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Mortgages Explained

What is a mortgage?

A mortgage is the name given to a loan that is used to buy a property or piece of land where the loan is secured against the property being purchased. Mortgages are typically long-term loans with repayments spread over 25 years.

How long should your mortgage term be?

Ideally, you should aim to set your mortgage term for as short a period as possible, as that way you won’t pay as much interest – although it does mean higher monthly payments. Conversely, a longer-term mortgage will reduce the monthly payments, but means you pay more overall, as interest will be charged for a longer period.

What type of mortgage is best?

Fixed rate mortgages

Afixed rate mortgage typically comes with an initial deal period, usually between two years and five years. The main advantage of this initial period is that you’ll know exactly what your monthly mortgage repayments will be. This will enable you to plan your budget effectively, as you’ll know exactly how much you need to ring-fence for your mortgage repayments each month.

It’s worth pointing out that fixed rate mortgages tend to come with higher rates than their variable mortgage counterparts, but this is often a small price to pay for the security that fixed mortgage interest rates can offer.

Variable and tracker rate mortgages

Variable and tracker rate mortgagestypically have lower rates than their fixed rate counterparts, at least at the point you take the mortgage out, and can therefore be cheaper overall, but they come with far less security as the rates aren’t guaranteed.

As variable mortgage rates could change at any time, often depending on the Bank of England base rate (or other wider economic conditions), the amount you pay each month may vary. If you need to know the exact amount you’ll be required to pay back each month, then a variable rate mortgage is not for you. If, however, you believe that rates won’t go up, but are prepared for if they do, then a variable mortgage might be just right for you.

So long as you bear in mind that your mortgage rate may increase and have enough wiggle room in your budget to accommodate fluctuations in your monthly mortgage repayments, then a variable rate mortgage may be a good option for you.

Note: we’re referring here to the variable rate mortgages that can be found in our comparison charts, not those offering the lender’s standard variable rate (SVR). SVRs are usually far higher than anything else on the market and are typically what a borrower reverts to once an initial fixed or discounted rate period ends, which is why remortgaging should always be considered at the end of such a period.

Offset mortgages

Many mortgage lenders have an offset option as part of their range; you can find the available offset mortgages by using ourmortgage searchand filtering accordingly. This type of mortgage might be an option for those with a decent savings pot who are unimpressed by the current rates of savings interest on offer.

With an offset mortgage, you’re able to use your savings to reduce your mortgage payments by ‘offsetting’ it against your mortgage, thereby reducing the balance you pay interest on. You don’t lose your savings in the process, as you would if you were to overpay a mortgage or put down a larger deposit, but instead agree to put your funds aside and forgo any interest you might have otherwise earned on the money.

For example, if you had a £125,000 mortgage balance and £25,000 in a linked savings account, your monthly mortgage interest would be calculated on £100,000 rather than the full balance, resulting in lower repayments. If you then switch to a different mortgage, you can get the £25,000 back to put in a savings pot that does pay out savings interest.

Depending on the state of the savings market, and the deal you can get on an offset mortgage, this might reduce your repayments by a greater amount than you would otherwise have been able to earn in savings interest. Always compare mortgage rates across the whole market before deciding, as rates may be less competitive in this sector due to its lower profile.

Mortgage brokers remove a lot of the paperwork and hassle of getting a mortgage, as well as helping you access exclusive products and rates that aren’t available to the public. Mortgage brokers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and are required to pass specific qualifications before they can give you advice.

Speak to an award-winning mortgage broker today

How do you want to pay for your mortgage?

When deciding how to pay for your mortgage, you generally have one of two options – you can apply for an interest-only deal or opt for full repayment.

Repayment mortgages

Repayment mortgages are designed so that, by the end of the mortgage term – which can range from 25-35 years and beyond – you’ll have paid off the full balance plus interest and will have nothing further to pay. Your repayments will be calculated accordingly, and while they’ll be higher than if you had an interest-only deal, you can be confident that you’ll have paid off everything by the end of the term.

You may even be able to shorten your mortgage term if you make overpayments, which will also reduce the amount of interest you pay. Remember, too, that when you pay off more capital you’ll be able to move down the LTV scale, enabling you to secure lower rates, and therefore lower repayments, should you decide to remortgage onto a different product.

Interest-only mortgages

With this type of mortgage, your repayments are generally lower, but only because you’re not actually repaying the balance of the loan or increasing your equity (though if your property increases in value over this time, then your equity will increase as well; conversely if your property loses value you could find yourself in a sticky situation).

You will only be repaying the interest on the mortgage, which means that at the end of the term, you’ll still be left with the full balance of your initial loan. You will have to come up with a lump sum to pay off your outstanding mortgage debt.

Many people once banked on rising house prices to help them do that – they were hoping to sell their home at a higher price than when they first bought it, which would have theoretically covered their mortgage. However, the financial crisis and rapidly falling house prices meant that often didn’t happen. Similarly, others banked on pensions, endowment funds or savings, but poor investment returns left many far short of the sum needed. This is why such deals are now less common – they’re more often used in the buy-to-let sector, with full repayment the preferred choice for residential mortgages.

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