Articles
Blog
Short, practical articles on comparing UK mortgage deals and understanding what you would really pay.
Mortgage rates
Mortgage rates in October 2026: what lenders are advertising
A snapshot of 145 deals from twelve lenders: rates by deposit size, the fee-free premium, why fixes sit well above base rate, and the tracker versus fix trade-off.
Overpayments
Overpaying your mortgage: how much it saves, and when it is worth it
What £100, £200 or £500 a month saves, lump sums and the 10% allowance, why paying off sooner beats lower payments, and whether to overpay or save instead.
Buy to let
Buy to let: own it yourself or through a limited company?
How personal and company landlords are taxed, worked through for one property and a portfolio of five, with the real costs of a company and the catches nobody mentions.
Rent or buy
Rent or buy? What the numbers say, and what they can't
Is renting really dead money? A ten-year comparison with all the costs of owning included, and why house prices decide almost everything.
Affordability
How much can I borrow? How lenders really decide
Income multiples, what counts as income, why every £100 a month of debt costs you about £5,400 of borrowing, the stress test, and when your deposit is the real limit.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty explained: what you will pay in England, Scotland and Wales
How the bands work, what first-time buyers, movers and second-home buyers pay at common prices, the £500,000 cliff edge in England and when the tax is due.
Remortgaging
Your fixed rate is ending: when and how to remortgage
Drifting onto the standard rate can cost thousands a year. When to lock in a new deal, whether switching early is ever worth the charge, and how your home's value changes your options.
First-time buyers
Buying your first home: the numbers to work out first
Deposit bands, how much you can borrow, stamp duty relief, the costs on top of the deposit, monthly payments and the Lifetime ISA, worked through on a £280,000 home.
Buy to let
Buy to let in 2026: how to check if the numbers still work
Yield, the tax rule that lets landlords pay more tax than they make, the April 2027 property tax rise and the lender rent test, worked through on one example.
Choosing a deal
2 year or 5 year fix? How to compare them properly
The rates are often close, but the deals are not the same product. What happens after two years, worked through with real numbers.
Fees
Fee or no fee? Working out which mortgage is really cheaper
A lower rate with a £999 fee, or a higher rate with none? The answer depends mostly on how much you borrow, and there is a break-even point you can work out.
Concepts
Loan to value explained: how a bigger deposit can cut your rate
Lenders price in bands. Here is how much each band is worth, where the big jumps are, and why being just over a band edge costs more than you think.