Barclays Mortgage Rates 2026 Review
Barclays Mortgage Rates explained for 2026: how it works, the regulatory position, eligibility and how it compares across the UK market.
Bank Of Ireland UK Mortgage Rates 2026 Review
Bank of Ireland UK Mortgage Rates explained for 2026: how it works, FSCS cover, eligibility and how it compares across the UK market.
Al Rayan Bank Mortgage 2026 Review
Al Rayan Bank Mortgage explained for 2026: how it works, the regulatory position, eligibility and how it compares across the UK market.
What Is conveyancing? UK Meaning Explained
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from a seller to a buyer. It covers searches, contract checks, the exchange of contracts and completion, and is usually handled by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
What Is the Help to Buy ISA? UK Meaning Explained
The Help to Buy ISA is a closed government savings scheme that gave first-time buyers a 25% bonus on savings towards a first home. It shut to new accounts on 30 November 2019, though existing holders can keep saving until November 2029.
What Is shared ownership? UK Meaning Explained
Shared ownership is a scheme where a buyer purchases a share of a property, usually between 25% and 75%, and pays rent on the remaining share owned by a housing provider. It lowers the deposit and mortgage needed compared with buying outright.
What Is gazumping? UK Meaning Explained
Gazumping is when a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer after already agreeing a sale, before contracts are exchanged. Because an agreed sale is not legally binding until exchange, the original buyer can lose the property despite their accepted offer.
What Is a service charge? UK Meaning Explained
A service charge is a payment leaseholders make towards the cost of maintaining and running a building, including communal repairs, buildings insurance, cleaning and management. The amount varies with actual costs and is set out under the terms of the lease.
What Is ground rent? UK Meaning Explained
Ground rent is a charge a leaseholder pays to the freeholder for the land a leasehold property sits on. It is set out in the lease and is separate from any service charge covering the building's upkeep and shared areas.
What Is freehold? UK Meaning Explained
Freehold is a form of property ownership where the owner holds both the building and the land it stands on outright, with no time limit. There is no lease to renew, no ground rent and no freeholder above the owner.
What Is leasehold? UK Meaning Explained
Leasehold is a form of property ownership where a buyer owns the right to live in a property for a fixed number of years under a lease, but not the land it sits on. The freeholder retains ownership of the land and building.
What Is LBTT? UK Meaning Explained
LBTT, or Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, is the tax paid when buying property or land in Scotland above a price threshold. It replaced UK stamp duty in Scotland in 2015 and is charged in progressive bands administered by Revenue Scotland.
What Is Stamp Duty? UK Guide to SDLT, LBTT and LTT
Stamp duty, formally Stamp Duty Land Tax, is a tax paid when buying property or land in England and Northern Ireland above a price threshold. It is charged in bands, with higher rates applied only to the portion of the price within each band.
What Is an agreement in principle? UK Meaning Explained
An agreement in principle is a lender's conditional indication of how much it might lend, based on an initial check of income and credit. It is not a binding mortgage offer, but it helps a buyer show sellers that finance is realistic.
What Is negative equity? UK Meaning Explained
Negative equity is when a property is worth less than the outstanding mortgage secured against it. Selling at that point would not raise enough to clear the loan, leaving the owner with a shortfall to repay separately.
What Is equity? UK Meaning Explained
Equity is the share of a property owned outright, calculated as its current market value minus the outstanding mortgage balance. A 250,000 GBP home with a 150,000 GBP mortgage holds 100,000 GBP of equity, or 40% of the value.
What Is a remortgage? UK Meaning Explained
A remortgage is the process of replacing an existing mortgage with a new one on the same property, either with the current lender or a different one. It is commonly used to secure a new rate when an initial deal ends or to release equity.
What Is porting a mortgage? UK Meaning Explained
Porting a mortgage means transferring an existing mortgage deal, with its rate and terms, from one property to another when moving home. The same product continues on the new property, which can avoid paying an early repayment charge.
What Is an early repayment charge (ERC)? UK Meaning Explained
An early repayment charge (ERC) is a fee a lender charges when a borrower repays all or part of a mortgage before the deal period ends. It is usually a percentage of the balance repaid and often falls over the term of the deal.
What Is a fixed rate mortgage? UK Meaning Explained
A fixed rate mortgage is a home loan whose interest rate stays the same for a set initial period, commonly two or five years. Monthly payments are unchanged for that term regardless of movements in the Bank of England base rate.
What Is the SVR? UK Meaning Explained
The SVR, or standard variable rate, is the default mortgage interest rate a lender charges once an initial fixed or tracker deal ends. Each lender sets its own SVR and can change it at any time, so it is usually higher than introductory rates.
What Is LTV? UK Meaning Explained
LTV, or loan to value, is the size of a mortgage expressed as a percentage of the property's value. A 180,000 GBP loan on a 200,000 GBP home gives an LTV of 90%, with the remaining 10% covered by the deposit.
UK Mortgage Statistics 2026
UK mortgage statistics for 2026: outstanding balances, monthly approvals, effective interest rates, arrears, possessions, loan-to-value and first-time buyer figures, sourced from the Bank of England, FCA and UK Finance.
Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor Mortgage UK: How It Works, Who Uses It and Stamp Duty Implications
How a joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage works in the UK, why families use it to boost borrowing without putting a helper on the title, the stamp duty implications and surcharge considerations, and which lenders offer it.
Mortgage Calculator UK 2026: Calculate Your Monthly Payment and Affordability
A UK mortgage calculator shows your monthly payment, total interest and affordability. How mortgage calculators work, what affects the result and how to use one effectively.
Remortgage Guide UK 2026: When to Remortgage and How to Get the Best Deal
A complete remortgage guide covering when to remortgage, how the process works, what it costs and how to find the best remortgage deal in 2026.
Stamp Duty Calculator UK 2026: England, Scotland and Wales Rates Compared
Stamp duty rates differ across England, Scotland and Wales. A complete stamp duty calculator guide covering SDLT, LBTT and LTT rates, thresholds and how to calculate your bill.
Equity Release UK 2026: How Lifetime Mortgages and Home Reversion Plans Work
Equity release lets older homeowners access property wealth without selling. How lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans work, costs, risks and alternatives explained.
Loan Overpayment Calculator UK 2026: How Extra Payments Cut Your Interest
A loan overpayment calculator shows how extra payments reduce the outstanding balance and total interest on a personal loan. How it works and when overpaying makes sense.
Help to Buy UK 2026: What Replaced It and the Alternatives Available Now
Help to Buy closed to new applicants in 2022-23. What replaced Help to Buy, the current alternatives and how to get on the property ladder without it.