If you’re contemplating taking out Life Insurance in Cardiff or revising your current policy, you might be unsure about whether to include Critical Illness Cover as well.
Critical Illness Cover offers a lump sum payment in case you are diagnosed with a severe illness that is covered by the policy.
This article will look further into this type of insurance and help you to determine whether it is a suitable option for you.
Critical Illness Cover in Cardiff is a type of insurance that provides a lump sum payout when you’re diagnosed with a severe illness that falls under the policy’s coverage.
The payout amount is dependent on the level of cover you have and the extent of your illness. A few policies may also offer partial payouts for less severe illnesses.
The range of illnesses covered by the policy varies among providers, but usually will include conditions such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.
Certain policies may also cover other diseases or conditions, like Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, and any major organ transplants.
When you are thinking about Critical Illness Cover in Cardiff, your unique circumstances and priorities will play a significant role in deciding whether it’s the most suitable choice for you.
To help make an informed decision, consider the following factors:
There are many different benefits to taking out Critical Illness Cover:
Just like any insurance, Critical Illness Cover also has some potential drawbacks that you should consider before purchasing it:
If you’re unsure about whether Critical Illness Cover is the right fit for you, there are alternative options to consider:
If you’re still uncertain about whether Critical Illness Cover is the right choice for you, it’s wise to seek expert insurance advice from a professional protection advisor in Cardiff.
At Cardiffmoneyman, our protection advisors are well-equipped to offer advice on various insurance products, including Critical Illness Cover.
We can help you in understanding the pros and cons of different policies, and help you determine the appropriate level of coverage based on your individual circumstances.
As well as Critical Illness Cover, we can also provide insurance advice on other products like Life Insurance in Cardiff, Income Protection, and Family Income Benefit.
By assessing your current policies or recommending new ones, we can help ensure that you are well-protected in the event of unexpected events.
Our team can also offer mortgage advice in Cardiff, including buy to let mortgages in Cardiff, remortgages in Cardiff, and first time buyer mortgages in Cardiff, among others.
We can help you navigate through the various options available and locate the best mortgage deal that suits your specific requirements.
To summarise, whether you require Critical Illness Cover or not depends on your individual circumstances and priorities.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, a high-stress job, or are concerned about your financial situation in the event of a serious illness, then it may be worth exploring this as an option.
That being said, it is important to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of the policy and any alternatives.
At Cardiffmoneyman, our protection advisors in Cardiff are ready to assist you in navigating the complex world of insurance and finding the most suitable protection for your needs.
As a homeowner, if you don’t plan to sell your property and move, and your mortgage has a fixed term, it’s common to consider remortgaging your home in Cardiff about three months before the end of your fixed term.
This isn’t considered early remortgaging, as the process typically takes that amount of time. That being said, some individuals may choose to remortgage earlier, possibly six months or more before their mortgage term expires.
This leads to the question, “Can I remortgage in Cardiff before the end of my fixed term?” The answer is yes, there are no legal restrictions preventing you from doing so, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option for your situation.
When it comes to remortgaging in Cardiff, you typically have three options to choose from: tracker mortgages, discount rate mortgages, and fixed-rate mortgages.
Tracker mortgages are tied to the Bank of England base rate, which can be cost-effective when rates are low, but can be expensive when they are high. These mortgages are not fixed, but you can have a “collared rate” that doesn’t drop below a certain level.
Discount rate mortgages are a type of variable rate mortgage that are offered to you by your mortgage lender as a discount from their standard variable rate mortgage.
Fixed-rate mortgages are the most popular of the three options. They allow you to lock in a specific interest rate for a certain number of years, usually ranging from 2 to 5 years.
The downside is that if interest rates decrease, you may end up paying more, but the likelihood of reaping the benefits of a fixed rate is higher, as those rates are more likely to increase, meaning you’ll be fixed into a lower interest rate than would otherwise be the case.
Homeowners may consider remortgaging in Cardiff for various reasons such as securing a better interest rate, funding home improvements, consolidating debts, etc.
These objectives can all be accomplished in the three months leading up to the end of the mortgage term, so why else would you look to remortgage in Cardiff early?
While it is possible to remortgage in Cardiff to secure a better interest rate near the end of your fixed term, there may be situations where you wish to act sooner. For instance, if you are currently paying a higher interest rate than what is available, you may consider switching early.
That being said, this will likely result in early repayment charges, though if the savings from the switch outweigh these charges, it may still be a worthwhile option.
Typically, with the way the market trends are, this is more likely to be the case. Whilst you could simply wait until the end of your fixed period to remortgage in Cardiff and accept the current interest rate, over the course of 2-5 years, the rate may have increased by 2-3% or more.
If you are only a year away from being able to remortgage in Cardiff without incurring charges, you may decide that remortgaging early is worth the cost in order to secure a lower interest rate for an additional 2-5 years.
Some homeowners may also choose to do a debt consolidation remortgage in Cardiff at this point, combining all unsecured debt into a single, more manageable monthly payment. This may result in paying more overall, but can also free up more monthly income for other expenses and necessities.
You should think carefully before securing other debts against your home. By adding your unsecured debts to your mortgage, which is secured on your home, you are potentially putting your home at risk if you cannot make the required repayments.
Although the total monthly cost of servicing your debt may have reduced, the total cost of repayment may still have risen as the term of your mortgage is longer than it may have taken to repay the debts originally.
The main reason to avoid early remortgaging in Cardiff is because of early repayment charges. The amount of these fees varies depending on how far into your term you are.
Typically, the closer you are to the end of your initial fixed period, the lower the fees will be. For tracker mortgages, there is no fixed period, but there may be an introductory period during which a fee can be incurred.
The high cost of these fees is why most people opt to avoid them. That sad, as previously mentioned, remortgaging early may still be worth it in the long run if it results in significant savings.
Before making any decisions, it’s important to speak with your mortgage lender and understand any early repayment charges you may face, if you choose to exit your deal early.
Ultimately, the decision to remortgage in Cardiff early is yours to make. If you believe that it will provide you with long-term benefits, then it may be the right choice for you.
Even still, it is important to be mindful of any potential costs and to speak with an expert to ensure that it is the best option for your specific circumstances.
The process of remortgaging in Cardiff can be started ahead of your fixed periods’ end by booking a free mortgage appointment for trusted remortgage advice in Cardiff today. They will be able to offer you expert guidance and help you find the best deal that meets your needs and goals.
Well done! You have completed all of the necessary exams and have successfully achieved your career goal of becoming a Newly Qualified Teacher in Cardiff. The next step for you to take is to find yourself a job within the classroom, using your newly gained qualifications!
Depending on your circumstances, you may actually need to start looking at the options you have for moving house in Cardiff, if say you are currently residing within a property that is situated further away from your new job.
Sooner rather than later, you will find yourself on the lookout for a new place to live, finding it difficult to maintain the balance between owning a new home, as well as trying to ensure that you remain comfortable in your new role within the education industry.
You are certainly not alone in this endeavour, however, as we have helped a great many customers over our years working with mortgages, helping people like you to reduce their stress and take on the weight of their mortgage process, whilst they focus on their career.
Sometimes you may find it to be quite challenging looking for a mortgage lender who is willing to offer a mortgage to a newly qualified teacher in Cardiff.
The main reasons why this will be the case, is because as a newly qualified teacher you will have either no work history or you will be on a temporary contract.
Even bearing this in mind, it’s not totally impossible to find a mortgage for an applicant who is a newly qualified teacher. Our team of open & honest mortgage advisors in Cardiff have helped many customers with this during our time as a mortgage broker in Cardiff.
Occasionally, you will come across some mortgage lenders who actually have specific specialist deals, that are on offer to applicants who work within this particular sector.
The key to finding mortgage success is finding the most appropriate mortgage lender for your circumstances and what you are looking to achieve. This is often the most difficult part of the process and if you can get that far, you’re generally on the right path.
It is times like this where an experienced and trusted team who provide expert mortgage advice in Cardiff, can take a look at thousands of mortgage deals, in order to find the most suitable one for you, with favourable interest rates.
You must always remember that whilst it can be a complicated process for some, you are not entirely restricted in what it is you can do and what mortgage options are present for you.
Below are just a selection of the most frequently encountered mortgage types that we have seen when working through the mortgage process with newly qualified teacher:
The mortgage lender may also review various other factors as well when you are applying for a mortgage as a newly qualified teacher. There are some mortgage lenders who will not need to see previous employment history, whilst still letting you access up to a 95% loan to value.
Depending also on the mortgage lender, a 12-month first contract may be treated as the same as a permanent job role, rather than treating it as temporary work, which other mortgage lenders may very well do.
Last of all, there could be some lenders out there who are willing to begin the mortgage process with you prior to your official work start date, so long as you can provide them with suitable evidence of a signed contract and a planned start date.
This can be incredibly useful to you, as you may find that you are ready to pay your very first mortgage payments with your first months wage from your new education job by the time that the mortgage application process has completed and your first bill is due.
Our open & honest team of hardworking and dedicated mortgage advice experts in Cardiff have an immense amount of experience working within the mortgage industry, helping a wide variety of home buyers with their unique and individual mortgage situations.
You will hopefully see that there are a lot of benefits to using the services of a mortgage broker in Cardiff. We will take on the process for you, searching through thousands of deals on your behalf, reducing your stress, recommending conveyancing solicitors and much more.
To take a look at the various different mortgage options that could be available to you, book yourself in for a free mortgage appointment with a fast & friendly mortgage advisor in Cardiff, who will take initial information from you and help you on your way to the next step of your mortgage process.
As a homeowner with a mortgage to your name, you may find that will find that a significant amount of high street mortgages that are on the market are portable.
To explain how portable mortgages in Cardiff work, a portable mortgage is where you move home, from one property to another, taking your mortgage with you and avoiding the need to pay a penalty charge for doing so.
If you are looking to move into a new home and are currently going through your fixed-rate mortgage deal, a portable mortgage could come in handy as you will have the potential to avoid having an Early Repayment Charge (ERC) for moving.
No, not every mortgage deal that is available on the market is portable. This is less likely when you are on a mortgage with a specialist mortgage lender, as their mortgage was probably quite complex to qualify for in the first place and they won’t want you to port it.
To determine whether or not porting your mortgage will be available to you, we would recommend that you get in touch with your mortgage lender and ask them this.
Some homeowners may decide that option is not for them and choose not to do so, even if their mortgage is flexible enough for this to be an option that is available to them.
The reason that these customers may not wish to proceed with porting their mortgage, can be down to a variety of factors. This can include situations where perhaps a mortgage lender isn’t willing to lend the extra funds, or differing interest rates in those additional funds.
It may be worth your while accepting the Early Repayment Charge (ERC) and move to a different mortgage lender altogether, if it works out cheaper to go to that new deal.
This is a type of account that will be attached to your mortgage when you look to port it and the additional funds will move onto a deal that is different to your original mortgage.
Because of this, each of these will be on two different rates of interest that are applied on both the mortgage and the direct debit.
In the future, the fact that the products can overlap may become problematic, and this might need looking at down the line, in order to get them realigned. This may mean one of the sub-accounts falling onto a lenders variable rate briefly.
If you are looking for moving home mortgage advice in Cardiff or you are looking for a buy to let mortgage in Cardiff, get in touch and speak to a mortgage expert today.
We are experienced in helping thousands of mortgage applicants in situations like this, and will do what we can to assist with all of your mortgage needs.
Every now and again we come across a customer who would like to remove someone else’s name from a mortgage. As a mortgage broker in Cardiff, the main reason we hear for this is divorce or separation.
When encountering an instance such as this, sorting out your joint financial commitments should be your primary focus, to prevent any challenges down the line. Unfortunately, they’re often left until last.
Doing so makes the process a lot more difficult, stressful and much more time-consuming, so you should always do this ahead of time. Speaking to a mortgage broker in Cardiff is a good way to get on top of this.
Leaving your name tied to someone else financially can be problematic for you in the long run, due to a few reasons.
The first being that because your name is still tied, you will still be chased for missed mortgage payments, whether you live there or not. There is no getting out of that situation once you are in it, as you are legally responsible until removed.
Additionally, your credit score will also be affected by the financial association. If the other person’s credit score drops, so too will yours. Furthermore, if you were looking to take out a mortgage of your own, in your own name, you would be finding yourself in a difficult process.
For one, it will affect your affordability, as the mortgage lender will see it as an already large financial outgoing. This means you will not be able to borrow as much for your property purchase.
On top of this, you could be faced with higher Stamp Duty tax implications because you will be purchasing a new property whilst technically still owning one already. This can end up being quite costly.
All in all, it is best practice to remove your name from someone else’s mortgage as soon as you possibly can.
If you are the person who will be taking on the property and full responsibility for mortgage payments, the first step is to find out whether or not you are eligible for a remortgage onto a new deal as a sole name applicant.
Speaking directly with your mortgage lender/building society or getting in touch with a mortgage broker in Cardiff will help you to determine this.
Prior to removing someone else’s name from a mortgage, it is important that you both agree who will be getting the property. If you disagree, you may end up forking out on court costs to come to some sort of decision.
If you are currently experiencing divorce or separation, it will definitely be worth your while in seeking specialist mortgage advice in Cardiff. An expert mortgage advisor in Cardiff will be able to help you with your mortgage process.
If you require any help removing someone else’s name from your mortgage, it is absolutely worth your time getting help from a specialist mortgage broker to help you remortgage in Cardiff.
We are here to provide expert mortgage advice in Cardiff, 7 days a week including weekends and some bank holidays, to provide support and guidance throughout your remortgage process. Book your free remortgage review today and we will see how we can help.
As an experienced and hard working team of mortgage advisors in Cardiff, we always aim to make sure that our customers are kept informed, up-to-date and prepared for the mortgage journey that lies ahead.
In this article we have put together a detailed list of the 10 steps that first time buyers in Cardiff will go through during their mortgage process. It’s our hope that in this, you are closer to being ‘mortgage ready’.
After putting in some very careful thought and consideration, you’ve now decided to take on the world of properties and purchase your very first home, obtaining a mortgage as a first time buyer in Cardiff.
We can say with near certainty that this is going to be one of the most important decisions you ever make regarding your financial state. Once you come to terms with this, it can be anxiety inducing, especially when you are inexperienced with this sort of thing.
It is here where a dedicated mortgage broker in Cardiff can help you with the oncoming mortgage process. We always work hard to reduce our customers stress, doing everything that we can to ensure you come out the other side with a mortgage, positive and ready to enjoy your new home!
Once you have booked your free mortgage appointment with one of our open & honest mortgage advisors in Cardiff, we’ll gather some information from you and take a look at your future plans, before starting off your mortgage.
Whilst your free mortgage appointment is underway, your trusted mortgage advisor in Cardiff will take the time to go through a Mortgage Affordability Assessment with you.
This is generally a fairly quick process. Here your dedicated mortgage advisor will take a look at your monthly income, analysing any of your regular expenditures (the things that you spend your money on), to gain a better understanding of whether or not you are financially capable of paying back a mortgage.
This is crucial to your process and is something we must do before presenting you to a lender, as we need to be completely confident that you are able to afford your monthly repayments. This helps you to avoid potential debts and any future repossessions that could occur. Your mortgage lender will really want to avoid this too if they can.
A Mortgage Affordability Assessment will typically be taken out by a lender too, so our initial checks help to save the lenders time, your time and ours, from an application that could be declined if you happen to fail their affordability checks down the line.
Once this has been done, the next step in your free mortgage appointment will be helping you to obtain a very key document called a Mortgage Agreement in Principle.
If you have been looking up mortgages prior to enquiring for first time buyer mortgage advice in Cardiff, it is likely you will have heard of this, albeit under a few different names.
Some of these include ‘Decision in Principle’, ‘Mortgage in Principle’, as well as being shortened to ‘DIP’ & ‘AIP’. Don’t worry about this, as although it may be confusing at first, they are all actually the same thing.
The reason why making sure you have a Mortgage Agreement in Principle is so important, is because it proves that you have passed a lenders primary credit scoring system, whether that be from a hard credit search (this leaves a footprint on your personal credit file) or performing a soft credit search (which typically does not leave a footprint on your personal credit file).
Having this still doesn’t mean you are 100% going to get a mortgage, but it is definitely a step you will have to take on your mortgage journey. Another reason why it could be so beneficial, is that it shows the property seller that you are very serious, possibly leading to price negotiations when the time comes to make an offer.
Generally speaking, you will find that an AIP tends to last somewhere between 30-90 days. If your Agreement in Principle expires before you have chance to use it, we can easily renew this for you. Our expert team of mortgage advisors are usually able to obtain this for you within 24 hours of your mortgage appointment.
After you have obtained an Agreement in Principle, the next step will be to find yourself a Conveyancer who can help you with the legal aspects of home buying. The term Conveyancing is the term that is used for the process of transferring of legal ownership for a property between two parties, from seller to buyer.
Your Conveyancing Solicitor will help you out with contracts, provide you with any required legal advice, conduct local council or authority searches, deal with Land Registry arrangements and finally, the most important part, the transfer of the funds to pay for the property in question.
As you are able to see from the above information, this is a very crucial role in your mortgage process, so it’s important for you to decide carefully on who you use.
Another important thing to bear in mind, is that Licensed Conveyancers are property specialists and are not able to deal with more complex legal issues, whereas a more general Solicitors will be able to offer a wide range of services, though as such may appear to cost more.
Whilst we do not offer any of these services in-house, we do have some select companies that we know and trust, and will gladly be able to refer you to them if you would like us to.
Up until this point, you’ve now spoken to a Mortgage Broker in Cardiff, passed the Mortgage Affordability Assessment, obtained an Agreement in Principle and found an appropriate Conveyancing Solicitor to help with arranging the legal side of your purchase. You’re almost done now, all that’s left is to make an offer!
As previously touched upon, with an Agreement in Principle to your name, you will be in a much better place for making any property price negotiations with the seller. Don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price, but be wary not to insult the seller with a price that is too low!
If the seller knows that you have an AIP to your name, they will be much more likely to accept any offers you make that are slightly lower than they might receive from someone who is quite happy to pay the asking price but hasn’t even started the mortgage process yet.
If you look at the worst case scenario here, the seller might say no, but it’s here where you can take a step back and either discuss a reasonable offer that you can both agree on, or take a step back and find a more affordable property that you wouldn’t mind calling home.
Once you have had your purchase offer accepted, it’s back to your mortgage advisor and onto the final few steps of the mortgage journey!
The next step you will be taking is very important. Every step of your journey is important anyway, but this one is especially, as you’ll be submitting the necessary documents to be able to continue with a mortgage.
As can probably be expected when you are dealing with such a vast amount of funds, a mortgage lender will be incredibly meticulous as to who they will lend money too, and we can’t blame them for it. There have been lots of different instances in the past where lenders were a little less strict on the rules and it didn’t go well for them.
Your mortgage lender will require you to give them the proper documentation to prove your identity to them. They will also need to see your current earnings, where your current place of residence is and how well you are handling your finances on a regular basis.
If you’re obtaining a joint mortgage, the mortgage lender will require the same documentation that you will be providing, from the other applicant as well. This is to once again confirm their identity, address and earnings.
The types of documents that a lender will need to see include; proof of ID, proof of your home address, the last 3 months’ of your pay slips and latest P60 (employed).
They also need to see the last 3 years’ proof of earnings and Tax Year Overviews (if you are Self-Employed in Cardiff), proof of any additional income such as state benefits or maintenance, proof of your deposit and the last three months of your own personal bank statements.
When you have had your mortgage agreed in principle, and you have also had an offer accepted, we are now able to go ahead and help you with submitting your full mortgage application to the mortgage lender!
With everything checked and prepared by your dedicated Mortgage Advisor in Cardiff & their trusted team of Mortgage Administrators, we are ready to put forward your application to the lender and begin the waiting process of (hopefully) receiving confirmation that the mortgage is good to go.
Your mortgage advisor in Cardiff will send the lender all of the evidential documentation they have collected for this, and then all that is left is to wait and see what the outcome of this whole process is going to be!
Whilst there is specific time frame of which you can get a response, our Mortgage Administration team will be able to chase the lender to find out the answer for you, keeping on until we know for sure whether or not you have the mortgage.
In-between the point where your mortgage application is submitted and when you are offered a mortgage, the lender will need you to have a valuation survey taken out on the property. These types of service tend to be carried out by accredited companies nominated by the lender (someone that they trust to be fair and honest).
The reason they do this is to accurately figure out how much the property is actually worth overall, compared to the amount that you have agreed to pay for it with the properties seller. If the lender believes you are paying more than the properties true value, they may be less likely to accept your offer.
This is because in the event of arrears and repossession, selling the property would result in them being out of pocket, as they’d be making back less than they had let you borrow in the first place. This is known in the world of mortgages as a ‘Down Valuation’.
There are a lot of different property survey types available, with the prices of these varying on which one you choose.
Some will just look at the properties value, whereas some will also document any structural concerns that you perhaps should look at, as well as any potential repairs that could require your attention down the line. Your trusted Mortgage Advisor in Cardiff will help you to decide on the right one.
Now it’s time to face the moment you have been waiting patiently for. Your mortgage lender has thoroughly gone over your case and performed an in-depth assessment of all the evidence that was documented. You are now ready to be presented with your formal mortgage offer.
Our fast & friendly team of dedicated Mortgage Advisors and Administrators in Cardiff, that you have conversed with frequently and surely gotten to know quite well over your mortgage journey, will review this offer on your behalf to ensure that nothing is wrong and as you want it.
The next step after your formal mortgage offer has been received, will be for your Conveyancing Solicitor to take your purchase all the way to completion.
A big congratulations is in order, you have gone from an unsure and inexperienced First-Time Buyer in Cardiff, all the way to confident and mortgage ready First-Time Homeowner in Cardiff!
From this point forward, we hope that your worries are eased and that any past anxieties and concerns you had have been put to rest. With sincerity, we hope that you are thrilled with your new home and excited to start the next chapter in your life.
The only thing left for you to do is to grab your keys and start moving in your possessions! We genuinely hope you received a top tier Mortgage Advice service in Cardiff and enjoyed speaking to our team throughout your mortgage journey.
If you have opted to go forward with a fixed rate mortgage, at the end of your particular fixed period, we will Get in Touch once again to assist with either your remortgage, or any future property plans you may have!
The scheme originally came into the world way back in 2014, with the £200 million scheme being put out with the aim to provide a boost to anyone who is a member of the forces and is in need of help buying their own property.
Though created for great reasons, the project was not created to be around for a long though, originally slated to end in December 2019.
As opposed to just bringing it to an end though, to give out a thank you to the forces’ commitment to their Queen and country, the UK government made the decision to make this an enduring policy.
If you have served in the military at some point in the past and you are able to meet the right criteria, you will be able to utilise this government scheme, which will allow you to borrow a deposit that is up to half your annual salary (with a maximum of £25,000), without additional interest on top.
You will be able to use this scheme as a way of buying your first home or to cover the costs of a new property to move into. You could argue that the most appealing aspect of this, is that you are not required to have any current savings in order to make the leap onto the property ladder.
The funds that you will be able to use is raised from the Forces Help to Buy loan and you are able to use it for pretty much anything, from your deposit on a property, to any other costs that come up.
These costs may potentially include, but are not limited to, the costs of stamp duty, estate agent fees or even the costs of locating a suitable solicitor.
This government scheme is considered to be a little more relaxed than the other schemes available to home buyers, as the Forces Help to Buy loan can be taken out and paid back over a 10 year term. This allows you to breathe and not feel like your impending payments are breathing down your neck every month.
Once again, remember that you will still have to qualify for eligibility, the terms of which are based on if you have served your country and are able to meet the necessary criteria (length served, service term left and medical categories).
Click here to read further details on this helpful scheme from the government.
By enlisting the help of a dedicated team of mortgage advisors in Cardiff, your journey to mortgage success may go quicker and smoother than it otherwise could have done.
Your assigned advisor will guide you throughout every part of the process, ensuring you are taken care of and well informed.
From the beginning of your journey, until your mortgage completes and beyond, your trusted mortgage advisor in Cardiff will be by your side, hopefully allowing you to end up with a favourable outcome.
We’re proud of the reliable and efficient customer service we provide, always working hard to reduce customer stress and most importantly, show love and respect to our nations forces.
Book your free Help to Buy mortgage appointment online today and we will see how we can help.
If you have your heart set on a property and are ready to make an offer to purchase it, you may be left scratching your head, unsure of what exactly you should do next.
It’s not as simple as just approaching a seller and asking to buy the property, there is a lot you need to do ahead of time in order to prepare for this step.
Obtaining an Agreement in Principle is a key part in the process of buying a home. It is a written statement of approval from the mortgage lender that confirms that in principle, they are willing to lend you the desired amount to purchase the property, subject to further checks.
It’s for this reason why you will need to make sure that you have one to hand, as a home seller or estate agent will want to know that you actually have the funds to proceed, avoiding any possible wasted time on both their end and yours.
During the COVID-19 lockdown periods in 2020, you even needed an Agreement in Principle to view a property, let alone buy it. This was to limit the viewings only to people who could proceed there and then if they wanted to make a purchase.
As an experienced mortgage broker in Cardiff, we always recommend preparing ahead of time and putting yourself in a better position than other buyers, by obtaining an Agreement in Principle as early as you can.
In most cases, you will never be able to compete with a cash buyer of a property. Lenders love it when someone can make a payment on the spot, without having to wait for a mortgage to complete.
That being said, by obtaining your AIP, you may be able to increase your odds against cash buyers and even other possible home buyers.
If you have an Agreement in Principle to hand, you are demonstrating to the seller that you are very serious and do have the funds to proceed.
It also puts you in a higher position than other buyers who maybe do have the funds, but haven’t gotten an AIP of their own.
This is one of the benefits of getting in touch with a dedicated mortgage broker in Cardiff. Our dedicated mortgage advisors in Cardiff will be able to obtain one of these within 24 hours of your initial free mortgage appointment.
Buying a property is all a matter of negotiation. If the offer that you put forward to the seller is rejected, you will be asked about potentially increasing your offer.
If you believe that the property is indeed worth the increase and you want it, you may have to be prepared to spend a little more than you had planned.
Don’t be worried though if your first offer is declined, this has happened to lots of First Time Buyers in Cardiff in the past and they are still able to secure a property down the line at some point.
If your second offer is also declined, you possibly have to be prepared to pay the asking price. This is where it pays to make sure that you have done plenty of research ahead of time.
Before you make any offers, you should always have a look at the other properties in the local area and see what they are selling for on sites like Zoopla or Rightmove. This may give you a general idea of what to offer the property seller.
You should also look for how long the property has been on the open market. If it is a new listing, the seller may want the asking price, whereas if it’s a long-time listing, the seller may accept a lower offer just to have it taken off their hands.
If you come across houses that have gone for amounts that are less than they are worth, there is usually a very good reason for it. It may have possibly been repossessed, sold to at a discounted price to a residing tenant or an inter-family sale.
For any mortgage advice relating to this specialist subject, feel free to contact our expert mortgage advisors in Cardiff today.
If you are in need of any help with making an offer as a First Time Buyer in Cardiff or perhaps just want a mortgage advisor in Cardiff to walk you through it and get a great deal, we’ll always be on hand to guide you throughout the process.
Our team of mortgage advisors in Cardiff are available all throughout the week, so book your free mortgage appointment online and get your journey started today.
When you’re inexperienced as a first time buyer in Cardiff and have never taken that initial step onto the property ladder, the process can sometimes be a stressful one. Luckily for you, it doesn’t have to be like that. To help put you in the best position for your next house viewing and to get ‘mortgage ready’, we’ve put together a list of nine questions that you should always ask when buying a house as a first-time buyer in Cardiff.
Taking out a mortgage will more than likely be the biggest financial commitment you ever make in your life. As such, you may find yourself wishing to take some time to think about your options and what you really want to do.
In enquiring with the vendor or estate agent about the amount of viewings that have taken place at the house, you’ll be able to more accurately predict how much time you have to properly think this through, before you make a definitive decision. Of course, if the property is receiving lots of interest, you need to be ready to make a final decision as soon as possible, so to avoid losing out to another buyer.
A property being tied up into a property chain can have a huge influence on how your mortgage process will go down the line.
If there’s no onward chain (e.g. new home, bereavement or emigration), you’ll more than likely be able to move fairly quickly, especially if you’re not part of a chain either.
If there is no requirement for you to sell your own property in advance, then you’ll have more leverage as a buyer, as you won’t be holding up the home buying process for anyone else.
Be sure to use this to your advantage when entering into property price negotiations.
If you’re not buying a new build property, then the previous homeowner may have left some items behind when they moved out. We often hear about white goods (which can include things like washing machines, fridges, freezers etc.) or even garden sheds being left behind for the next person who moves in.
For home buyers this can be fantastic, as it can not only save you money on buying those same items, but it can also save your time, as you won’t need to spend time finding these items and awaiting delivery.
On the flip side of this, if you don’t want or need these items, you will have to factor in the costs and time of disposing them. If you are buying a new build property, you might find that there are optional extras you can buy which will be ready for you on the day you move into your new home.
When moving into an area that you don’t have any familiarity with, it’s worth doing some research to see what the neighbours are like, as a good or bad neighbour experience can often be the deal breaker in what your experience of living in the property is like.
That being said, if you’ve had the opportunity to move into a new housing site that has been or is being developed, you will be creating an entirely new neighbourhood with people who are more than likely unknown to you. This itself can be a risk, as you cannot prepare for what the locals will be like ahead of time.
The running costs of a property can significantly differ, depending on the house and the location, so it is very important to do your research on these and ask the right questions.
Make sure you find out how much the Council Tax is, along with how much on average you might be spending on utilities, by asking the seller or doing some of your own research online. Obtaining this information can help you budget for each property you have viewed accordingly.
This may seem like a bizarre one, but it can be an incredibly important factor to many people. If you are fond of relaxing in the garden on late summer evenings or reading books with a good source of natural light, you need to find out which way the property is facing.
What’s unfortunate here is that through looking for this, you’ll often pay a sizable, more premium price for a south-facing garden, due to the fact that they receive the most sun during the daytime.
This is again something that can have quite the impact on your budget. You should always look to see if there is any work required in the property for improving energy efficiency, changing any decorations and addressing any problems with damp that exists in the property.
Getting started on negotiation discussions for a property you’d like to buy is a pretty common home buying step. As such, it’s important to make sure you are as prepared as you possibly can be to make an offer on a property that you are interested in. Once you are ready for this, the next step is for you to go and start making offers on a property.
It is also worth initiating a conversation with the seller or estate agent to figure out roughy what the seller of the home you are after may consider to be a lowball amount, as well as find out the maximum amount it is worth. You should also look to find out if any other offers have been made and rejected prior to you making your offer.
By picking a date in your diary that you ideally would like to move at, you are able to plan your other jobs around that date. This will be tasks such as instructing a conveyancing solicitor, packing up what you own ready to move and arranging a removal van to bring your belongings to your new home.
Depending on the situation you happen to be in, a second mortgage may be a possible option for you to look at utilising. There are two different methods this can be achieved.
You may be able to obtain a Second Mortgage for buying an additional home or taking out a Buy to Let, allowing this to run alongside your existing mortgage. Alternatively, you may have the option of a Second Charge, where you take out an additional mortgage amount against the same property, with a different mortgage lender.
Below we’ve put together a guide on where this could be applicable, as well as a helpful video guide where Malcolm talks about the significance of taking out a second mortgage in Cardiff.
There are various different situations where someone might find themselves needing to have more than one mortgage. Through our experience as mortgage advisors in Cardiff we’ve heard of some fairly common recurrences, with these including, but not limited to;
1) Wanting a second mortgage to raise money for your existing home.
2) Looking to rent out your existing home and purchase a new one.
3) In the market to buy a new property with your name on another mortgage already.
4) Looking to help your children out with a second mortgage.
5) In need of a second mortgage to purchase a buy to let property.
Looking at the latter one, we feel it’s important to let you know that we have a vast wealth of knowledge on Buy to Let mortgages in Cardiff, having worked with many lenders including very specialist ones, all with their own unique lending criteria.
We also have a long history of helping Buy to Let Landlords with their properties. For more information on being a Landlord, please check out our Buy to Let Mortgage Advice in Cardiff page.
If you have equity in your home, you could have the option to take out a Second Charge to release this equity and fund the deposit for a potential additional purchase. It can also be just generally used for any purchase, such as a new car, a holiday or something else.
The way a Second Charge works is that if you still have equity sitting in your property, you may be able to take out a mortgage with a second lender, in order to release some of the equity in the property.
Usually, if you are on a lenders Standard Variable Rate, we are able to shop around for you and find a more competitive deal whilst also releasing Capital. A further advance with your existing lender may also be an option available to you.
In some cases, homeowners may be looking to keep hold of their existing property, with the intention of renting it out a taking out a second residential mortgage on a new property. This process is known as a Let-to-Buy Mortgage and has become increasingly popular over the last decade.
Sometimes your Children or even Grandchildren may be struggling to find their footing on the property ladder. As such we regularly see homeowners using either a Second Charge to release some equity to gift their loved one either a portion of, or the full amount of deposit.
We find that there are many landlords looking to purchase additional Buy to Let properties to add to their portfolio, by taking out a second mortgage. Our team are able to use our expert knowledge to recommend the most suitable Buy to Let mortgage product based on your personal circumstances. You will be asked to produce a higher deposit for this mortgage than a typical residential mortgage.
If you are currently named on another mortgage and unable to get your name taken off of it, you may still want to try your luck and apply for a mortgage of your own. This is a situation we come across often and have experience helping many different customers with.
No matter your situation, if you are looking to get a second mortgage, we may be able to help. As a fast & friendly mortgage broker in Cardiff, our Advisors are able to search thousands of mortgage deals on your behalf, following up with a recommendation on the most suitable product for you based on your personal situation.
For more information get in touch to book your free initial mortgage consultation, and speak with a dedicated mortgage advisor in Cardiff.
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UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
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Cardiffmoneyman.com & Cardiffmoneyman are trading styles of UK Moneyman Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
