Living near Nando’s nearly cost me my mortgage

Nando’s usually results in a bad taste in my experience, not home-buying problems (apologies to Nando’s lovers).  For me, it’s caused troubles in getting a mortgage. My home is in a large, newish block, with the chicken specialist close by and a small Tesco on the other side of the building. When I bought the flat in...

Getting a mortgage? Don’t assume your bank knows best

My fiancé and I are lucky to be in a position to buy an actual house, and even luckier to have had an offer accepted. We’re now quite a way through the process but we weren’t quite lucky enough to buy without a mortgage, so securing one was naturally the next step. Now we’d already spoken to a...

Five changes I’d make to the rental market

As a seasoned London renter, I’m used to paying through the nose to rent my flat, with almost 40% of my wages disappearing into my landlord’s pocket once a month.  So it wasn’t a huge shock to hear that rents in the UK are the highest in Europe at £750/month on average, according to new research from the...

The Government’s first-time buyer mortgage plan is flawed, says a first-time buyer

The Government has made a big song and dance about helping those with small deposits, particularly first time buyers, onto the housing ladder. However, in my opinion, its plans announced this week won’t work (see the Government unveils mortgage plan MSE News story). And I say this as part of the group it wants to help, as...