Your home is the biggest financial commitment you will ever make!

WHAT IS A MORTGAGE?

A mortgage is the name given to a loan secured on property. It is usually used to buy the home although it is becoming more popular to consider a new mortgage, where the property is already owned, to access a more competitive mortgage product or to raise capital for other purposes, such as school fees or home improvements. You may have to pay an early repayment charge to your existing lender if you remortgage.

A mortgage is a long-term loan and has traditionally run for a fixed period, typically 25 years. However, most mortgages are flexible enough to allow for early repayment or, if your circumstances dictate, the term can be extended beyond the original loan period.

Mortgages were once the preserve of building societies and the high street banks, however recently far more competition has entered the market and there is now a raft of lenders offering mortgage loans on residential property. This expansion in the number of lenders has lead to a vast array of different loan packages.

Nowadays there are loan deals to suit most people's needs, whether you are buying your first home, moving home, looking to remortgage or perhaps buying an investment property.

With so much choice in the market, this can be very confusing. Below, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions on mortgages and home insurance.