We recommend starting around six months before your current deal ends. Most mortgage offers are valid for three to six months, so you can lock in a rate now that is ready to begin the moment your existing deal expires — meaning no gap and no expensive SVR payments. Our remortgage checklist covers exactly what to prepare and when.

Yes, but you may face an early repayment charge (ERC) for leaving before your fixed term ends. ERCs are typically a percentage of the outstanding loan and can be significant. We'll calculate whether switching early still makes financial sense once the ERC is factored in — sometimes it does, particularly if rates have changed materially.

The application process involves a hard credit search, which will appear on your credit file. However, this is a normal part of any mortgage application and the impact is typically minor and short-lived.

Yes — this is called a product transfer. It is quicker and involves less paperwork than switching lenders, and there is usually no affordability reassessment. However, your existing lender is not always the best option. We will compare what they are offering against the wider market and give you an honest recommendation on whether to stay or switch.

Yes - lenders will typically want to see at least two years of accounts or tax returns, but some will accept just one year, whether you're a sole trader or a limited company director. As whole-of-market brokers, we have access to a range of lenders who are flexible when it comes to self-employed income.

Costs can include a product or arrangement fee (often £999–£1,500, though many fee-free deals exist), a valuation fee (often free with many deals), legal fees (often included free by the lender), and our fixed advice fee of £495. We factor all of these into our comparison so you're always looking at the true cost of each deal, not just the headline rate.

Changes in property value affect your loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, which in turn affects the rates available to you. If your property has increased in value, you may be in a lower LTV band — which typically means access to better rates. We'll take this into account when searching the market.

As well as remortgages, we advise on first time buyer mortgages, home mover mortgages, buy-to-let mortgages, and product transfers. We also have specialist advisers for self-employed applicants, contractors, and professionals. See our full range of mortgage services.