Achieve Success with Oportfolio

So, you’ve done it. You’ve taken the plunge, found your dream house, sorted the mortgage (hopefully through us!), found a buyer for your own property and contracts have been exchanged. All that’s left now is to sit back, put your feet up and wait for moving day. Well, that’s what you might do if you miss having unnecessary stress in your life. But if you’d like to wake up on the day of the move feeling calm about the 24 hours to come, there are some things you can start doing the moment the move is guaranteed to happen. Declutter, declutter, declutter! First of all, it’s time to get rid of what you don't need. This is particularly important if you’re downsizing, of course, but even for those of us who are trading up to something with more space, it pays – literally, in fact – to get rid of the things you can before you say goodbye to the home you’re in. Whether you hire a specialist removal company or plan to shift the contents of your old home yourself in a hired van, every single item you transport from one property to the other will cost you money – either in the cost of the box it gets packed in, the cost of the people who arrive to carry it in and out of the lorry or in the cost of the van you have to hire. And of course, everything you pack needs to be unpacked at the other end, so the more you take, the longer it will be before you’re shipshape in the new place. Bottom line, it makes no sense at all to move stuff you don’t need to keep – so use the time you have now to get rid of it. Declutter outside, too! If you’re decluttering the inside, do the same outside. Dispose of the things you won’t be taking with you, especially anything that might be hazardous, like old paint, weedkiller, caustic soda, old barbecue gas containers and so on (making sure to take them to a facility that can dispose of them safely – your local tidy tip will be able to give you advice on the best way to do this). The same goes for the things in the garage and sheds that won’t be making the trip with you – that rake with the missing or rusty tines, the leaf blower that no longer works, the bike that’s too small for your youngest child. The same applies here as it does inside the house – why spend time and money moving something you haven’t used in years and don’t need? Be organised Pack smart by labelling the boxes with the rooms they’re going to go in when they arrive at the other end, especially if it’s not immediately obvious from what’s in the box. It also makes sense to prepare matching labels for the rooms themselves at your new home – matching Joe’s Bedroom with a room labelled Joe’s Bedroom is a lot easier for the movers than trying to match Joe’s Bedroom with Bedroom 1 or, worse, with rooms that aren’t labelled at all. Be prepared As you go through the packing process, have an Essentials box into which you put everything you might need in the first few hours at your new place. This might include plates and cutlery, mugs, enough glasses for everyone, coffee, tea and sugar, a book, pet food if appropriate, a packet of biscuits or other snacks and just about anything else you could possibly need before you get stuck into the task of unpacking in earnest. Don't forget to look after yourself Finally, on the day, take time to be kind to yourself. In most cases, there’s no deadline involved in unpacking into a new home other than the deadlines we set for ourselves, so be realistic about what you can and will achieve. In fact, if you’re super-organised, you might even arrange your packing so you know which boxes are priority boxes and which aren’t. Moving home can be stressful enough without adding to the pressure by setting yourself impossible targets. On moving day, take time to stop for something to eat and drink and to enjoy the sensation of being in a new place. You’ve worked hard to get there – so allow yourself to savour the moment by doing the hard work early rather than leaving it to the last minute.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.    

  When it comes to making plans for the future, one option that many homeowners consider is looking for additional borrowing from their existing lender or, if the circumstances are right, re-mortgaging in order to raise the money needed for a home extension. According to a consumer survey earlier this year the prospect of carrying out home improvements rather than moving is very attractive – but the scope to build additional space is also often a key criterion for prospective buyers looking for a property where there’s potential to build up, down or out. Deciding to add value through construction is all well and good, but what happens if you then discover your home is in a Conservation Area? Conservation areas are protected by law from undesirable change because they’re deemed important either environmentally or architecturally. Every local authority has at least one of these conservation areas in the district it controls and there are now more than 10,000 of them in the UK. The nature of what is protected differs from place to place. In some cases it might be limited to a few buildings boasting unique or historically-relevant architecture, in others it could be that the area is populated with ancient trees or that the general landscape is in some way worthy of safeguarding. In all cases, the nature of any building work that can be carried out is limited in some way and knowing what you can or can’t do before you start the planning process can not only save you financially by helping you to avoid wasting money on professional and local authority fees for schemes that won’t be approved, but can also dial down the potential stress of being underprepared. Typically, conservation areas are found in older cities, towns and villages, but can also be applied to early housing estates for their historical significance in town planning as well as to landmarks and country estates (including privately-owned property within their grounds). If you’re not sure whether your home – or the home you intend to buy – is in a conservation area, the chances are the local planning authority will have a specialist Conservation officer who will be able to tell you if there are any restrictions that apply. Not all local authorities have a specialist officer and if that’s the case for the area you’re interested in, someone in the planning department will be able to give you the information you need. So, what does being in a conservation area actually mean in practical terms? Well, the principal benchmark that applies to planning applications in a conservation area is whether the intended work serves to either enhance or preserve the property and the surrounding environment. All planning applications are assessed against this basic principle. Once that test has been passed, the design element of your scheme will come under greater consideration than it would if the project were being proposed in an area not protected by Conservation Area status. Design, in this context, doesn’t relate to the size, position or mass of the intended completed property, but rather to the quality of the design and how it fits in to its surroundings. What planning officers aren’t looking at is style – something of a different style to neighbouring properties isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker as long as it protects or enhances the immediate area. Contemporary design is also fine as long as the project meets that basic enhance or preserve test overall. Don’t be sucked into a game of ‘well the house down the street has got X, Y or Z, so why can’t we?’ Many factors can determine what has happened in the past – from work undertaken under permitted development rules which didn’t require planning consent, to different planning officers taking a different view at a different time, to a conservation area being designated very recently. There is no ‘precedent’ in play, which means engaging early with your planning authority is a good strategy. Finding out what’s likely to be allowed will save wasted drawings and wasted time on a process that won’t deliver the result you want. If you use a local architect, he or she may well have a good understanding of the local authority view on the area. A good rule of thumb is to make a positive effort to enhance or improve what exists now, to commit to referencing the local area in some way (by using local materials, for example) and to take care over how you present your plans (think about 3D modelling or hand sketches rather than relying on conventional blueprints alone). Developing property in a conservation area isn’t a no-no – but it does require some thought and positive effort.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.          

With Theresa May having emerged from her Brussels trip with unanimous backing for her plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union and prepares for tomorrow's Parliamentary vote on it (assuming continued Cabinet concerns about the likelihood of a Commons defeat don't mean it's postponed), one of the big questions which has yet to be answered is what the future holds for interest rates and, more specifically, the mortgage market. There’s much speculation about the many and varied potential economic consequences of Britain’s departure from the union – from the thorny issue of what happens with the Irish border to inward investment from overseas and the effect a future without a European trade agreement might have on our supermarket shelves. But arguably the biggest concern for individuals and business alike has been the potential effect on interest rates and the housing market. According to the Office for National Statistics, the housing market is now growing at its lowest rate for five years and in September the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, warned that a no-deal exit from Europe might force a rise in interest rates. So with the Prime Minister now looking for Parliament to sign up to a deal viewed as acceptable to remaining members of the EU, but which has received a lukewarm reception from pro-Leave MPs in her own party, what is the likely effect of Brexit on the mortgage market. The honest truth, of course, is that no-one really knows, and the level of largely speculative white noise around the subject since June 2016 when the UK voted to leave has been unhelpful at best. The variables are many and varied – interest rates in a no-deal withdrawal, for example, may look very different than they would in a Norway- or Canada-style European Free Trade Agreement. And until Parliament meets to debate the proposed agreement, none of us really have any idea what might be in store in that regard. So if we don’t know the answer to the specific question about what interest rates might do in our new post-March 2019 world, what do we know right now about the housing market? The first absolute is that interest rates will affect most homeowners regardless of our European status. This is simple fact. If you currently have a mortgage and you expect to have a mortgage at the time we leave, then whatever happens to interest rates will affect you whether you do nothing, move house, extend your borrowing or remortgage. We also know that the reasons for moving will remain unchanged. People move home – and, therefore, move mortgage – for all sorts of reasons: downsizing, upsizing, a change in job circumstances and/or location, family commitments and health reasons can all play a part. So, the motivation to move will be no different. It’s also probably fair to assume that the mortgage market will continue to be competitive. That doesn’t mean rates won’t go up, but such is the competition for business within the mortgage sector that it’s reasonable to guess that whatever context they have to work within – whether that’s against a landscape of increased rates or not – lenders will be doing whatever they can to offer the most attractive rates possible. In short, lenders’ profitability will depend on continuing to generate new business. We can probably also have confidence that the Bank of England will be doing its utmost to take a measured approach to how it responds to changing economic factors. The Bank regularly stress tests lenders’ ability to cope with changing demands and any rise in interest rates is likely to be agreed only where there is a longer term advantage to be gained in protecting the UK’s overall economic health. Whilst you can never say never, a return to the knee-jerk policies on interest rates we saw towards the end of the 1980s and which led to explosive rises in base rates overnight seem highly unlikely in the context of what the financial sector has learned in the decade since the economic crash of 2008. The question for most people is likely to be about whether it makes sense to extend their borrowing, either through an additional loan from an existing lender or a new mortgage from a new lender, until the picture becomes clearer. That will be a greater consideration for you depending on affordability – and that’s where the FCA and Bank of England rules on lending should help anyway, weeding out those applications which fail tougher lending criteria. If you’re considering a change in your mortgage for whatever reason, our advisers can help you to assess your personal situation and finances and advise you on the best course of action according to your circumstances.     To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.          

It’s been a few months since I last wrote about Brexit and its likely impact on interest rates, the mortgage sector and the residential property market. That was not long after the deadline for the UK to leave the EU was extended to the end of October. So, now that we’re roughly halfway between the last deadline and this one, what’s changed? On the one hand, nothing much has changed at all. There’s no more clarity now on how we’ll leave the bloc (or even, perhaps, if we’ll leave) than there was three months ago. But politically-speaking, on the other hand, everything has changed. We have a new Prime Minister working with an even more slender majority than his predecessor and leading a party that, if anything, is more divided than it has been at any point since the EU referendum. He chairs a cabinet that is loudly pro-Leave and, publicly at least, completely aligned to taking the UK out of Europe on October 31 come what may. Outside the inner sanctum of the cabinet, former senior ministers warn of chaos ahead if Britain is allowed to crash out of Europe without a deal, while the apparatchiks of central and local government ramp up their preparations for No Deal. Labour is said to be planning a vote of no confidence in a bid to force a General Election. The Liberal Democrats have a new leader in Jo Swinson, and her fiercely pro-Remain party is attracting membership applications from former Tory MPs, disillusioned with their brief stint as part of the Change UK party. All in all, things have certainly been better within Great Britain PLC. But what does the uncertainty mean if you’ve got a mortgage or you’re thinking of buying and/or selling your home? Naturally, it depends on what you read, who you listen to and whether you’re on the Winnie the Pooh or Eeyore side of the optimism/pessimism divide. But amid the more outlandish crystal ball-gazing, there have been some interesting and well-informed hypotheses doing the rounds recently. The general consensus seems to be that a No Deal Brexit would substantially increase the chances of an economic downturn. Some commentators have stopped short of predicting a full-on recession, but others haven’t been quite as shy. According to the Guardian’s personal finance and consumer correspondents, this may not be a bad thing for homeowners where interest rates are concerned. Their joint article talks of mortgage interest rates returning to their sub-1% levels of 2016 and even of the Bank of England imposing a zero rate to ease the transition to a new trade arrangement with the rest of the world. Such a move would undoubtedly be welcomed by homeowners who suddenly find their mortgage rates significantly reduced. But the other side of that coin, of course, is the resulting misery for savers and investors. As for house prices and whether now is the time to buy or sell, the same article suggests that trying to predict whether to move before or after October 31 is more likely to be a lottery. Having said that, the fact remains that if you consider your finances to be insulated from the immediate impact of Brexit – whether with or without a deal – then when you move is less of an issue. The only question at that point is whether you can sweeten the process by winning out on the price at which you agree to buy and securing the market value of the house you sell. The Daily Mail’s financial website This Is Money reports that there’s been a growth in the appetite for long-term mortgage deals, including the recently-trending 10 year fixed product some lenders are offering. As I said in our recent article on whether you should fix your mortgage rate, we’d advise caution when it comes to locking on to a long-term deal. They tend to be more expensive and if rates do come down – which is a distinct possibility over a period of a decade – then you’re going to lose out in the long run. There are circumstances where a long-term fixed product might be right for you – but I would strongly advise getting advice from a professional mortgage expert before you commit. And then  there are the conflicting calls in the Express and Times for the Bank of England to either raise interest rates and demonstrate its commitment to – and confidence in – Brexit (Express), or cut rates ahead of Brexit to ease the impact on the economy (Times). So, even the papers are divided on the best approach to fiscal policy. The fact is, we won’t have true clarity until October 31 arrives. In the meantime, the world keeps turning and life goes on. My advice is always that you should take any long-term financial decision – such as buying a house – in the context of your long-term financial security, and ultimately that comes down to the answer to the question of whether your potential financial exposure is controllable. Any investment is a risk – but calculated risks, where you’ve looked at the worst-case scenarios and demonstrated you can survive them, are always going to be preferable to walking into a commitment blind. The best thing you can do if you’re thinking about moving in the next three months is get some advice from a professional broker and a financial adviser – and factor that advice into your decision.     Need more information about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Anyone who’s looking to get their foot on the first rung of the housing ladder or has just managed to find their way onto it will know that being a first-time-buyer can be an extremely challenging and stressful time. You’d almost have had to have been living under a rock to have missed the fact that the turbulence of the last post-financial crisis decade has made the lending environment a darned sight tougher than it was for the previous two or three generations. But it’s not just the rigour of affordability tests that you’ll have to contend with as a first-time-buyer. You’re also going to feel hamstrung by your lack of experience in the market, and that’s something that many people underestimate when they set out to buy their first house. But first things first. Let’s deal with the first obstacle. Deposit & Affordability The simple fact is that whether this is the first house you’ve bought or the fiftieth, you’re going to have to prove to prospective lenders that you can pay back the money you want to borrow. This is the first and most important hurdle you’ll need to clear – if your lender decides you can’t afford the repayments, then everything else is immaterial. And if you can’t buy the house on your own? Well, there are still options available to you. Some lenders now offer products that allow a family member to guarantee or underwrite the repayments. Or, it could be that you know other people who might be prepared to buy the property jointly with you and view their share of the ownership as a long-term investment. In both cases, though, it’s wise to get professional advice to make sure you don’t find yourself under pressure to sell quickly and unexpectedly in the future. There are now more mortgage products on the market that will allow you to borrow the entire cost of a property – these are known as 100% mortgages. But attractive as these may be, consider them carefully because there are downsides (e.g. it’s easier to fall into negative equity if you have no capital tied up in your home). In any event, the more attractive mortgage products that will be available to you are likely to require you to put up some of the cost yourself in the form of a deposit – and having something to put down also reassures the lender that you recognise scale of the financial commitment you’re making. Making a mortgage application You could apply for your mortgage online or in a lender’s branch. But it would probably serve your best interests to talk to an independent mortgage broker to get access to products you won’t be able to find yourself. There are very clear benefits to working with a professional mortgage broker. At Oportfolio, for example, we’ll advise you on affordability, the best way to structure your loan and the benefits of each product you might want to consider – but we’ll also look after your application from the point you start to the point you receive your mortgage offer and beyond. You’ll need to have quite a bit of personal information to hand to complete your application, but your broker will walk you through that, too. If you’ve already found a property you love, the estate agent you’re dealing with may push you to make an appointment with their in-house or preferred mortgage adviser. The only thing to know here is that there’s no obligation for you to do that unless you want to. It’s a good idea to get a mortgage offer in principle before you start house hunting. Most agreements in principle are valid for between 60 and 90 days, giving you a good amount of time to find a property and make an offer. Making an offer So, you’ve got a mortgage agreed in principle and you’ve found your dream home. How do you work out what to offer? To some extent, of course, you’re going to be constrained by the amount you’ve been told you can borrow. If you’re like most of us, you’ll probably have been including in your search properties that are slightly out of your budget in the hope you might be able to get a lower offer accepted. This is where your agreement in principle comes in handy, because as a first-time-buyer with no chain and a mortgage already approved, you’re going to be more attractive to a seller who needs to shift their property to get the upper chain moving. To get a real sense of how much the house you want is worth, do some research. Find out what similar properties in the area have sold for in the recent past. What motivates a homeowner to sell is hard to guess. They may need to sell their property at the very top of its value to make their own step up the ladder. They may have priced their home to sell quickly because they’ve seen something they like and want to move fast. Or they may just be testing the market and are prepared to wait for the right offer. In the end, though, a house is only ever worth what someone’s prepared to pay for it – so knowing your own limit will allow you to make a confident offer. Oh no – my offer has been rejected! You really want the house, but the current owner has said no to your offer. Although this is disappointing, it’s not the end of the world. You have two options – either increase your offer if you can afford to (but it’s good practice to know the price beyond which you will not go) or walk away and find something else you love. The survey suggests there’s a problem This can be a minefield. If the problem is serious, it may prevent you from securing your mortgage (which will have been offered in principle on the basis the property you want to buy is sound). If it’s not a problem so serious as to be a dealbreaker, then can you afford to make the necessary repairs? Alternatively, can you use the problem to renegotiate your offer and then talk to your mortgage lender to see if you can use part of the loan agreed in principle to carry out the repairs. Again, a professional mortgage broker can help you here. There are few problems which are insurmountable in a property deal, but knowing how to circumnavigate the bumps in the road is easier when you have sound advice to work with. Remember, too, that you will need to appoint a solicitor or specialist conveyancer to take care of the legal stuff related to your purchase. Your mortgage broker will probably know someone they’re happy to recommend – but also ask for recommendations from friends and family. Above all, enjoy yourself – finding and buying your dream home should be an adventure, not a chore! Watch our video for first-time buyers and get a headstart on the things you need to consider when you start looking for your first home.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

If you search on the web for advice on the things you should do when choosing a mortgage, you’ll get a lot of information back. Some of it’s good, some of it not so good. But as important, if not more so, is what you should avoid doing. Here’s our guide to the mistakes you’d do well to avoid making. Don’t approach your hunt for a mortgage in the same way you would if you were buying a washing machine We know that sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at the almost laissez-faire way a good many people approach the business of securing the finance to buy their home. Put simply, buying a home is a huge investment – and almost certainly the largest single purchase you’ll have made in your life at that point. It’s fine to buy a washing machine from Amazon or another online retailer. If it doesn’t work, you send it back. If you realise there was a better model you could have bought, it’s not a calamitous financial mistake to have to live with. Choose the wrong mortgage provider or product, however, and you could be paying for it – literally – for years. Don’t obsess about the interest rate We’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating. If the only thing you’re looking at is the interest rate, then the chances are you’re missing a trick. Yes, how much you’re going to pay each month is important and so that means the rate is a factor in your decision – but it’s not the only factor. Is the rate fixed or variable? If it’s fixed, how long is it fixed for? Are there early exit fees? Is there an arrangement fee? Will you be able to overpay if you want to, and if so, by how much? Just as importantly, is the mortgage provider reputable and do you believe you’ll get good support and care during the lifetime of the loan? The days of personal 121 contact with an account manager may be over, but your relationship with your lender remains just as important today as it always did. Don’t chase lower rates at the expense of lender reputation  Even if you do put a lot of store by the interest rates on offer from lenders, they don’t always tell the whole story. If you saw what looked like two very similar cars on offer from two different dealers, and one was significantly cheaper than the other, you might be tempted to buy the cheaper of the two. But it’s always worth taking pause for thought. There could be legitimate reasons for two apparently identical mortgages being offered at different rates of interest. It could be that one lender is squeezing as much margin out of the loan as possible to maximise profit. Equally, it might be that they’re a bigger, more well-established and reputable lender, with bigger overheads and a better overall service. Don’t take a mortgage from an unregulated lender  If you do nothing else (and we hope you’ll do a lot more than this), don’t take a mortgage with an unregulated lender, because when things go wrong, you have no easy recourse to get them put right. Unregulated lenders aren’t subject to the same lending standards as regulated banks and building societies and don’t offer the same protection. Do your homework and ensure your lender is reputable and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you’re in any doubt at all, hit the pause button and reconsider. Use a professional mortgage broker  If you only follow this final – and, we’d obviously argue, most important - rule, you’ll also avoid making the first four mistakes, too. A good, professional mortgage broker will also be regulated – giving you protection against bad advice – and will know the market inside out. They’ll know what deals are available, what products will best suit your circumstances (not just today, but in the longer term, based on your priorities and ambitions) and the lenders who can offer you the best options for buying your home. At Oportfolio, we’re mortgage experts regulated by FCA and with years of success behind us – so if you’re ready to take the next step in your property journey, we’re ready to help you.   Want to know how other clients felt about working with Oportfolio? Watch Gus and Selena’s video story!     To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.  Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

It’s always lovely when the values you promote as a business are recognised publicly, so there was open delight at Oportfolio when the company’s founder, Oliver Whitehead, was named Best Overall Adviser at the recent Primis awards ceremony. It was Oliver’s third year of success at the awards, which recognise and celebrate the best UK mortgage and protection advisers and are organised by Primis – one of the biggest networks of financial services brokerages in the UK. His award this year saw him retain the Overall Adviser award he won in 2018, a year after being named Top Mortgage Adviser in 2017. The accolade serves as a ringing endorsement for the very simple principle that underpins Oliver’s approach to Oportfolio, a business he started 11 years ago following a decade in financial services, running his own mortgage brokerage and as a Director at Alexander Hall. Oliver said: “Ultimately what we strive to do is look after people in the same way we would want to be looked after ourselves. It’s that ethos of wanting to help people and to go the extra mile in doing it.” In the end, this month’s award is ongoing reward for a seed which was planted back in 1998 when Oportfolio first opened its doors and welcomed its first client – that the values and ethics that the company is built on should run through the veins of everyone who has ever worked there or will ever work there. Building a company in your own image is no easy feat and, as Oliver himself observes, providing high quality service has become something of a dying art for many companies. But by doing things the right way from the start, the process has got easier as the business has grown and its client base has increased. There’s also the fact that Oliver insists that the first contact the company has with a potential client is as good as the last contact. He makes a point of responding personally and immediately, wherever possible, to an initial query. You might think that’s obvious, yet this proactive approach isn’t as common as you might imagine. What that translates into in most cases is a sense in the person on the other end of the phone that they’re being looked after and are in safe hands. “I know that when people get in touch with us, what they’re really looking for is reassurance. They simply want some love and to know that the people they’re talking to not only know how to help them, but actively want to help them. “In the end, that’s what my business has always been about – the desire to help people and to do that in the right way.” Oliver concedes that his own determination and commitment to deliver a consistently superior level of service is partly behind not just the awards success, but also Oportfolio’s continued growth and high client retention rates. “That has to be a part of it, yes,” he admits. “although you can never completely replicate yourself in other people. “But experience and knowledge also plays a big part. The whole team here is completely aware of the process that lies behind applying for a mortgage. We know it can be an anxious or worrying time – but our job is to take that worry away, to reassure them that with our help it wont be as stressful as it may seem to them.” Knowing the market inside out and understanding which banks will be prepared to lend what amount under what circumstances is a big part of being a successful brokerage, of course. But it’s where circumstances aren’t straightforward that is where Oliver expects Oportfolio to earn its stripes. “That’s where the hard work is done,” he says. “In finding solutions to the problems we come across so that the people we’re helping still achieve what they set out to achieve.” All of which means that the awards that currently sit on Oportfolio’s shelves are much appreciated by Oliver and his team – but are really symbols of the hard work done in the past, and a reminder that the same level of commitment to the great service is required today, tomorrow and beyond.   To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

At Oportfolio, we know that success in life is only really possible when you have financial security – and in a competitive and challenging economic environment, that can be hard to come by. Having financial protection is one way of making sure you can meet your commitments when life throws you a curve ball and you find yourself unable to work whether through a change in employment circumstances or illness. But with so many different products on the market – and so many providers to choose from – working out which product is the right one for your potential needs isn’t always terribly easy, particularly since it’s impossible to predict exactly what your circumstances might be at any given time in the future. Two of the most familiar insurance products that protect your personal finances are critical illness cover and income protection insurance. So how do you make the choice between the two? Unless you have some specialist knowledge of the market, trying to evaluate and compare products yourself can risk making a choice that doesn’t really achieve what you wanted. The simple answer, of course, is to use a professional broker who can advise you on the best solution according to what you think you might require and can access a wide range of products to give you flexible options. What’s the difference between critical illness cover and income replacement? Understanding what you’re paying for and the way in which it might benefit you is the obvious first step when it comes to buying any product, whether that’s a dishwasher, a coat or an insurance policy. So let’s start there. Critical illness cover is an insurance policy which will pay out a fixed lump sum should you be unfortunate enough to contract one of a number of specified illnesses listed in your policy that stop you from earning. Crucially, if you contract a serious illness which isn’t listed on the insurance schedule, the policy will not pay out. Once a policy pays out, cover ends – so in most cases this type policy is valid for a single claim. Income protection cover is an insurance product that will replace your regular monthly income should you find yourself unable to work either permanently or temporarily for any reason as defined by the policy. If you’re able to return to work, the payments will cease; however, cover (and premiums) will usually continue, meaning that most policies of this type allow for multiple claims. What’s the cost? Inevitably, when it comes to both policies the cost depends on your circumstances, salary and the level of cover you require. The cost of replacing a salary of £80,000 is clearly going to be costlier than a policy that protects and income of £30,000, assuming all other circumstances are the same However, as a very broad rule of thumb, a report from FT Adviser suggests that to provide an income of £250,000 over 5 years (whether in instalments via income protection or a lump sum as critical illness), the cost of critical illness cover is about three times that of income protection. So, if income replacement is generally cheaper, is that a better option? Not necessarily, no. Critical illness outsells income replacement by roughly 5 to 1 in the UK because many people prefer to have a lump sum that will allow them to juggle their immediate priorities in a more flexible way. But although a lump sum will allow you to pay off, say, your mortgage, that’s of little use if you can’t then meet your other financial commitments. One also needs to come to a judgement over how and when you’re most likely to claim on either policy. Recent data, from the same FT Adviser report quoted above, suggests 60% of all income replacement claims are made as a result of accidents, stress or musculoskeletal conditions – none of which would be covered by a critical illness policy. By contrast, cancer – which is one of the conditions specified within a critical illness policy – accounts for only 15% of income replacement claims So, it’s clear that understanding the risks as well as the benefits are a fundamental part of choosing the right insurance product, and that’s why it makes sense to speak to a specialist professional adviser before you commit. It all seems very complicated. Why do I need income protection at all? While many companies offer some level of financial support for employees when they can’t work, very few provide that assistance beyond a year (and for many more, it’s much less). There are state benefits which are designed to offer some sort of help, but these would be unlikely to cover the financial commitments of a high earning individual. At Oportfolio, we’ll work closely with you to help you to identify the advantages and disadvantages of both types of insurance and recommend the best solution for you personally. Knowing you and your family are protected when times get tough is great for protecting your success in life – but deciding the best way of doing that requires expert knowledge and advice.   To find out more about our friendly service why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063 Please note for these insurance products terms and conditions apply. This information is a summary only. You will receive a full policy document upon application. This policy will set out the terms, conditions and limitations of cover provided under the plan Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

Research published in June 2017 shows the astonishing lack of critical illness or income protection insurance taken out by the UK workforce. The research conducted by Canada Life Group Insurance, which surveyed 1,010 full- and part-time employees in the UK, shows few across the country have a financial back-up plan in place should they fall seriously ill. Only 18% of respondents said they had some form of critical illness or income protection insurance to help them out should they contract a critical illness that impacts their earnings potential. Most shocking is that 72% said that they would struggle to cope financially should their income drop by £570 a month. That figure’s significant in that it’s the average loss of income experienced by approximately 80% of families following a cancer diagnosis. In cases where a major income earner in a household is hit by a serious illness, the right critical illness or income protection insurance policy can help act as a financial buffer and offer financial support during times of crisis. The case for critical illness or income protection insurance The research by Canada Life Group Insurance also highlights numerous other statistics that support the case for critical illness or income protection insurance. Some of which include: 80% of respondents who are single and have children as dependents would financially struggle should they lose £570 a month. Only 10% of that 80% have some kind of critical illness or income protection policy 70% of those in a committed relationship or are married and don’t have children would also find themselves struggling to cope financially. Only 18% of that 70% have some kind of critical illness or income protection policy 71% who are committed/married with children would struggle to cope financially with a loss of £570 per month. Again, only 22% of that 71% have covered themselves with a specific critical illness or income protection policy 18% of respondents say that they have no savings at all, while 10% admitted to having less than £1,000 in savings to cushion the blow should they be hit by a serious illness 45% say they would have to apply for state benefits to help them get by financially if they were diagnosed with a serious illness, while 22% worry about being a financial burden on their family The importance of protecting yourself with personal insurance One of the more striking figures to take from the survey is that 46% say they aren’t worried at all by not having a personal or income protection policy, which is an attitude that flies in the face of the statistics mentioned above. With so many saying they’d struggle to pay for their lifestyle if they encounter a serious illness, and with 72% admitting they’d struggle to afford basic utility bills should their income fall by £570 a month, the benefits of a critical illness or income protection policy as a safety net are there for all to see. Working alongside Oportfolio’s specialist consultants can help people to better understand what type of critical illness or income protection policy is most suitable for them at their current stage of life, as well as helping them to find a policy that’s appropriate for them and the dependants who are reliant on them. Contact Oportfolio today to discover more about the range of personal protection policies available for your needs and budget. Please note that neither Oportfolio Limited or First Complete Limited are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within externally linked sites accessible from this page.

One of the key things we need to do when we take on a big financial commitment like a mortgage is make plans for a time when you or your family might not be able to meet the repayments. Usually, that means taking out one or more of three different insurance policies – life insurance, critical illness cover and income replacement insurance – all of which will ensure your financial obligations will still be met in the event of death or illness. There are other policies you can, and perhaps should consider, too – things like mortgage protection insurance and unemployment insurance will mean you’re looked after financially should you lose your job, for example. Whenever you take out an insurance policy, it’s a good idea to get professional advice to ensure your needs are covered since the level of protection offered by each policy is likely to be different and it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying a policy that might not do what you need it to do if it comes to the crunch. Here I’m going to focus on life insurance since that is often viewed as the key piece of insurance protection you’ll need to repay your mortgage and ensure the people closest to you are well looked after if you die. However, when you sit down to consider what type of life insurance you might need, you should focus on avoiding these common mistakes. Buying the wrong type of policy One of my recent blogs explains in detail the different types of insurance that are on offer and you can read that here to gain a broad understanding of what is available. Typically you’ll be choosing from Whole Life, Level Term, Decreasing Term, Increasing Term and Joint Life cover. As the names suggest, whole life cover means you’re insured until your dying day, regardless of your age or length of time the policy is in force. Term policies are taken out for a fixed period (usually the life of the mortgage debt) and will either pay will pay out the same sum whenever you die within that period (level term), an amount that decreases in line with your mortgage debt (decreasing term) or an amount that increases steadily over the life of the policy (increasing term). A joint life policy will insure two lives – typically yours and your spouse’s or partner’s – but will only pay out for the first death. There is much to consider here – not least the relative premiums for each insurance type – and a professional adviser can help you to make sense of it all. But the key thing to begin with is to avoid the next mistake: Failing to plan for the future or a change in circumstances Before buying any insurance policy, you need to ensure you’ve considered not just your needs today, but also your potential needs in the years to come. It may be you’re a couple just starting out on your life journey together with no dependents. Your needs in the immediate future may be quite simple, relatively-speaking and it could be tempting to take out a policy that ensures those simple needs are met. But if starting a family is part of the plan, then you’ll need to consider the rising costs that entails. Remember that generally speaking, new life insurance policies tend to become more expensive as we get older – and your adviser should be able to talk to you about the cost benefits and/or savings of taking out a larger policy now or revising a lower level of cover at a later stage. Not insuring for the right amount You’d be surprised how many people, having not planned properly, then discover they haven’t taken enough cover to meet their ongoing liabilities and requirements. Your decision shouldn’t be limited to covering your bills. You need also to consider the kind of lifestyle you want those you leave behind to be able to enjoy. There may have additional costs to meet in later life that you don’t have to worry about right now – school fees, for example. And don’t forget, there are additional costs that need to be met when somebody dies, so make sure you factor these into your thinking. It’s usually better to over-insure than to under-insure – but again, a professional adviser will be able to talk through the pros and cons of the options you have. Buying insurance that doesn’t cover you for long enough Like making a mistake on how much to insure for, not insuring for long enough can also be financially catastrophic. Although many people choose to only cover the life of their mortgage debt, it’s worth considering whether you ought to insure for longer. And bear in mind that the term of life insurance is often the thing that can be forgotten when it comes to extending a mortgage. Failing to pay your premiums This may seem obvious, but if you don’t maintain your premiums, your insurance may be cancelled – meaning the people you leave behind won’t receive a penny when you die. Although these are the biggest mistakes people can make when it comes to buying life insurance, there are others that need to be avoided – and these will be covered in January, so watch this space. If you’re in doubt about the best way to approach your life insurance needs, why not get in touch and speak with a member of our friendly team. We’ll be happy to give you a professional steer on your next steps and we’d be delighted to help you to make the decision that’s right for you not just now but in years to come, too.   Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

If you’re one of the 8.5 million British adults with a family who should have a life insurance policy but don’t, then now is the right time to be looking at your options. Life insurance should be a vital part of your financial planning. Chosen well, it gives you and the people you care about the peace of mind of knowing they will be financially secure should you die. When you do start to research the cover that best suits you, you might well be tempted to compare policies and providers through one of the various price comparison websites that are available to you – but we’d strongly advise against this. Looking for life insurance is not like looking for car insurance. The possible negative consequences of buying the wrong motor policy are fairly limited and unlikely to be life changing. At worst you might be liable for legal fees or have to foot the bill for a replacement car for yourself if you decide to take third party cover only. The dangers of picking the wrong life policy, on the other hand, can be serious and that means you should only make critical decisions on the type of policy that’s best for you if you honestly understand the different types of cover that are available. So, without Googling it, can you put your hand on your heart and say you could give accurate definitions of whole of life cover, term insurance, decreasing term insurance, increasing term insurance, renewable term insurance, joint life cover and death in service benefits. If your answer is no, then you should be talking to a professional broker before risking spending money on a policy that may not pay out in the way you expect. Here’s our guide to the different types of cover outlined above. Whole of life cover Unlike term assurance which only pays out if you die before a specified date, whole of life insurance pays out regardless of when you die. This type of cover gives your family financial stability throughout your life. Because there is absolute certainty that it will pay out at some point, whole of life cover is usually more expensive than term insurance. Term insurance Term insurance is valid for a set period and ends on a specified date. This is often an appropriate type of cover if you want to ensure a large fixed cost – usually your mortgage, but possibly school fees – can be met on death. At the end of the period insured – or term – you’ll usually be able to either let the policy lapse or choose to extend it (subject to further health checks, at the discretion of the insurer). Term insurance of this type can also be called level term because the amount paid out on death is the same at any point during the life of the policy. Decreasing term insurance This can be a popular choice of cover for those who simply want an insurance policy that will whatever mortgage debt remains on their death. Since repayment mortgage debt reduces over the period of the loan, the payout decreases correspondingly. Increasing term insurance As the name suggests, this is the opposite of decreasing term cover – the payout rises over the period when the policy is in force. Some people choose this type of policy to take account of rising inflation or other costs – or in anticipation of an increase in their financial commitments over time. Renewable term insurance This policy is a cousin of standard level term insurance, in that when the initial policy ends, you’ll be able to renew it without need for further health checks. Joint life insurance A cheaper alternative to two separate life policies to cover both you and your partner, this policy will cover both of you, but will only pay out once – on the first death. After that, the cover will end. Death in service benefits Whilst a welcome addition to your financial security, death in service provision shouldn’t be seen as an alternative to life cover. Death in service benefits are offered by some companies, paying out to an employee’s family should he or she die whilst employed by the company. The death doesn’t have to be at work or caused by the job they do. However, on average most death in service settlements are the equivalent of between three- or four-years’ annual salary of the employee, so won’t always cover all your financial commitments. Death in service benefits may also include a spouse’s entitlement to a portion of the employee’s company pension. This is a very simple overview of the different options that are around, but these policies are often complex and need to be considered in the context of your individual financial circumstances. If you’d like to talk through your options, why not get in touch with one of our friendly advisers? We’d be happy to have an informal, no-obligation conversation to assess your needs and help you identify the best solution for you and your family.   Want to find out more about life insurance? Take a quick look at our short video guide.   Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority  Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

We all know that life can be expensive and most of us are busy trying to cut our costs rather than increase them, but there’s one additional expense that you should seriously consider adding to your monthly outgoings. If you have a family or there are others who depend on you to provide them with financial security then life insurance – or life cover, as it’s sometimes referred to – should play a key part in your financial planning. This week the price comparison site Finder published figures that paint a disturbing picture about the level of life insurance cover held by UK adults. According to statistics sourced from, among others, the Association of British Insurers, Royal London, More Than and The Money Charity, half of all mortgages have no life policy attached to them, 8.5 million people are without life insurance and 19% of people who once had a policy have either cancelled it or allowed it to lapse. Life insurance is one of the oldest types of insurance policy in existence, dating back to the mid-18th Century when it was introduced to give financial help to women and children widowed and orphaned through war. Since then its purpose has remained more or less unchanged and a policy that’s been properly designed to secure the futures of people close to you can be essential should the worst happen to you. For many people whose finances are a bit tight, it can be tempting to avoid taking on the additional monthly cost of a life insurance premium and save money – but it’s worth thinking about what the possible risks are if you decide against taking out a policy. How will your loved ones cope financially without you around? Maybe you have savings and possibly a pension pot that will give them some security in the short or medium term. But what about ongoing costs like mortgage repayments, credit agreements and the monthly household bills for council tax and utilities? Then there are the one-off costs associated with your death that will have to be met. According to the Money Advice Service the average cost of a funeral in the UK is around £3,200 for a cremation or £4,200 for a burial. On top of that, there’s the cost of probate and any resulting tax liability or outstanding debt that may need to be met. A life policy can pay out a lump sum to a value of your choosing. Obviously the more you insure your life for, the higher the premium will be. You may choose to insure your life for the duration of your mortgage or you may decide to opt for your policy to run until you reach a specific age. Again, the longer your policy runs and the older you will be when it expires, the more your premiums will be. Properly planned, the lump sum your family receives will enable them to live free from financial worry for a reasonable period of time and ensure they can easily meet their ongoing financial commitments. If you decide that life insurance is a sensible option for you then it’s worth speaking to a professional adviser like Oportfolio to help you decide on the policy that’s best suited to your individual circumstances. Our friendly team of advisers will be happy to review your current financial needs and identify what your policy will need to provide in order to give you and your family peace of mind, and there’s no obligation to buy a policy we recommend. Why not get in touch and see how we can help you to provide a more secure future for the people you care about? In the meantime, why not Take a look at our short video guide     Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

There has been a lot of change in the mortgage market over the last decade, with tighter controls over lending criteria, more scrutiny around affordability and interest rates tumbling to record lows. But one question we get asked a lot is: can I force my mortgage lender to offer me a better deal? Before I answer that question, though, it’s important to make the point that whenever you’re considering entering into a significant financial commitment you should always talk to a professional adviser so you know you’ve got all the information you need to make an informed choice. So can you force your lender to swap you to a better deal? The short answer is that you can’t force a lender to do very much at all as long as they’re dealing with you fairly and are operating within the parameters of the law, their own terms and conditions and the Financial Conduct Authority regulations that govern them as a lender. In some cases, though, it’s worth asking the question – because what is certainly true is that there isn’t a mortgage lender I know of that will voluntarily offer you a sweeter, cheaper deal. If you’re on a fixed term deal and like the look of a new product your lender is offering, the chances are that unless you’re prepared to go through a new application (and potentially pay an early exit fee), you’re going to have to stick with what you’ve got until your deal runs out. (It’s worth bearing in mind that most lenders will allow you to arrange the mortgage you plan to move to 3 to 6 months before your existing deal expires so the transition is seamless). However, if your fixed product has already expired and you’re on a standard variable rate mortgage, there’s certainly no harm in asking to move to a better deal – usually another fixed term or fixed rate product. You might have heard the term ‘mortgage prisoners’. These are borrowers who have come to the end of their fixed mortgage and who are unable to move to a new lender because they will no longer pass the affordability tests that are now part and parcel of a mortgage application. In these cases, the Government stepped in some time ago to ensure lenders allowed borrowers in this situation to move to more affordable loans. There are some lenders that will, as a matter of policy, allow you to move to one of their alternative products without having to go through an application if you are on their standard variable rate – and if you’re in this position then it’s certainly worth getting in touch with your lender to see if this is a possibility for you. All the publicity around stricter lending in the mortgage market has left many people believing – wrongly, in some cases – that they are stuck in a variable rate mortgage until they’re able to successfully apply for a new mortgage elsewhere. Working alongside a professional adviser, you will be able to work out whether it’s in your best interests to move lenders, stick with your current lender on a different product or exit early from a fixed deal in order to save money over the long term. If you’re in doubt about the best way to approach your mortgage needs, why not get in touch and speak with a member of our friendly team. We’ll be happy to give you a professional steer on your next steps and we’d be delighted to help you to make the decision that’s right for you not just now but in years to come, too.     Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

One of the most common concerns for any homeowner at any given time is likely to be what happens to interest rates. It’s an issue that has come into sharper focus since the EU referendum was held 41 months ago. In a week’s time, the UK will go to the polls for the third time in four years in the hope of achieving some political clarity – not just on Brexit, but a myriad other issues as well. Over the last few weeks the three key parties have set out their stall on both Brexit and their spending plans. In very simplistic terms, the Conservatives will take the UK out of the EU, Labour would intend holding a confirmatory referendum, and the Liberal Democrats would revoke Article 50 and the UK would remain in the European Union. On Brexit, the parties couldn’t be further apart. Where they’re united, however, is on their spending plans. All of them have promised significant investment in public services. For all the worry about interest rates, the simple fact is that the Bank of England base rate has remained pretty stable for the past decade. Since the immediate aftermath of the financial crash in 2008, we’ve seen a net rise of just 0.25% to the current level of 0.75% - a figure that was again confirmed by the Bank last month. While savers and investors are the casualties of low interest rates, they’re always good news for borrowers. But there has been plenty of speculation recently about what various outcomes of next week’s poll will mean for the base rate and, subsequently, for homeowners either on a standard variable rate or at the end of a fixed-term product. According to the website This is Money, some economists believe interest rates will rise under a Tory government that successfully delivers Brexit but are likely to fall under a majority Labour government or hung Parliament, with a reduction coming as early as January in the event of the latter outcome. Consumer and business confidence will play a large part in what happens next, but the impact on mortgage borrowing of any given election result can’t be accurately predicted. More useful, perhaps, is for those who are considering venturing into the mortgage market – whether to buy their first home, move, remortgage or switch to a better deal – to assess their immediate and future financial circumstances. Here are a few things to think about: Can I afford my mortgage if the interest rate doubles? While this is an unlikely scenario in the short term, it’s not totally impossible. However, it’s worth working out whether you could afford your mortgage repayments if your lender’s rate suddenly increased by 0.75% or 1%. If the answer is yes, then to a certain extent you can stop trying to second guess the economy and make your decisions based on how insulated you are against external factors. If you decide you wouldn’t be able to afford a mortgage that increased suddenly, then you’ll need to consider whether you should be making any long-term decisions about your mortgage right now, or whether you’d be better off taking a short-term position. For example, maybe switching to a better fixed deal for a couple of years will let you see how the markets react and evolve, and also give you time to strengthen your own financial position. But wherever you think you might be heading when it comes to your mortgage, these are not things you need to consider alone. In fact, talking to a professional mortgage broker is probably the best possible option, since he or she will have a better understanding of the market, the products you might want to think about and whether you’ll meet the affordability criteria imposed my most lenders in today’s mortgage market. If you’re not sure what to do about your mortgage and need some common sense advice to help you to plan for your future, get in touch with one of our very friendly advisers who’ll be happy to discuss things with you informally and give you some useful insight into how best to move forward. At Oportfolio, we’re London’s mortgage experts – and we’re ready to help you achieve success, whatever your plans.     Thinking about income protection? Take a look at our short video guide.   Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

There are a few times every year when a letter from one of your insurance providers will drop through your door to notify you of your new premium for the coming year. The chances that these letters will encourage you to shop around for a better deal are about as likely as your new premium being lower than the previous year’s. If you’re paying your premiums by direct debit then as with many financial commitments based on standing payment arrangements, providers often count on the fact that there’s an appeal in sticking with them rather than researching the market for a better price. In fact, there’s research to show that in most cases you’ll get a saving if you do shop around for a better deal. Mortgages are no different. But the latest figures from UK Finance mortgage trends suggest a decline in remortgages that involve no additional borrowing could point to a rise in the popularity of product transfers that see customers sticking with their existing lender. There could be all sorts of reasons why people might do that. Moving lender now involves a lot more effort on the part of borrowers in order to meet much stricter lending criteria and affordability tests. That often means more paperwork and more time. We’re also much busier as a society these days and life moves at a fairly frantic pace – especially if you’re holding down a demanding job, raising a family and trying to make quality time for yourself. And in some cases, the decision to stay with a lender could be entirely pragmatic – for example, maybe you’re being offered a product that, if not cheaper, is close enough to the cheapest alternative that the saving doesn’t justify the effort you think it will take to switch lenders. As a general rule, switching providers at the end of a fixed term deal is more likely to save you money because you’re probably going to be choosing from a wider selection of products and offers. Changing mortgage providers doesn’t need to be as stressful as people may have been led to believe. Although there’s no short cut to getting the right paperwork together, working with a professional mortgage broker can cut the effort you need to put in and ensure you’re getting the full benefit of all the options that might be available to you. A qualified and expert mortgage broker will have access to products you’ll never find by yourself online or on the High Street – all from trusted providers. That means you’ll get the deal that is best suited to your immediate and future needs. A broker will also handle the process of filling in the application on your behalf and managing it through the approvals system. More than that, because a professional broker will have a relationship with the lenders, knows their criteria and will understand your finances, they should be recommending a mortgage that not only suits your needs, but is likely to be approved. Even if you think staying with your existing lender is the right choice for you, it still makes sense to speak to a professional so you get the benefit of their experience and extensive knowledge – it could be there’s a different solution that works better for you. If your deal is coming to an end and you’re unsure of the right steps to take, come and talk to us – we’d love to help.     Want to find out about your mortgage options? Take a look at our short guide to remortgaging.  To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. Oportfolio Limited is an appointed representative of Primis Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.  

Despite the uncertainty in the housing market, the prospect of buying a second property – or perhaps a third, fourth or fifth – to rent out is still attractive to a lot of people. Recent research comparing the England and London property rental sector with world economies places England above 159 nations – specifically, between Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. London alone, where the sector is worth £21 billion annually, would be placed above 124 countries, sitting above North Korea but behind Latvia. And with home ownership for first time buyers still a pinch-point for the market in spite of a number of High Street lenders recently announcing attractive mortgage products for first-time-buyers, the rental market is expected to continue to grow. There are, of course, considerations that any prospective landlord would need to consider carefully. As Money Week noted recently, changes to Stamp Duty, mortgage interest relief and lettings agency fees , have put challenges in the paths of amateur landlords who may otherwise have been attracted to ‘dabble’ in property as a source of income. That said, profitability is also partly down to that old estate agency maxim of location, location, location. If you own a rental property in a highly desirable area, particularly in London, it’s likely to be easier to let at a good rent. That doesn’t guarantee profit, of course, but a property in the right place is an obvious must if you’re to have any hope of making a decent yield on your investment. So, if you’re considering a buy-to-let investment and we assume you’ve got the basics right, what are the mistakes you need to avoid? Not minding your own business In the end, a rental property is a business. It may not be a business with massive turnover or huge margin, but at the most granular level, it needs to at least break even. That means being prudent over what you invest in it – both in terms of real costs and your own time and effort, both of which have a value. If decorating, building works or ground and garden maintenance is needed, that will eat into your margin, so be pragmatic about where and what you invest. If a cheaper own-brand paint will serve just as well as the high-end stuff, that’s what you should consider using. Similarly, if the time and effort you spend dealing with the management of the property is going materially reduce the amount you can earn from your day job, that needs to be factored in, too. There are a lot of landlords out there who failed as property entrepreneurs because they didn’t realise or remember their buy-to-let was a business – but if you keep the business side of your investment in mind, you’re less likely to become one of them. Failing to understand your responsibilities As a landlord, you’ll have a lot of statutory responsibilities and if you don’t understand what you have to do (and what you don’t have to do), life can get tricky. Your contract with your tenant and the rental agreement they have with you depends on both of you doing certain things. Among many other things, you’ll need to get certificates and undertake responsibilities for certain repairs – your tenants will be required to give you access on an agreed arrangement, pay the rent on time and keep the property in good order. If you – or they – fail to do what you’re required by legislation to do, someone could be in breach of contract. Failing to get the right cover This is a crucial thing to get right. The simple fact is that ordinary household insurance is highly unlikely to cover your property. Because your property is occupied by people who may not treat it with the same respect you would as the owner, and because there’s a chance it will be vacant at times (for example, between lets), insurers consider buy-to-let property to be a different type of risk to that of an owner-occupied home. You’ll need to get specialist landlord insurance to cover your building (and, if you’re letting a furnished property, its contents – if it’s unfurnished, the tenant will be responsible for insuring their own possessions). We can help you to find a suitable product that offers you the best cover for your needs. Call us on the number below to speak to a member of our friendly team and find out more. Not planning to plan Inevitably, a buy-to-let will generate expense. It’s likely you’ll have to do repairs to the property that you may choose not to do – or to delay – if it were your main residence. The boiler might need to be replaced. The property will almost certainly need redecorating from time to time – and probably more frequently than you would do if you were living in it. Most of the expenses you currently associate with your own home will crop up in some form at your buy-to-let, so it makes sense to ensure you’re budgeting for those over the long-term so you aren’t hit with any nasty surprises. Getting your buy-to-let investment right doesn’t need to be an arduous process – and it can save you money and time in the long run if you start as you mean to go on. If you’re considering buying an investment property and want to generate an income from it, come and talk to us about how our expert mortgage and insurance advice can give you the peace of mind of knowing you’re set up for the best chance of success. Want to know how other clients felt about working with Oportfolio? Watch Gus and Selena’s video story!       To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063.  Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.  Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

Every client we see among the many hundreds we deal with each year is unique. They all have different priorities, different circumstances, different needs, different things to consider and different ways of approaching the decisions they need to make. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the important things in life. There never has been. At Oportfolio, we understand this. It’s a philosophy that has been the foundation of our success over our decade in business, because when you walk through our door or call us for the very first time, we treat you like we treated our very first client all those years ago. It’s how we’ve treated everyone who has come to us before you, and it’s how we’ll treat the next person to come to us after you. And the one after that. And the one after that. Whether it’s a mortgage, health and personal insurance or cover for their home or investment property, the only thing we’re really interested in is what matters to you right now. That doesn’t mean we can’t offer professional advice that will help you think about tomorrow – we can, and do; but first and foremost, we make it our priority to understand yours and then meet it if we can. You might be a first-time buyer looking for their first step on the property ladder, a seasoned mover aiming to make a move into your forever home, a homeowner looking for a better mortgage deal or an investor interested in expanding their buy-to-let portfolio. You may have a young family and are looking to safeguard their future by protecting your income or guarding against ill-health. Or you could be looking for tailored specialist insurance cover to help protect your home, contents or investment property. Today’s markets for all of these products and more besides is highly competitive, and the wealth of choice available can be overwhelming and confusing. Moreover, you won’t always be able to access the most suitable mortgage or insurance products online or in the High Street. At Oportfolio we’ve been established for a long time and we work with a carefully-selected panel of providers to ensure we can offer competitive products at prices tailored to your individual budget and what you can afford. In the end, how we can help you with any and all the products and services we offer ultimately comes down to the same thing: what matters to you? We’ll spend time working alongside you to understand that and to advise you on how best to fit the mortgage or insurance cover you need to your unique and individual circumstances. And then we’ll be with you every step of the way to help you achieve success. Because what matters to you is really the only thing that matters to us. To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service, fees and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063.   Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.

For almost all of us, a house is the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy. Not only is it the centre of family life and a retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s also a financial asset that, in all likelihood, you expect to grow in value. With all that in mind, it stands to reason that you’d want to protect it. Once the process of buying a house is complete and the boxes are unpacked, the excitement of the adventure that awaits means the practical security of your new home is probably not at the very top of your list of priorities. In fact, it may be that you’ve been in your home for a while but haven’t yet got around to considering the security measures you might take to protect it. Along with the common sense things you can do, like locking away tools and ladders, there are also some things you can do to improve the physical security of your house without turning it into Fort Knox. Those recommended by national police website include: Changing the locks when you move home. From cleaners to tradesmen, it’s impossible to know who might already have spare keys to your house, so having new locks and keys removes any possibility of someone simply being able to unlock your front door whilst you’re out. At the very least, install additional deadlocks. Make sure all accessible windows are fitted with working locks. According to www.police.uk, in the majority of break-ins that happen in the UK, access to the house was gained through either a door or window. And of course, it goes without saying that once you have locks on your windows and doors, use them every time you go out. Improve lighting, especially around doors and windows.  The fact is, would-be intruders would prefer not to be seen breaking in, so being able to melt into shadows while they go about their work makes some houses more attractive than others. Making sure you have good lighting, including motion-sensor lighting, is a good preventative step. Install a burglar alarm. These are an obvious deterrent, but if you have one fitted make sure that whoever fits it ensures the wiring for it isn’t accessible. And if it malfunctions and keeps going off, get it repaired immediately – and then let your neighbours know it’s been fixed. A persistently faulty alarm is more likely to be ignored. The one deterrent that some homeowners don’t consider is security cameras. Although this can be common in shared apartment blocks and smaller contained housing communities, it can also be used on single private homes. Eoin Clarke, the managing director of Wandsworth security company CCTV Camera London, says: “Although a CCTV system can’t stop crime full-stop, it does act as a deterrent, and where a crime is committed it can be the difference between the police being able to identify the offender and recover stolen property. “We have a client in Chelsea, for example, where there has been a burglary or car theft after the CCTV has been installed and the cameras have picked up the criminal’s face and vehicle registration.” Eoin adds that security camera systems are available for a range of budgets, placing them in reach of many homeowners. But he added: “When choosing a supplier, it’s important to make sure they are experienced and understand the privacy regulations that govern the installation of cameras.” And of course, most insurance companies now factor home security into the premiums they offer, so taking sensible measures may also offer a cost saving as well as giving you a certain amount of peace of mind. To find out more about our friendly and professional mortgage service and what we can do to help make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your mortgage, why not visit www.oportfolio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7371 5063. More information about CCTV security for the home can be found here. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Oportfolio Ltd fees are payable on application. We charge a broker fee for property purchases of £495 and a remortgage/further advance fee of £395. Our product transfer fee is £295.