Your questions answered

Life is full of surprises. But a mortgage shouldn't be. That's why we want to give you the opportunity to learn as much as you can about our Self Certification mortgages right here and now.

We hope we've covered all the things you might want or need to know below.

But if you still have a question we haven't answered, or if you want to speak to one of our Mortgage Specialists, then please call us on 0845 603 6096*

* Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am - 6pm, Sat 10am-1pm. All calls will be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

Is there an age restriction?

You must be 21 or over to take out a Self Certification mortgage.

What if I'm a first time buyer?

You can take out any Self Certification mortgage as a first time buyer.

How much can I borrow?

It depends on what you earn, how much you want to borrow and whether you are borrowing as a couple. The basic figure that we'll lend you is 4.5 times your salary or 4 x a joint salary, and no more than 90% of the value of the property. For full details, please see our lending criteria.

How much deposit will I need?

The most we will lend you is 90% of the purchase price. This means you will have to pay 10% of the purchase price as a deposit.

What are the minimum and maximum loan sizes?

Generally, the least we will lend you is £25,001 if you're buying a property and £25,001 if you're remortgaging an existing property. The most we will usually lend you is £500,000.

What fees will I pay?

We charge a range of fees to cover our reasonable administrative costs. These may include the following and vary from product to product:

  • For most of our mortgages we'll charge an arrangement fee for setting up your mortgage, which is paid on completion and can be added to the mortgage
  • Some mortgages have a non refundable booking fee paid before you apply
  • If you repay all or part of your loan before the end of the promotional period, we may charge you an Early Repayment Charge to cover any losses we might otherwise incur
  • We charge new customers a lending fee of £195.00. This fee is for making a loan under a new mortgage. The fee becomes due on completion but you can defer payment until the mortgage is fully repaid. We will assume that you want to defer payment unless you tell us otherwise. We will not charge interest on the fee in the meantime. We will not be entitled to vary the fee if you choose to defer payment
  • When you repay the whole of the loan you must pay us any mortgage release fee we charge at the time of repayment
  • If you repay part of your loan we'll charge you a part repayment administration fee to cover our costs
  • A £30 fee when we send money for your mortgage by CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System).

Please note that we may vary our administration fees during the course of your mortgage to reflect our costs.

Can I add the arrangement fee to my mortgage?

Yes, you can. Don't forget we'll add the fee to the total mortgage and interest will be charged on it.

Can I make overpayments?

Yes. You can pay up to 10% of the mortgage balance each year without incurring any early repayment or administration charges. Subject to a minimum payment of £2,000, based on the outstanding balance as at the previous 31st March.

Are free legal fees available?

On some mortgages we will pay the legal fees when you remortgage with us. This offer applies only to standard remortgages where our nominated solicitors, Legal Marketing Services (LMS), do the legal work. LMS act for us only - if you need any legal advice/work done, please instruct your own solicitor.

Are there any geographical restrictions?

We lend in England, Scotland & Wales. Sorry, but we don't lend in Northern Ireland.

What about buildings insurance?

You will need buildings insurance as a condition of your mortgage to protect against fire, structural damage, etc. We have teamed up with Zurich Insurance to make it simple to take out buildings insurance. Or you can arrange your own cover, in which case we'll charge £25 to cover our administration costs once we've confirmed your provider meets our criteria. Zurich can also help with contents insurance to protect all your possessions.

How I can protect my mortgage repayments?

You should also consider how you would pay your mortgage if you couldn't work because of an accident, sickness or unemployment. We've got together with specialist insurers Pinnacle to offer complete Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance. When you take out a mortgage with us, a specialist from Zurich Insurance or Pinnacle may call to discuss your needs.