The truth about remortgaging with Complete Mortgages

Friday, 15th May, 2020
guildford mortgage broker

For many, getting a remortgage can be a daunting process. Add a global pandemic into the mix and it can all be all too easy to pull down the shutters, stick your head in the sand and make do with the standard variable rate mortgage (SVR) – even if just for a little while.

Honesty is always the best policy, so I’d like to start with a couple of simple truths.

First truth: arranging a remortgage with a mortgage broker is easy

Well, it should be – if you’ve picked a good mortgage broker.

As we’ve mentioned before, all of our clients receive a call from one of the Complete Mortgages team well in advance of defaulting onto the SVR. However, we’re a proactive mortgage broker – and not every mortgage broker is the same. Those already with Complete Mortgages will never find themselves defaulting onto the SVR. Those who aren’t with Complete Mortgages – and who might be inclined to put off dealing with their mortgage until Covid-19 is behind them – needn’t worry, either.

Our team of remortgage experts will be able to identify a new mortgage that suits you very quickly. The only thing you need to do is pick up the phone and call 01483 238280 or email me us info@complete-mortgages.co.uk.

Second truth: we will only suggest you change lender if it’s in your interest

If it’s not, we won’t – and if that happens, you’ll have had FREE mortgage advice as you won’t have to pay a fee.

If, after searching for a better mortgage deal, we deem that staying with your existing lender is the right option for you, then there’s no fee and minimal paperwork involved in jumping onto another mortgage. You’ll also have the peace of mind and protection associated with using a mortgage broker in coming to that decision. If another lender offers a more competitive mortgage deal, then we’ll manage the entire process for a fee of £399.

Hasn’t Covid-19 changed all this?

Yes and no.

If you’re simply looking to remortgage or explore your options when it comes to getting a new mortgage, then our virtual mortgage broker service means that you don’t need to meet us face-to-face as we can do it all over the phone. You can read more about that here.

If you’re an existing Complete Mortgages client who’s considering a mortgage payment holiday then we can advise you on this. Similarly, if you’re an existing Complete Mortgages client who’s considering a mortgage payment holiday AND is due to remortgage, then we can address it all in one call. If you’re not an existing client but would like help with a remortgage – or just general mortgage advice – then get in touch.

Don’t let Covid-19 put you off saving money on your mortgage. We’re a Guildford mortgage brokerage that can get you the best mortgage deals and help you tick ‘sort new mortgage’ off your to-do list in no time. Contact me on 01483 238280 or email ben@complete-mortgages.co.uk.

Cheap mortgages and flat property growth

Monday, 27th January, 2020
cheap mortgages

You’ll be pleased to know that despite the ominous title, this article is not a dreary take on the UK’s bleak property outlook. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

According to Nationwide, weak property price growth in 2019 coupled with rising wages and employment played a driving factor in helping first time buyers get a mortgage. In fact, in the 12 months to October 2019, 354,400 got a foot on the property ladder – more than double the lows of 2009.

As a Guildford mortgage broker, the team at Complete Mortgages believes that there is also a third factor at play: the ability to get a cheap mortgage.

We covered this in a recent article about remortgaging, which touched on the number of great mortgage deals currently on the market. However, we didn’t examine cheap mortgage deals against the backdrop of flat property prices, so let’s do that now.

1. Now is the time to apply for a cheap mortgage

Huge competition amongst mortgage lenders is driving down mortgage rates. But just remember: nothing lasts forever. Maybe you’re a first time buyer searching for a first time buyer mortgage. Or maybe you’re simply ready to upsize. Either way, mortgages don’t come much cheaper than what they are right now, so if you’re ready to arrange a mortgage, then now is the time to do it.

2. Cheap mortgages + flat property price growth = a good deal

Take point one and add the fact that property prices are not currently skyrocketing, and you might find that you have more purchasing power than you thought (or certainly more than you did a couple of years ago). However, the ‘nothing lasts forever’ point stands here, too, as the same Nationwide survey stated how prices moved up 0.1% in December. Now, if they continue to move up then this is, effectively, eroding the value of your mortgage deposit.

3. Don’t hang around

We’ve covered how now’s the time to take advantage of the best mortgage deals. We’ve also looked at this in tandem with flat lining property prices, which may not be flat lining for long. And let’s not forget that the ambiguity around Brexit, which has been instrumental in the stalling of property price growth, seems to be over. Finally then, with employment and wage growth, you might want to ask yourself whether or not interest rate rises will follow. In which case, the three things currently working in your favour may switch to become the three things that ultimately work against you.

We can’t predict what is going to happen with property prices, employment growth and interest rates – and this article certainly doesn’t represent any advice on our part – however, they are certainly three points to consider if you’re contemplating getting a mortgage in 2020.

Ready to apply for a mortgage and in need of good mortgage advice? Look no further as our team of Guildford mortgage advisers will be able to help guide you through the process and make getting a mortgage as seamless as possible. Call us on 01483 238280 or email info@complete-mortgages.co.uk.

The benefits of using a mortgage adviser

Tuesday, 13th August, 2019
mortgage broker

It was refreshing to see a piece in the Express, recently, which revealed how a third of homeowners who didn’t use a mortgage adviser had no form of protection.

Refreshing not from an ‘I told you so’ perspective of a mortgage broker, but refreshing to see the benefits of using mortgage brokers being put forward by a national newspaper.

However, it was the fact that this particular article drew attention to an important – if subtle – benefit of using a broker when applying for a mortgage, which is that not only should good mortgage brokers strive to get their customers the very best mortgage deals, but also ensure that they are protected, too.

The article, which focused on research by Legal & General Mortgage Club, revealed how 34% of homeowners that did not use a mortgage adviser do not currently have any kind of financial protection for their mortgage – be that life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection.

Sadly, this means that there are a significant number of homeowners that haven’t accounted for the negative financial impact – and the potential for missed mortgage payments – associated with long-term illness. Essentially, there are currently a large number of UK homeowners that are exposed.

Fortunately for our clients, Complete Mortgages isn’t just a Guildford mortgage broker.

Through our sister brand, Complete Cover, we also provide a wide portfolio of personal cover and mortgage-related insurances so that in the event of illness and even death, those that have taken a mortgage with us can feel rest assured that they (the policy holder and their family) will not run into financial difficulty.

In order to safeguard UK homeowners, it’s essential that mortgage advisers advise and not just broker deals. Articles such as that published by the Express – and research commissioned by Legal & General – will not only play a role in raising awareness of the potential consequences of sub-standard cover, but also make mortgage brokers more accountable in the process, too.

For access to mortgage insurances including property insurance, life insurance, mortgage payment protection and income protection contact the team on 01483 238280 or email info@complete-mortgages.co.uk.

By Mark Finnegan, Director at Complete Mortgages

Beware the SVR mortgage trap

Tuesday, 2nd October, 2018

This definitely sounds more sinister than it really is, however the standard variable rate (SVR) mortgage trap surprisingly affects a high number of people every year.

It’s a bit like household energy deals or ISAs: you are drawn in by the competitive rates, be they cheap – and fixed – energy or a high rate of interest for the first 12 months, only to find yourself paying twice as much for home heating or receiving half as much interest as soon as that period is over.

It’s arguably more difficult to overlook increases in your monthly mortgage payments than it is the rate of interest on your ISA, generally because the stakes are higher and the increases more noticeable, however people do tend to find themselves on the SVR and subject to higher monthly payments – and there’s really no need for it to happen at all.

When it comes to finding yourself on your lender’s SVR rate, there are two scenarios:

a) You’ve sorted the mortgage and you’ve lost track of when your preferred mortgage rate ends and the SVR begins – and your lender either hasn’t reminded you, or they have, but you’ve put off sorting it for another day

b) You use a mortgage broker and they’ve failed to remind you to consider your options as you approach the end of what seemed like the best mortgage deal when you took it out 18 to 24 months ago.

As a Guildford mortgage broker the advice we have covers both points, and that’s don’t just use a mortgage broker – but a good mortgage broker.

Firstly, using a mortgage broker doesn’t mean handing over money to someone who you feel does just as good a job as you. In return for getting a mortgage broker to apply for a mortgage on your behalf, you will be working with someone who’s qualified, bound by stringent regulation and who often has access to the best mortgage deals on the market at any given time.

More importantly, in the context of the SVR trap at least, it takes the responsibility of keeping on top of your mortgage off of you and places it firmly at your mortgage broker’s door.

Secondly, good mortgage brokers should know your mortgage as well – if not better – than you. As a result, they should not only be aware of key dates, such as the date your mortgage is due to switch to the SVR, but also proactively contacting you with a list of options when it comes to doing something about it.

That’s what we do, at least, and it’s an approach that prevents the majority of Complete Mortgages’ clients from having to experience the SVR.

Don’t get caught in the SVR mortgage trap. Contact a member of the team at Complete Mortgages on 01483 238280 who can manage your mortgage on your behalf and make sure that you’re aware of all the best mortgage rates available to you in advance. Alternatively, email info@complete-mortgages.co.uk.