Remortgaging is a little bit like renewing your car insurance. It’s important to shop around and make sure that you have the best mortgage product available to you. And whilst it is possible to remortgage up to six months before your fixed term ends, you need to decide whether it makes financial sense.
Most people will choose to remortgage as their current deal comes to an end. Remortgaging before your current deal ends can be expensive, as you may spend more on early exit fees than you’d save on the better deal. It’s not worth remortgaging if you’d spend more on fees than you’d save.
What is remortgaging?
Remortgaging is the process of taking out a new mortgage to replace your current one on a property that already belongs to you. No one is tied into the same mortgage forever – it’s something that can be reviewed regularly to make sure that you’ve got the best deal for your situation and this is exactly what the remortgaging process allows you to do.
You can either remortgage by switching to a new deal with a new lender, or by switching to a different deal with your current lender. There are pros and cons to both, depending on your individual circumstances and the deals on offer to you at the time of remortgaging.
Should I remortgage early?
Whether you should remortgage early depends on your individual circumstances, and whether the fees you’ll need to pay in order to get out of your current deal outweigh the money you’ll save on the new deal. Whilst mortgage lenders want to entice you in with attractive rates, they also want to lock you in so getting out of your deal early can be difficult. Be sure to double-check the terms and conditions of paying off and exiting your mortgage early.
You may want to avoid remortgaging before your current deal ends and steer clear of any costly fees. Instead, you could start looking for a remortgage deal around three months before your current one ends, giving you enough time to shop around, get advice and complete the application process in time to synchronise your current deal ending and your new deal starting.
How long does remortgaging take?
The process of remortgaging doesn’t take all that long. Remortgaging to a new lender can take up to two months. If you are switching over from the same mortgage provider to another one of their products, then it could take just a month. If you are involving a third party (such as Help to Buy or Housing Association) then the process can take longer, as it is a slightly more complicated process.
Generally, the basic remortgaging process is as follows, but can vary from lender to lender:
- Your current lender writes to you to let you know that your current deal is coming to an end. If you are on an introductory deal such as a two or five-year fixed rate, they will let you know that you are due to revert to the Standard Variable Rate (SVR)
- Ask your lender for a closing balance, which is the amount needed to pay off the remaining mortgage loan. This is the amount you’d need to borrow if you choose to remortgage
- You may want to find a mortgage broker to search the whole of the market and find you the best deal for your circumstances
- If you decide to change mortgage lenders, you’ll need to appoint a solicitor such as us here at Bromfield Legal. We will sort out any paperwork needed, carry out all necessary searches, and deal with the drawing up and signing the mortgage deed. The process will usually take longer if you change lenders
- The eligibility and affordability checks will be carried out. You will need to provide documents such as three months’ bank statements and/or payslips, utility bills, address details, photographic ID, your P60 etc. Your mortgage broker will be able to advise you on exactly what to have ready
- Your lender issues your Mortgage in Principle
- Your lender will arrange a valuation, to confirm that the house is worth enough to secure the amount that you are asking to borrow
- If the lender approves your mortgage application, you will be sent your offer letter
- Your solicitor requests the money from the new lender and uses it to pay off the old mortgage
- Your solicitor registers the mortgage holder’s detail with the Land Registry.
Why should I remortgage?
There are many reasons why you might want to remortgage. Most commonly, people remortgage because their current deal is about to end. If the fixed-rate term of your mortgage is ending and you are due to be put on your lender’s SVR, then you might want to remortgage to avoid higher/variable rates.
Perhaps you want to borrow more money against your house in order to release capital, for example, to carry out home improvements, buy a new car, or to consolidate debts. When your deal is coming up to expiry, a mortgage broker can research raising additional money against the security of your house if you are in need of some extra cash.
You may also decide to remortgage if you want to change the length of your mortgage. Perhaps the monthly payments are proving too expensive. You can remortgage to extend your mortgage over a longer period of time. This could be over 25/28/30/33/35 & up to 40 years (age permitting). The opposite may also be true, where you are finding yourself with some extra money at the end of each month. You may decide to reduce your term down from 25 to 22 years, for example, resulting in you paying your mortgage off early.
If the value of your home has increased, you might be able to remortgage and be placed in a lower Loan to Value (LTV) band, thus making you eligible for lower rates. Remember though, unless you’d make a pretty big saving, the cost of remortgaging could negate the savings you’d make so make sure you weigh up all the costs before making any decisions.
At Bromfield Legal, we understand that remortgaging can be a way to reduce your interest rates and payment installments on your mortgage, or on other debts. When there’s so much at stake, it’s a wise idea to bring in a legal expert to ensure that the process is dealt with properly.
Our expert mortgage advisor team are here to support you through the remortgage process. Just contact us today and arrange to speak to someone at your nearest Bromfield Legal office.
