In the majority of cases there is no fee for our services with our costs being covered by commission from the mortgage or insurance company at no direct cost to you.

As "independent" mortgage advisors our advice is always focused on what is best for you and not what we will earn. However, as an added measure of protection, you can opt to pay us a fee for our services in which case we will not take a commission. If you choose this option our fee for arranging a typical mortgage is 0.5% of the loan amount for mortgages or 1% of the sum assured for protection insurance policy sales (subject to a minimum of £500).

There is no simple answer to this question. Lenders traditionally used a multiple of your gross salary, typically 3.5 times a single income or 3 times joint incomes for joint borrowers. Increasingly lenders are changing to a borrowing limit based on affordability, your credit rating and the amount of any deposit which you have available. In some cases this can be as much as 4 times your gross salary or more but you must be sure that the mortgage will be affordable for you both now and in the future. The Financial Services Authority, which regulates the mortgage industry, is proposing that all lenders should apply a stress test based on the monthly repayment based on a 25 year capital and interest repayment mortgage at a specified rate, regardless of the rate or term which you choose which could make mortgages more difficult to obtain.

Since the Banking Crisis of September 2008 it has become increasingly important to have a deposit available when you intend to buy a property. Generally the larger the deposit the better the interest rate which you will get from a lender. In most circumstances a deposit of at least 10% will be required but speak to us today for up to date availability and details of some special schemes requiring just a 5% or, in a small number of case, no deposit.

These will vary from solicitor to solicitor so shop around. As a rough guide allow approximately 0.5% of the purchase price plus around £500 for "disbursements". Contact us for a personalised quotation from a reputable and reliable local firm.

A tax payable on the majority of property purchases above certain limits (please contact us for current thresholds). The amount payable currently starts at 1% for properties over £125,000 (although first time buyers are currently exempt on purchases up to £175,000) rising to 3% for purchases over £250,000 and rising again to 4% for purchases over £500,000.

Your mortgage lender will require a survey of the property before lending you money. The actual charge varies dramatically from lender to lender and occasionally you may get a free survey as part of a deal. There are 3 levels of survey (Basic mortgage valuation, Homebuyers report and Full structural survey) with typical costs starting at around £200 for a very basic mortgage valuation.

Many mortgage deals come with significant arrangement or booking fees (or a combination of both) but you may find that you are better paying a slightly higher rate with a lower arrangement fee. You may be able to add some or all of the fee to your mortgage and repay it over the mortgage term but you will be charged interest on any amounts added to your mortgage. Check around or better still speak to us compare the options.

Many independent mortgage brokers provide their services free of charge relying instead on the "procuration" fee paid to them by the mortgage lender. If you are going to be asked to pay a fee you must be told this right at the beginning of an interview along with details of who the broker works for and what mortgages they offer. The amounts charged can vary dramatically so shop around. In the vast majority of case we do not charge broker fees for arranging mortgages.

Specialist schemes exist for unusual circumstances but this area has become increasingly limited in recent times. Our advice would be to obtain a copy of your credit report from www.equifax.co.uk or www.experian.co.uk and then contact us to discuss your options. The rate payable may vary dependent on your personal circumstances but in many cases even a minor breach of your credit commitments within the last 12 months could prevent you getting a mortgage in the current "restrained" financial markets.

It is often possible to borrow additional money particularly if you have owned the property for a while and have built up "equity". Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

A mortgage is often the biggest financial commitment of a persons life. Make sure you don't enter into one lightly. Our services are normally free and could save you thousands of pounds over the term of a mortgage. An initial enquiry will allow us to quickly assess your needs and provide information to you regarding your particular options. The "mortgage" section of our website will let you see the types of deals available but "cheapest is not always best" and you may find that a slight change in your deposit or the value of the property could dramatically change the terms being offered to you so please do consider contacting us for professional help and assistance with your transaction.