When interest rates fall, there are savings to be made. This is true for everyone, not just people currently looking for a new home or mortgage. This means that even if you have already bought your home or already committed to a mortgage, you can take real advantage of lower interest rates.
For many people this will not be necessary, as they will have a variable rate mortgage that goes down as interest rates fall and so you get to take advantage of lower interest rates as they come. However there are many situations in which re-mortgaging will be beneficial.
Step One
The first is for people who are tied into fixed rate mortgages at higher rates. Since their mortgage rate is fixed, they will not be getting any of the advantages of lower interest rates. This is an unenviable position and one of the best ways to get out of it is to re-mortgage on better terms. You will have to check if this is worthwhile however. If your existing mortgage has redemption penalties or an extended tie in, then getting out of the mortgage is likely to cost you a lot of money. You will also have to consider the arrangement or refinancing fees and add this to the cost of making the change. Only if, after calculating all of these extra charges, the lower rates are worth the expense of re-mortgaging, should you go through with the transaction.
There are also people on variable rate mortgages who can benefit from re-mortgaging. This is because even though their current mortgage will have reduced its interest rates in line with a lower Bank of England rate, there may be significantly cheaper mortgages on the market that they wish to switch to.
Redemption Costs
Just like many loans on the market if you wish to pay your mortgage off early then you may be liable to pay an early redemption penalty. Normally for a personal loan in the UK the average payment or charge is between one or two months interest payments. This charge should be taken into consideration when contemplating transferring your mortgage away from your current provider.
Your In Credit
Often, people re-mortgage because they find that their credit rating has improved dramatically since they took out their first mortgage. If you took out a mortgage five years ago, then it could well be the case that your income has increased, the value of your home has increased, and you may also have some savings now. All of these factors will allow you to apply for more exclusive mortgages that offer better rates. If this is the case for you, then looking into a re-mortgage that takes advantage of all these benefits is a very good idea. Don