Are your mortgage guides free to read?

Yes, all our guides are completely free. No sign-ups, no paywalls, no email gates. Just honest, plain-English advice written by qualified mortgage advisors.

Who writes your mortgage guides?

Our guides are written and reviewed by qualified mortgage and protection advisors with over a decade of experience in the UK mortgage market.

How often are the guides updated?

We review and update our guides regularly to reflect changes in interest rates, government policy, lending criteria, and tax rules. Most guides are updated at least quarterly.

Can I get personalised advice based on what I've read?

Absolutely. If any guide raises questions about your own situation, you can get free, personalised advice from one of our qualified advisors. Just fill in our contact form or call us.

Do you cover mortgages for the whole of the UK?

Yes. Our guides cover mortgage rules, stamp duty, and schemes for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Where rules differ between countries, we explain the differences.

Free Mortgage Guides & Advice

Straightforward answers to your mortgage questions. No jargon, no sign-ups — just honest, free advice written by qualified mortgage advisors.

Browse by Topic

Jump straight to the section you need:

Getting Started

First-Time Buyer Guide

Everything you need to know about buying your first home

Mortgage Affordability

How much can you borrow and what affects it?

Mortgage Deposit Guide

How much deposit do you need and where to find it

Government Schemes for Homebuyers

Shared Ownership, First Homes, Lifetime ISA and more

Mortgage Jargon Buster

Plain-English explanations of every mortgage term

How Long Does It Take to Get a Mortgage?

Timeline from application to keys

Types of Mortgages

Fixed-Rate Mortgages

Lock in your rate for certainty

Tracker & Variable Rate Mortgages

Rates that move with the market

Interest-Only Mortgages

Lower payments but you need a repayment plan

Offset Mortgages

Use your savings to reduce mortgage interest

Joint Mortgages

Buying with a partner, friend, or family member

Guarantor Mortgages

Using family support to get on the ladder

Specialist Mortgages

Self-Employed Mortgages

Getting a mortgage when you work for yourself

Bad Credit Mortgages

Options if your credit history isn't perfect

Buy-to-Let Mortgages

Investing in rental property

New Build Mortgages

Buying a newly built home

High Net Worth Mortgages

Complex finances and larger loans

Key Worker Mortgages

Schemes and deals for public sector workers

Shared Ownership Mortgages

Part-buy, part-rent your home

Right to Buy Mortgages

Buying your council or housing association home

Green Home Mortgages

Better rates for energy-efficient properties

Divorce & Mortgages

Splitting a mortgage after separation

Later Life Mortgages

Mortgage options for older borrowers

Remortgaging

Complete Remortgage Guide

Everything you need to know about switching deals

🎬 Remortgage Guide — Animated Video

Visual scroll-through video walkthrough of remortgaging

Remortgage to Release Equity

Accessing the value in your home

Porting Your Mortgage

Taking your deal to a new property

Equity Release Guide

Options for homeowners aged 55+

Costs & Process

Mortgage Fees Explained

Every fee you might encounter

Stamp Duty Guide

How much you'll pay and when

Mortgage Application Process

Step-by-step walkthrough

Conveyancing Guide

The legal side of buying a property

Property Surveys Guide

Which survey do you need?

Loan-to-Value Explained

What LTV means and why it matters

Mortgage Overpayments

Pay off your mortgage faster

Saving Money

How to Lower Your Mortgage Rate

Strategies to reduce what you pay

Fee-Free Mortgage Advice

Why you should never pay for mortgage advice

Mortgage Broker vs Bank

Why a broker beats going direct

Improve Your Credit Score

Boost your score before applying

Property Buying Tips

House Hunting Tips

How to find and secure your perfect property

Moving Home Checklist

Everything you need to do when moving

Best Areas for First-Time Buyers

Most affordable places to buy in the UK

Best Areas for Buy-to-Let

Top rental yield locations

Protection & Insurance

Browse All Insurance Guides →

Dedicated insurance & protection guides hub

Life Insurance & Mortgages

Protecting your family and your home

Critical Illness Cover

Financial protection if you become seriously ill

Income Protection Insurance

Replacing your income if you can't work

Market Updates

Iran War: Your Money & Bills

How the conflict affects petrol, mortgages, and energy bills

Ceasefire: Will Mortgage Rates Fall?

What the Iran ceasefire means for fixed rates and the base rate

House Prices Fall 0.5% in March 2026

Halifax reports average prices fell to £299,677 in March

BoE Warns 5.2 Million Face Higher Costs (April 2026)

Bank of England warns borrowers could face higher payments by 2028

Oil Crisis 'Much Worse' in April 2026

IEA says April oil losses will double — what it means for mortgages

Middle East Conflict & UK Inflation 2026

Oxford Economics forecasts 0.4pp added to inflation

UK House Prices Hit Record (February 2026)

Halifax reports average prices rose to £301,151

Mortgage Rates Rising (March 2026)

What global events mean for your mortgage

Lenders Raise Rates (March 2026)

Nationwide, Virgin Money and NatWest reprice fixed deals

NatWest Raises Rates (17 March 2026)

NatWest reprices remortgage and purchase deals

Sub-4% Mortgages Dry Up (17 March 2026)

Last sub-4% fixes disappear as lenders reprice

Lenders Pull Deals With Hours' Notice (17 March 2026)

Vida, Foundation and others withdrew entire ranges

Seven New Towns: Mortgage Impact (March 2026)

200,000 new homes announced — what it means for buyers

Making Tax Digital for Landlords (March 2026)

How HMRC's new rules affect buy-to-let landlords

February Home Listings Hit 10-Year High

Record supply and rates below 4% for buyers

Inflation Drops to 3% — Spring Rate Cut?

What falling inflation means for your mortgage

Young Buyers Paying Most for Mortgage Advice

Why fee-free advice matters for first-time buyers

Buy-to-Let Lending Rebounds (Feb 2026)

BTL mortgages up 22.7% as rates ease

UK House Prices Top £300k

Average prices breach £300,000 for the first time

Interest Rate Held at 3.75% (Feb 2026)

MPC votes 5-4 to hold — what's next?

UK Mortgage Rate History

How rates have changed over the decades

Mortgage Guides — FAQs

Amazon Mortgages connects you with qualified, fee-free mortgage advisors at The Mortgage Genie. All advice is provided at no cost to you.