Reasons to Remortgage in the UK

There are four reasons why people seek to remortgage: to get a better rate, refinance debt, release equity or to move house. There are also costs involved with remortgaging and these must be taken into account. Remortgages have been around as long as mortgages and go through cycles of popularity in the UK. Before the property downturn in the 1990s the practice of remortgaging was fairly uncommon; in that sluggish market many lenders realised that the only way to increase their business was to tap into their competitors’ existing client base and this is how remortgage popularity increased. It was common then for lenders to include punitive redemption penalties but this practice has decreased and high costs only really apply to premature extraction in the duration of the introductory deal rather than the entire length of the mortgage. This increased flexibility has resulted in a huge increase in remortgages in the UK so that they account for roughly 40% of current mortgages, but the credit crunch is impacting on this market.
Up until the recent credit crunch UK remortgages had been seen as a relatively inexpensive way of releasing limited amounts of the property’s equity for relatively large capital projects such as an extensive redecoration or extension to the property, car purchase or a one-off high cost holiday. As mortgage rates have risen, though, this type of remortgage route has diminished in popularity and really should only pursued if essential.
By far the most common remortgage is when the homeowner seeks to lower the cost of their mortgage when the introductory term has come to an end or when the homeowner seeks to move house. In these circumstances it is likely that the homeowner will remain with their current lender and often the mortgage lender will contact the borrower regarding the remortgage. However, the borrower has no obligation to remain with their current lender and can shop around for better deals.
The remortgage UK market is being impacted by the credit crisis; the days of cheap cash are over and the costs are being passed onto the end consumer. Some borrowers who had mortgages over 100% of the value of their property will now not be able to remortgage to a similar level – very few lenders will now exceed a 95% remortgage level. A corollary to this is that the more you borrow, the greater the costs to do so. For example, lenders can take out Mortgage Indemnity Guarantees (MIG) if they borrow more than a certain amount to insure themselves against possible default.
As a general guide for the borrower, now that the financial situation has downturned, remortgaging should only be undertaken out of need rather than luxury as ultimately your home is at risk if you do not make repayments.