Porting Your Mortgage
Porting Isn’t Always the Right Answer — But It Can Be
Porting sounds simple — take your current deal to the new property. In practice, it’s more complicated. Your lender will reassess your affordability, your property will be revalued, and if the new purchase price is higher than your existing mortgage balance, you’ll need to borrow extra — at your lender’s current rates, not your old ones.
We compare porting against a full switch. In many cases, the open market beats what your existing lender offers — even after factoring in early repayment charges.
Affordability Re-assessed
Your lender will check your income, outgoings, and the new property regardless of your history with them.
Upsizing Top-Up
Extra borrowing above your ported amount is charged at your lender’s current rate — not your original deal rate.
Downsizing ERC Risk
If you’re downsizing, you may have to repay part of your mortgage — potentially triggering early repayment charges.
We Compare Both
We run the full numbers — port vs switch — and tell you honestly which saves more over your new term.
Using Your Equity
How Your Existing Equity Affects Your Next Mortgage
If your property has increased in value since you bought it, you’ve built up equity — the difference between what it’s worth and what you still owe. That equity goes into your deposit for your next purchase, directly affecting your loan-to-value ratio and the rates you can access.
Example Equity Scenario
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Current property value | £400,000 |
| Outstanding mortgage | £160,000 |
| Usable equity | £240,000 |
| New property price | £600,000 |
| New mortgage required | £360,000 |
LTV: 60% — excellent rate tier
Affordability calculator → Stamp duty calculator →
Timing Your Move
Sell First or Buy First?
The order of your sale and purchase matters — both financially and practically. There’s no universally correct answer, but there’s usually a clearly better choice for your specific situation.
Selling First
- You know exactly how much you have to spend
- No risk of owning two properties at once
- May need temporary accommodation between sale and purchase
- Stronger buying position — no chain above you
Buying First
- Move directly from old home to new — no temporary accommodation
- More time to find the right property without pressure to sell
- May temporarily own two properties — bridging risk
- Initial stamp duty surcharge (recoverable if you sell within 3 years)
Bridging Loans
If you need to complete on your purchase before your sale goes through, a bridging loan can fill the gap. They’re short-term, relatively expensive, and should always be a last resort — but in some situations, they’re the right tool.
We can introduce you to specialist bridging lenders if needed, and ensure the bridging is structured to be as cost-effective as possible. More importantly, we’ll always explore whether a bridging loan is actually necessary — sometimes good mortgage structuring avoids the need entirely.
Stamp Duty
Current SDLT Rates (Home Movers)
| Property Value | Rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £250,000 | 0% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
Worked examples:
- £450,000 property — £10,000 stamp duty
- £600,000 property — £17,500 stamp duty
Use our full stamp duty calculator →
Early Repayment Charges
Watch Out for ERCs
If you’re still in a fixed-rate period and want to switch to a new mortgage rather than porting, your current lender will likely charge an early repayment charge (ERC) — typically 1–5% of your outstanding balance.
ERC Warning
On a £300,000 mortgage at a 2% ERC, the charge is £6,000. This may or may not be offset by the saving from a better rate over your new term. We calculate the exact break-even point before recommending you pay it.
Not all ERCs are triggered by porting — many mortgages are portable without charge. We’ll confirm your ERC position at your free review.
“We thought porting was the obvious choice — but after speaking with Home Me, it turned out a new mortgage saved us over £4,000 in the first year alone. The advice was honest and they found a much better deal than we expected.”
— Sarah & James T., Moved from Maidenhead to Marlow
Complex Situations
Moving Home With Added Complexity
Self-employed movers
Self-employed income doesn’t stop us finding you a competitive mortgage. We know which lenders assess self-employed income correctly.
Adverse credit history
Historic defaults, CCJs, or missed payments don’t automatically block a mortgage. Specialist lenders look at the bigger picture.
Large mortgage requirements
Buying a high-value property in the Thames Valley? We access private banks and specialist lenders for loans from £500k to £10M+.
Local Knowledge
Moving Anywhere Across Berkshire & Buckinghamshire
We work with movers across the whole Thames Valley area. Moving locally or across the country, we provide the same whole-of-market service.
If you want the local detail behind that coverage, our Marlow mortgage broker page sets out the nearby areas we support from our base.