A hub page for home buyers covering the main mortgage types, repayment structures, key features to compare, and how factors like LTV and term can affect the options available.
Mortgages for Home Buyers
Buying a home is exciting—but it's also one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make. A mortgage isn't just a monthly payment: it affects how much you pay overall, how flexible your plan is if your circumstances change, and what options you may have in the future.
Our home buyer services
Compare today's best-buy home mover mortgages by deposit size, then talk to our advisers about porting your current deal, switching lender, or borrowing more to fund your next move.
Compare today's best-buy remortgage deals by loan-to-value, then talk to our advisers about switching lender, doing a product transfer, borrowing more, or simply avoiding your lender's SVR when your fixed rate ends.
Compare today's best-buy first-time buyer mortgages by deposit size, then talk to our mortgage advisers for guidance from your first question to the keys in your hand.
How our home buyer mortgage service works
Tell Us About You
Share the details of your situation by completing a quick 60-second form. It takes just a minute and won't affect your credit score.
Mortgage Match
We search across more than 100 lenders — including exclusive deals only available through specialist brokers — to find the right mortgage for you.
Meet your Expert
We pair you with your dedicated mortgage adviser. They'll manage everything from start to finish while you track progress anytime in your personal customer portal. No chasing, no messy paperwork.
What is a residential mortgage
A residential mortgage is a loan secured against a property you intend to live in. Because it's secured, lenders generally focus on two broad areas:
- The property (including valuation and suitability)
- Your ability to make repayments (based on income, outgoings and affordability)
Most residential mortgages are repaid over a fixed term through monthly payments.
🏠Talk to our Mortgage Advisers about Home Owner Mortgages
Comparing mortgages: rate isn't the whole story
It's easy to focus on the headline interest rate, but the overall picture is usually more complex. The rate drives your monthly payment, yet the total cost of a mortgage depends on much more than the rate alone.
That's because every deal carries other costs and features the headline rate ignores. When comparing mortgages, it's worth weighing up:
- Arrangement fees — whether added to the loan or paid upfront, these can offset a lower rate
- Valuation fees
- Legal and conveyancing costs — often paid separately, but part of the wider buying picture
- Early repayment charges — relevant if you might move or switch during the initial period
A mortgage with a lower headline rate may not be cheaper once fees are factored in — which is why it helps to compare deals on their true cost rather than rate alone.
Your deposit also matters, because it sets the loan-to-value (LTV) band you fall into, and that directly shapes the rates available to you. Here's how the lowest true-cost home purchase mortgages compare across different LTV bands — the same £100,000 loan, different deposit sizes:
Term length: monthly payments vs overall interest
The mortgage term affects both affordability and total cost.
- Shorter terms often mean higher monthly payments, but usually less interest paid overall
- Longer terms often mean lower monthly payments, but usually more interest paid overall
The "best" term depends on how you want to balance monthly affordability with total cost over time.
Mortgage term
25years
Total monthly mortgage payment*
£0.00
- Capital repayment*
- £0.00
- Interest*
- £0.00
Total interest paid over 25 years
£0.00
- Amount borrowed
- £0.00
- Total repaid
- £0.00
What influences the mortgage you're offered
Even when two home buyers have similar properties and deposits, the mortgage options available can differ because lenders assess risk using a combination of factors, such as:
- affordability (income vs outgoings)
- deposit size (LTV)
- credit history
- employment status and stability of income
- property type and valuation
- mortgage structure (fixed, variable, tracker, discounted)
Our home buyer mortgage lenders
A practical checklist for home buyers comparing mortgages
- Work from your budget: identify the monthly repayment you can comfortably manage.
- Choose the right repayment structure: repayment vs interest-only.
- Match the rate type to your plans: stability (fixed) vs flexibility (variable).
- Compare total cost: look at APRC where available and include fees, not just the interest rate.
- Check early repayment terms: understand potential charges if you move or switch during an initial period.
- Consider term length: balance monthly affordability with overall interest.
- Factor in LTV: your deposit size can affect both options and pricing.
Mortgage illustrations and calculators (illustrative only)
Mortgage calculators can help you estimate what monthly repayments might look like based on assumptions you choose, such as mortgage type, term length and interest rate.
Illustrative figures are not a mortgage quote. Actual repayments can vary depending on the mortgage product, fees and the interest rate offered based on your circumstances.
Summary: what to consider as a home buyer
A well-rounded mortgage comparison typically considers:
- repayment term structure
- how the interest rate behaves over time (fixed, variable, tracker, discounted)
- LTV and how it affects options
- total cost, including fees
- the initial rate period and what happens after it ends
- term length and the trade-off between monthly payments and overall interest
Understanding these elements first can make it easier to narrow down the mortgage options that fit your budget and your plans.
Related content
Real-world mortgage examples showing how different circumstances can affect affordability, lender decisions and the practical mortgage process.
A hub of mortgage calculators for home buyers, designed to help you estimate key numbers—affordability, deposit, Stamp Duty, loan-to-value and more.
Answers to common questions about the mortgage process, what brokers do, and the practical steps involved in buying, moving, remortgaging, buy-to-let and self-build.
A guides hub page for home buyers exploring specialist mortgage scenarios, including what “specialist” means, when it may be relevant, and how to use the guides to prepare for a mortgage application.
Get in touch
We are your online mortgage broker, offering you the convenience of applying for a mortgage online. However, we understand that sometimes you may prefer to speak with a human - phone, email or in person.
- Phone number
- 01133 205 902
- [email protected]
- Postal address
-
31 Bradford Chamber Business Park,
New Lane, Bradford, BD4 8BX
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We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 919921). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages.
Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Cyborg Finance Limited is registered in England and Wales (No. 12131863) at Bradford Chamber, New Lane, Bradford, BD4 8BX