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 £500k Mortgage in the UK?
In most cases, you’ll need a salary of around £100,000–£125,000 to secure a £500k mortgage in the UK, depending on your deposit, income structure, and lender affordability rules. Below, we break down realistic salary scenarios, deposit examples and lender calculations...
Is it Better to Fix for 2 Years or 5 Years in 2026?
Is it better to fix for 2 years or 5 years in 2026? This week’s mortgage FAQ answers one of the most common questions we’re hearing from buyers and homeowners right now, should you choose a 2-year fixed rate or a 5-year fixed rate? This is one of the most common UK...
UK Mortgage Market Update – 2 March 2026
UK Mortgage Market Update – 2 March 2026 The UK mortgage market continues to shift as expectations around interest rates change, mortgage pricing stabilises, and house price data shows renewed momentum. Here’s what happened this week, and what it means if you’re...
Parents wanted to help their daughter buy her first house
Our clients wanted to help their daughter in any way they could to purchase her first property. Our clients owned their own residential property which meant they would be liable to a large stamp duty tax if they went on a standard mortgage with their daughter.
Couple dream of escaping to the countryside
Our clients had been living in London for several years and had toyed with the idea of moving away from the big smoke and raising their children in the countryside. However, a change in employment circumstances caused a big issue.
Marital Split and Credit Issues Case Study
Our client was splitting up with his partner and wanted to do a buy to let remortgage on their shared property to release equity and buy his ex-partner out. The fairly straight forward remortgages plans were thrown in to disarray when an unexpected credit issue appeared on the clients file.
Bite sized news: New hope for new build purchasers
This week another positive post-covid lender update has been revealed as Accord Mortgages announced that they will be increasing their maximum mortgage loan to values.
Brothers Buy House Together Case Study
Our clients were brother who were both looking to purchase their first residential properties. After doing some of their own research they realised that unfortunately they would both struggle to purchase a property on their own so decided that they would look at buying together.
Non-UK National Case Study
Our client approached Oportfolio for help them to secure a mortgage after struggling to find one on their own.
Originally from a country outside of the UK, they were very nervous and cautious after receiving conflicting information from friends, family, and the internet about how to secure a UK mortgage.
Mortgage rates creep up
Hearing ‘Rates on the rise’ in the news has become something to dread but is that really sensible? And is it something we should actively worry about?
West Brom offer long fixed term mortgages
West Midlands based building society The West Brom have announced that they are launching 10 year fixed mortgage products, something that could be a massive game changer for buyers and remortgagers.
High interest rates worrying you? Do something about it.
Has your fixed rate come to an end? Are you like one of the thousands of homeowners who has put off restructuring their mortgage over the past year and are now stuck on the lender’s ridiculously high standard variable rate?
Buying your first home – broker is best
Last year, despite the pandemic, there were 674,263 houses sold in the UK and a staggering 356,800 of these were bought by first time buyers. Now that is fantastic news! Not only does that show that the housing market is still chugging along at a steady pace, but it...
“Best of breed” advice
Mark Gledhill - Oportfolio advice client since 2008 Mark and his wife came to Oportfolio for advice in 2008 as first time buyers with a new baby and in need of some expert help and guidance. With Oportfolio’s advice and knowledge around the homebuying process, Mark...
Bank Of England Takes Centre Stage
In the financial services sector, there is one burning question on everybody’s lips, will the Bank of England raise interest rates? Its not entirely unbelievable that they wouldn’t but it seems that now with inflation rising to the highest levels in 10 years, the BOE need to do something calm the waters before things get out of hand.
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.