Remortgage Advice in Durham
The mortgage journey can come with its highs and lows, however, the ultimate goal will either involve you settling down in your dream home to start a family perhaps, a step up to get you further up the property ladder or an investment purchase to provide another income source.
Whatever route you may go down, both will eventually come to a point where your mortgage term will end. You might sell up and upsize/downsize into a new property. If you are a landlord, you might want to sell your portfolio to the tenant or another buyer and look at other options. One option that is the most popular is a Remortgage.
What is a remortgage?
It’s best to start by understanding what a remortgage is. This term is the act of paying off a pre-existing mortgage using a new mortgage. There is a range of options when taking out a Remortgage, some being more major than others.
Below is a quick guide that we compiled that includes all the options you could when it comes to taking out a Remortgage utilising the 20 years plus knowledge of our resident “Moneyman” Malcolm Davidson (host of our YouTube channel MoneymanTV).
Remortgage For Better Interest Rates
So, your initial mortgage deal will usually last 2-5 years and include low fixed rates or possibly discounted rates. There might be a possibility that you will be placed on a tracker mortgage which means the interest rate will go off the Bank of Englands’ base rate.
If you aren’t on a tracker mortgage, you will likely be on the lenders Standard Variable Rate when your term ends. Also known as SVR, this is a mortgage with an interest rate that might change depending on how much the lender wants to charge. Unlike tracker mortgage, this will not follow the Bank of England’s base rate.
These can be seen as more expensive routes to take, which is why a lot of people may look at Remortgaging for better rates in order to potentially save money on their monthly repayments.
Remortgage for Home Improvements
You might find yourself in a position where you are 2-5 years into occupying your home and feel something isn’t right. It might be that you need an extra room or bigger living space for your kids/belongings. It might be some form of renovation such as getting a kitchen, office or loft conversion. In this situation, many look into releasing their equity with a Remortgage to cover the costs instead of to moving into a larger house.
The option to release equity in order to fund/manage your own projects might seem quite intimidating especially when getting planning permissions, however, it can be seen as more rewarding and less stressful in comparison to finding your new home, selling your current one and moving your belongings.
Furthermore, funding towards home projects that could make the house look a lot more impressive and appealing can be beneficial if you will sell it up or rent it out in the future as the property could increase in value.
Remortgage for Changes to Your Term
In some circumstances, many might look at getting a better mortgage term by reducing the length or switching to a more flexible product which is where they could Remortgage in Durham. The longer your term, the lower the payments will be over time. Therefore, reducing the length does mean you won’t be paying back your mortgage for as long so you aren’t exactly tied down forever, however, your monthly repayment will be a lot higher.
An option that provides benefits that can prove endearing to some homeowners is having a more flexible mortgage when they remortgage. This could give you the chance to overpay which could result in paying your mortgage off as quick as you’d like also being able to pass the same mortgage and rates over to another property, if you decide to move at any point in the future.
Although a flexible mortgage might sound perfect, it likely will come in the form of a tracker mortgage. As mentioned before, this mortgage follows the Bank of England base rate. This means that payments could fluctuate on a monthly basis depending on interest, therefore making them a little unreliable.
Remortgage to Release Equity
Equity is something that is in any property. The way the amount is worked out is through the difference between what is still owed on the mortgage and the current property value.
Like we mentioned before, this equity can be used to fund home improvements, however, there are more options for you out there.
You may equity is used to cover long-term care costs, to supplement their income, to have a holiday, to pay off an interest-only mortgage or to have free spending money.
If you are a landlord looking for a Buy to Let mortgage in Durham, you might remortgage to release equity as a way of covering your deposit for buying a future property for an addition to your portfolio.
For customers who are over the age of 55 and have a property that is worth at least £70,000, it may be worth looking at your options for Equity Release in Durham. Speak to a qualified later life mortgage advisor to learn more about Equity Release & Lifetime Mortgages.
Remortgage to Consolidate Debt
Some people use Equity Release for paying off any unsecured debts that they have accrued over time.
Paying off unsecured debts may sound like a simple solution, Debt Consolidation not only bases both on the amount you’re owed and the value of the property but also on your credit rating. Therefore, it could mean you are limited in the amount you can borrow.
On top of this, you will need to borrow more than your outstanding mortgage amount in order to pay off your previous mortgage and your debts. Because of this, your monthly repayments will potentially be higher. This may not be the best situation to be in, you can be assured in knowing that there are some options out there should you find yourself in an unfortunate situation.
In the case where you have damaged credit, there are still options to choose from, however, these may be difficult and require very Specialist Remortgage Advice in Durham before proceeding. Be aware that this might not be guaranteed.
You should always get mortgage advice before choosing to consolidate and secure any debts against your home.
Experienced Mortgage Advisors in Durham – Get in Touch
Getting in touch with an experienced and trusted Mortgage Broker in Durham would be very beneficial if you are reaching the end of your term and are exploring the options when it comes to Remortgaging.
With an advisor by your side, they can provide you with the support you need when looking into your circumstances and future goals so then you have the best route for you ready in the next step of your mortgage journey. We always aim for this process to be smoother and quicker than your first time.
Date Last Edited: December 6, 2023
