Purchase and home mover mortgages
Mortgage advice for buying a home and moving to your next one: porting your deal, borrowing more, early repayment charges and buying before you sell. We are based in Birmingham, help buyers across the UK, search a panel of 110+ lenders and charge no broker fee.
Moving home
A house purchase mortgage, planned around the home you already have.
Moving home does not always mean changing lender, but it does always mean a fresh assessment. Your income and outgoings are checked again, the new property is valued, and any existing deal has rules about taking it with you.
We compare what your current lender will offer against the wider market, including the cost of leaving your deal early, so you can see whether staying put is genuinely the better option or simply the easier one.
We can help if you are
- Moving home and unsure whether to port your mortgage
- Upsizing and need to borrow more
- Downsizing, or moving with a smaller mortgage or none at all
- Trying to buy before your sale has gone through
- Keeping your current home and letting it out
- Buying again after a break from owning, or after a separation
Buying for the first time? Our first-time buyer mortgages page covers deposits, schemes and first-time buyer stamp duty relief.
£0
broker fee, at any stage
110+
lenders on our panel, specialists included
4–4.5x
income that many lenders use as a guide
UK-wide
advice by phone and email from Birmingham
Moving home at a glance
Can I take my mortgage with me?
Often, yes
Many deals are portable, but you have to qualify again and the new home must suit the lender
Borrowing more
Top-up
Extra borrowing is usually at the lender’s current rates, not your existing one
Leaving your deal early
Check the ERC
An early repayment charge may apply if you do not port, so it belongs in the comparison
Your equity
Your deposit
What is left from your sale after the mortgage and costs usually becomes the deposit
Your mortgage options when moving home
There are three broad routes. The right one depends on your current deal, how much you need to borrow and how rates compare today.
| Option | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Port your existing mortgage | You move your current rate and balance to the new property with the same lender. If you need more, the lender adds a top-up. | You must pass the lender’s affordability and property checks again. The top-up can be on a different rate and end date. |
| A new mortgage with a new lender | You repay your current mortgage when you sell and take a new one for the purchase. | An early repayment charge may apply if you are still in a fixed or discounted deal. Opens up the whole market. |
| A mix of both | Port your existing deal and take additional borrowing, which some lenders combine into a blended rate and others keep as a separate part. | Separate parts can end at different times, which can make switching later more complicated. |
Porting a mortgage: how it works
- Not every deal is portable. Most mainstream fixed and tracker rates are, but some products and specialist lenders do not allow it. Your mortgage offer or key facts document will say.
- You re-apply. Porting is a new application for affordability. If your income has fallen, your outgoings have risen or the lender’s criteria have tightened, it may not agree to the full amount.
- The property has to suit the lender. It will be valued, and some lenders will not port onto certain types of property.
- Top-up borrowing is priced today. Extra money is usually at one of the lender’s current products, which may be higher or lower than your existing rate.
- Timing matters. Lenders generally expect the sale and purchase to complete on the same day. If there is a gap, some will refund an early repayment charge if you take a new mortgage with them within a set period. Check the terms before you rely on it.
Early repayment charges: when moving lender can still make sense
If you repay a fixed or discounted deal early, your lender may charge an early repayment charge (ERC). It is often a percentage of the balance, and it commonly reduces the closer you get to the end of the deal. Your annual statement or mortgage offer shows the figure.
Paying an ERC is not automatically the wrong choice. It can still make sense if your current lender will not lend enough, will not accept the new property, prices the top-up poorly, or if another lender’s overall cost over the new deal is lower once the charge is included. We set the numbers side by side before you decide.
Movers we help
Every move starts from a different place. These are the situations we see most often.
Moving up
Upsizing
A bigger home usually means borrowing more. We work out whether porting plus a top-up, or a fresh mortgage elsewhere, gives the lower overall cost and a monthly payment you are comfortable with.
Moving down
Downsizing
Releasing equity, clearing the mortgage or shortening the term. If you are reducing your borrowing, check whether your deal allows it without a charge, and how age and retirement income affect the term.
Chains
Buying before you sell
If your buyer pulls out or the chain breaks, short-term bridging finance can fund the purchase until your sale completes. It is expensive and needs a clear way to repay.
Keeping your home
Let to buy
Remortgage your current home to buy-to-let, often releasing equity for the deposit, and take a residential mortgage on the new one. Expect the stamp duty surcharge on the purchase.
Falling values
Negative equity
If you owe more than your home is worth, moving is harder but not always impossible. A small number of lenders consider moving existing customers with negative equity, usually with strict conditions.
Specialist situations
When your income or history is less standard
Some lenders are far more flexible than others.
How much can I borrow to move home?
Many lenders use around 4 to 4.5 times income as a starting point, and some go higher for certain professions or higher earners. The multiple is only a ceiling: lenders also run an affordability check on your outgoings, credit commitments, dependants and how the payment would look if rates rose.
For movers, your deposit is usually the equity from your sale: the sale price, minus your current mortgage, minus selling costs such as the estate agent and any early repayment charge. A larger deposit can open up lower rates. We work through both numbers on the first call, and an agreement in principle confirms a lender’s view before you make an offer.
The steps to buying your next home
- Agreement in principleAn indication of how much a lender may lend.
- Offer acceptedYou agree a price and instruct a solicitor.
- ApplicationWe submit a full case with your documents.
- Valuation and surveyThe lender values the home; your own survey checks its condition.
- Mortgage offerOften two to four weeks after a full application.
- ConveyancingSearches, enquiries and contracts, on both sale and purchase.
- ExchangeContracts become binding and the date is set.
- CompletionFunds are released and you get the keys.
From an accepted offer to completion often takes three to four months, and longer in a chain. Our mortgage timeline guide breaks down each stage.
The costs of moving home
| Cost | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Estate agent | Usually a percentage of your sale price plus VAT, or a fixed fee with online agents |
| Legal fees | Conveyancing on both the sale and the purchase, plus searches and Land Registry fees |
| Survey | Separate from the lender’s valuation; the cost depends on the level of survey and the property |
| Mortgage costs | Any product or valuation fee, and any early repayment charge on your current deal |
| Removals | Varies with distance, volume and whether you need storage between homes |
| Stamp duty (England and NI) | 0% up to £125,000; 2% on £125,001 to £250,000; 5% on £250,001 to £925,000; 10% on £925,001 to £1.5 million; 12% above that. These standard rates have applied since 1 April 2025. |
| Keeping your old home | If you will own more than one home, a further 5% usually applies on the whole price. If you then sell your previous main home within 36 months, you may be able to reclaim it. |
As an example, a mover buying a £350,000 home to replace their main residence would pay £7,500 in stamp duty at the standard rates. Scotland (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) and Wales (Land Transaction Tax) have their own rates.
We are not tax advisers and this is not tax advice. Stamp duty depends on your circumstances and the rules at the time you complete, and we give no warranty on the amount. Your solicitor will confirm what is due, and you can use HMRC’s calculator. Read why a second opinion on stamp duty can help.
Property issues that can affect a purchase
The lender is lending against the property as well as you, so some homes narrow the choice of lenders or need extra checks. It helps to know early:
- Non-standard construction, such as timber frame, concrete or steel-framed homes
- Spray foam insulation in the roof
- Flying freeholds
- Agricultural ties, restrictive covenants and overage
- EPC ratings and energy efficiency
- A down valuation, where the lender values the home below the agreed price
- Which survey to choose beyond the lender’s valuation
Rates, and protecting the move
Bank Rate was held at 3.75% on 17 September 2026, but fixed rates have been rising. Because a purchase can take months, we can often secure a rate early and look again if the market moves before completion. See current UK mortgage rates explained and how long should I fix for?
A bigger mortgage is also a sensible moment to review any life and critical illness cover or income protection, alongside what your employer already provides. Whether you need anything is your decision, and what a policy pays depends on its terms.
Home mover mortgage questions
Can I take my mortgage with me when I move?
Often, yes. This is called porting. Many mortgage deals are portable, but you will need to apply again, meet the lender’s current affordability rules and have the new property accepted. Any extra borrowing is usually on a separate, current rate. Porting is not automatically the cheapest route, so it is worth comparing before you decide.
Will I pay an early repayment charge if I move?
If you port your mortgage successfully, usually not. If you repay the mortgage while still in a fixed or discounted deal, for example by switching to a new lender, an early repayment charge normally applies. Some lenders refund it if you take a new mortgage with them within a set period. Your mortgage offer shows the charge and the rules.
Should I sell before I buy?
Having a buyer in place, ideally with your sale agreed, makes you a stronger buyer and lets lenders see your real deposit. Buying first is possible, using savings, bridging finance or let to buy, but it adds cost and risk. We will talk through what happens if your sale is delayed.
How long does buying a house take?
Often three to four months from an accepted offer to completion, and longer in a chain. The mortgage offer itself frequently arrives within two to four weeks of a full application. Quick Mortgages is our name, not a promise about timescales. Having payslips, bank statements and ID ready from the start helps avoid delays.
Do you only help buyers in Birmingham?
No. We are based in Birmingham and arrange mortgages for buyers and movers across the UK. Most of our advice happens by phone and email, so where you live makes little difference.
Planning your next move?
Tell us about your current mortgage and the home you want to buy, and we will compare porting against the wider market before you commit. The advice is fee-free.