Mortgages guides

Buying, selling, or refinancing a property rarely follows a straight line. Mortgage products can vary significantly depending on your circumstances, the type of property you’re buying, and how you plan to use it.

This guide hub brings together the key mortgage routes most commonly relevant to home movers, including:

• Remortgaging (switching your mortgage deal)
• First-time buyer mortgages (buying your first home)
• Moving home (porting, switching, and timing considerations)
• Buy-to-let mortgages (lending for rental properties)
• Commercial mortgages (finance for non-residential property)

Use the sections below to understand what each route generally involves, what tends to matter most, and where to look next for more focused guidance.

Remortgaging: switching your mortgage deal

Remortgaging is taking out a new mortgage—often with a different lender—to replace your existing deal. People typically remortgage to manage monthly costs, change the structure of their borrowing, or take advantage of a new set of terms.

What remortgaging usually involves

• Reviewing your current mortgage and what you’re paying now
• Checking whether any early repayment charges apply
• Considering the length of the new term and how it affects affordability
• Comparing options that may include different repayment structures

Why it’s worth planning ahead

The best outcome usually depends on timing and preparation. A remortgage can be straightforward, but it often requires careful consideration of your current position, your future plans, and the practical steps needed to complete the switch.

First-time buyer mortgages: getting your first home finance in place

A first-time buyer mortgage is designed for people buying a home for the first time. While the broad concept is simple, the details can vary depending on the property, your deposit, your income, and the lender’s approach.

What tends to matter for first-time buyers

• Deposit size and how it affects the options available
• Affordability based on income and outgoings
• The property type and how it fits the lender’s requirements
• The overall timeline—especially if you’re also coordinating a purchase chain

Making the process easier

First-time buying can feel like a lot at once: choosing a property, arranging a mortgage, and meeting deadlines. A structured approach helps you keep decisions aligned—particularly around deposit planning and the mortgage term.

Moving home: managing your mortgage when you change properties

When you move, you may be able to keep your existing mortgage arrangement (depending on your circumstances) or switch to a new deal for the new purchase. The right approach depends on the details of your current mortgage and the new property.

Common moving-home mortgage routes

• Porting: keeping the mortgage terms (where available) and applying them to a new property
• Switching deals: moving to a new product with a new lender or a new arrangement
• Combining changes: adjusting the mortgage amount, term, or repayment structure to suit the new purchase

Key moving-home considerations

• How your current deal ends and what happens at renewal
• Whether any changes to borrowing amount affect the options you can access
• The practical timing between selling and buying

Buy-to-let mortgages: lending for rental properties

Buy-to-let mortgages are used to purchase a property intended to be rented out. They often work differently from residential mortgages, with lenders taking a broader view of the rental proposition.

What makes buy-to-let different

• The rental income is typically a key part of the assessment
• Deposit requirements can be higher than for many residential mortgages
• Interest rates and product structures may differ from standard residential lending

Planning for a buy-to-let decision

A buy-to-let mortgage isn’t only about securing the loan—it’s also about ensuring the rental strategy and costs are sustainable over time.

Commercial mortgages: finance for non-residential property

Commercial mortgages are used to purchase property that won’t be lived in as a home. This can include premises used for business purposes such as offices, retail, industrial units, and other commercial property types.

What lenders often consider

Commercial lending can be more variable than residential lending. Factors can include:

• The type of property and its intended use
• The strength of the business plan or income position
• The borrower’s overall financial profile

Where specialist support can help

Because commercial lending can be complex and sector-specific, it’s often helpful to take a structured approach to understanding the options and the likely requirements.

Secured loans (overview)

A secured loan uses an asset—often property—as security for borrowing. Because the loan is secured, it may be priced differently to unsecured borrowing, but the exact terms depend on the lender and the circumstances.

General points to consider

• The asset used as security and its value relative to the borrowing
• The paperwork and timeline involved in progressing an application
• The importance of keeping repayments up to date, as secured lending is linked to the asset

Important note

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or another debt secured on it.

Next steps within this hub

This page is an overview. For more focused guidance, explore the dedicated guides for each audience segment:

• Remortgage guides
• First-time buyer guides
• Moving home guides
• Buy-to-let guides
• Commercial guides