best deals for you, and tells you if they're available through brokers or only direct.

  • Exclusive deals from other brokers

    In the final category are the deals which are available exclusively through certain broker networks, as they sometimes negotiate their own deals with lenders. Unfortunately, we can't cover all of these in our best buys tool, but they're not a significant proportion of the market. For full belt and braces, you could try a few different brokers.

To properly compare deals, find the best deal that a broker can offer you, and the best deal you can find using our Mortgage Best Buys, then use our Compare Two Mortgages or Compare Fixed-Rate Mortgages calculators to see what each will cost you.

Don't use the APR to compare – mortgage APR confusion. The best comparison is to use the rate you'll pay for the incentive period in the comparison – and compare over the length of time you think you'll have the mortgage. DON'T compare one mortgage's APR with another.

  • Why we say APR is mostly meaningless

    All lenders have to tell you their APR – the effective averaged annual interest rate if you held your mortgage for the entire term (normally 25 years). This is rather annoying, as it's a rate in most cases you'll never have to pay, so it's meaningless.

    If you had a fixed rate at 3.49% for two years, and then the rate it reverted to afterwards was 4.74%, the APR would be around 4.3%.

    So why do we say it's mostly meaningless?

    • You never pay 4.3%. It's an averaged rate over the entire term
    • You're likely to remortgage long before the term ends
    • The rate it reverts to (the standard variable rate) is likely to move anyway

    What you really need to focus on is the initial discount/fixed rate, the fees and the rate it goes to once your deal has ended.

Step 5: Check mortgage paperwork

You could start a library out of the amount of paperwork you get sent when you take out a mortgage or remortgage. The main documents you need to be aware of are:

Key Facts Illustration

Key Facts

The Key Facts Illustration does what it says on the tin. It gives you the Key Facts about the mortgage product, not all of them, but all the main ones. You should be given one of these before you make an application and you should check through carefully.

  • Key Facts illustration checklist

    Questions to ask:

    • Does it have the Key Facts logo on it? (shown above)
    • Does it have the correct date on it?
    • Does it have your name on it?
    • Does it state who has created it? This will be your broker's details, or the lender if you've gone direct.
    • Does it say if you've been recommended the product?

    If all of the information's in there, file the illustration and keep it. If some of this information's missing, ask the lender or broker for a new one.

  • Why do you need to check and keep the illustration?

    If you ever have a disagreement with your lender, this document is a crucial piece of evidence that proves what you were recommended, by who and when. Your lender won't keep a copy forever, so keep it somewhere safe as it could be years before you need it again. Scan it, file it, keep it!

The mortgage offer

Once you've successfully applied for a mortgage, you'll be sent a mortgage offer by the lender. This gives ALL the facts about the mortgage and the conditions on the loan that you are agreeing to.

It's a bit more reading, but it's massively important you read through it and check every detail is 100% accurate. If your name is not spelt correctly or the loan figure is wrong, this could stop the mortgage at the very last minute, resulting in delays, additional expense, jeopardising the purchase and even more scarily, losing the mortgage offer completely.

You also need to be sure there's nothing unexpected in it, particularly if it contradicts your Key Facts illustration. Pay particular close attention to fees, early repayment charges and the conditions you need to meet to complete (as it's your solicitor's job to check you've met these before the money can be drawn down).

Your broker should also check the mortgage offer, but don't rely on that. If you were to disagree on a point later down the line, it could be very difficult to win the argument if you've signed the document accepting the conditions.

Scan it, file it, keep it!

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Step 6: Watch out for the hard sell

Some lenders and brokers try to make more money elsewhere in the mortgage process. So be prepared for the hard sell on these products.

Mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI)

Sometimes called accident, sickness and unemployment insurance (ASU), MPPI is supposed to cover your payments if you have an accident, become ill, or you're made redundant.

You can get limited help from the Government in these circumstances but, at best, it will only cover your interest. So it's sensible to consider, before you take out a mortgage, how you would manage to meet your repayments if these events happened.

MPPI isn't a bad policy but it can be quite pricey and has been mis-sold in the past to people who couldn't actually claim on it. This can happen because the insurer doesn't carry out any checks when you first apply, only when you go to make a claim.

Be extra careful if you are self-employed, have any reason to suspect you might be made redundant or have any existing medical conditions.

  • What to ask before taking out MPPI

    If you do decide to take out an MPPI policy, check carefully:

    • That it will pay out if you claim
    • When it will pay (you may have to wait several weeks before the policy kicks in)
    • How much it'll pay and for how long (it usually only covers your repayments for 12 months)

    Ensure you understand all the terms and conditions before signing on the dotted line.

Buying MPPI from your mortgage broker. Be careful when buying from your mortgage broker here. It may not be able to get you the best-priced policy. It's common for a broker to offer whole of market mortgage advice, but then be tied to a single, or small panel of insurers.

There's no harm in getting a quote from your broker for MPPI, but make sure that you compare with other policies to see if it's a good deal.

Bundled buildings / contents insurance

All lenders will insist you take out buildings insurance. But be very suspicious of deals which insist you buy your buildings insurance through your lender. While the amount quoted may seem reasonable in the first year, you're then trapped into accepting whatever premium increases they foist on you in subsequent years, for as long as the mortgage lasts.

Some lenders charge around £30 if you decline to take their insurance. If you go elsewhere for your home cover, some seriously cheap deals are possible. By using cashback sites, some people have even been PAID to take out insurance. See our Home Insurance guide.

Life cover from your mortgage seller

Would you ask the man who sold you a computer to be your fashion stylist? No, so don't assume just because someone sold you one financial product, they'll automatically get you a good deal on extra bits such as life cover or other insurance.

Buying your first home is probably the first time you've thought about life insurance, but don't rush in and grab the first one offered to you. In some cases you can save 50% on the life cover sold by your lender or broker.

For full information on how to find the cheapest cover, see the Life Insurance and Mortgage life insurance guides.

Ready to get a mortgage? We've lots more guides, tools & tips to help...

Mortgage Best Buys. Speedily finds your top mortgage deals.

First-Time Buyers' Guide. Free PDF helps you take your first step on to the property ladder.
Remortgage Guide. Our free PDF has tips on when remortgaging's right, plus how to grab top deals.

 

We've also got some handy mortgage calculators...

 

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