Mortgage News, Insights & Advice
All the latest UK mortgage news, insights and advice from the world of mortgage lending and Oportfolio
What Salary Do I Need for a £800k Mortgage in the UK?
In most cases, you’ll need a household income of around £160,000–£200,000 to secure an £800k mortgage in the UK, depending on your deposit size, income structure, and lender affordability rules. Below, we break down realistic salary scenarios, lender calculations, and...
Why Are Mortgage Rates Going Up in the UK If the Base Rate Hasn’t Changed?
Why are mortgage rates going up in the UK even though the base rate hasn’t changed? This guide explains how swap rates, inflation expectations, and lender pricing affect mortgage rates, and what it means if you’re buying or remortgaging in 2026.
UK Mortgage Market Update – 23 March 2026
UK Mortgage Market Update – 23 March 2026 The UK mortgage market saw some important developments this week as the Bank of England held interest rates, lenders adjusted pricing, and housing market activity remained steady. Here’s what happened this week and what it...
What Is A Santander Accountant’s Certificate?
Getting a mortgage as a self employed person can sometimes be tricky. As specialist self employed mortgage advisors, we know this too well. Whether you have a small freelance business or are the head of a large company, every self employed person has to file their tax...
New Mortgage Rates Below 4% & Other Rate Changes
This week has been another week filled with mortgage rate drops as lenders battle it out to gain new mortgage customers after shooting themselves in the foot with ridiculously high increases at the end of 2022. The most exciting news this week is definitely the...
As A Landlord, Should I Increase Rent?
Historically being a buy-to-let landlord has always been a lucrative game to be in. If you find yourself in the fortunate position to be able to either purchase a property for purely rental purposes, or own a property that you are able to turn into a rental home, then...
What is the Bank of England Base Rate?
Before 'Goblin Mode' was announced as Oxford Dictionary's word of the year, I would have predicted that 'Base Rate' would be a strong contender to take the crown in 2022/23! As a phrase that has dominated the British papers over the last 12 months, it is very...
Can I Get a 5.5 Times Salary Mortgage? Santander News
Whenever the topic of mortgage affordability comes up, most people will tell you that you can borrow around 4.5X your income as a mortgage. That is the general industry standard and has been for a number of years as a means of limiting lender liability and the risk of...
New Competitive Bank Of Ireland Mortgage Rates
When looking to get a mortgage or remortgage quote, chances are that Bank of Ireland mortgage rates are probably not your first thought! Despite being THE Bank of Ireland, most people would think of the likes of Halifax, NatWest, Nationwide, Santander before BOI....
Halifax Mortgage Affordability Changes
In a message to all mortgage brokers, Halifax Bank have announced some exciting new mortgage affordability changes. Halifax have recently, like most other lenders, tightened their purse strings as a result of both the covid-19 pandemic and also the economic crisis. In...
Rate Watch – Changes From Virgin & HSBC
In this brief mortgage rate watch article, we will be taking a look at some recent updates and communications coming from mortgage lenders this week. The first week and a bit of February 2023 has been an interesting one to watch as a mortgage broker and as potential...
Getting A Non-UK Resident Mortgage
Despite recent economic struggles in the UK, most down to government mismanagement of taxes at the end of 2022, the UK is still a great place to own property. Especially property in high net-worth areas such as London and the South-East. In London, properties have...
Should I Get A Green Buy-To-Let Mortgage?
In a world where we are all encouraged to be more environmentally friendly, we are constantly looking at ways of reducing our carbon footprint and preserve the world for future generations. One of the major ways that people are looking at doing this, is by making...
New Coventry and Santander Mortgage Rates
In a period that is quickly becoming known as the 2023 lender bidding wars, mortgage lenders are competing with each other on a daily basis to try and secure mortgage business, after a slump at the end of 2022. Lenders are competing with each other by dropping...
Need A Green Home Mortgage? Barclays Have Your Back.
The people of 2023 are a considerate bunch. I don't mean to sound insincere with that statement if it sounds that way! Global warming, climate change, energy efficiency and the like is a very hot topic in 2023 and people are becoming more and more conscious about...
We're Here to Help
If you have any questions about UK mortgage news or anything you’ve read then please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.