Moving home mortgage advice that keeps the chain moving.
Port your rate or switch, sell first or buy first, borrow more or shrink the loan. We have been arranging moves since 2004, and we run the mortgage end of your chain so it does not fall over at the worst moment.
Moving with a mortgage already in place has more moving parts than buying your first home. There is an early repayment charge to avoid or to price in, a rate that might be worth porting, equity that becomes the next deposit, and a chain where every date depends on someone else. We start early, run porting against a clean switch, get your borrowing confirmed before you view, and chase the mortgage side weekly so your link in the chain is the strong one. Major Money Matters charges no client broker, advice or arrangement fee for mortgage advice. The client fee is £0. We are paid a procuration fee by the lender, normally on completion. Third-party charges may apply.
The moving-home routes we cover
Most moves fall into one of these patterns. Pick the closest match. Where your situation crosses two patterns, we run them side by side.
Porting your mortgage when you move
Take your existing rate to the new property and sidestep the early repayment charge. Porting is a new application, not a transfer, and the timing decides whether it works.
See portingSell first or buy first?
Chain-free buyers negotiate harder, but buying first means you only move once. The right order depends on your market, your equity and your nerve. We sequence it on numbers.
See the trade-offsUpsizing to a bigger home
Your equity becomes the next deposit and the affordability test runs again from scratch. We confirm the real budget, Stamp Duty included, before you start viewing.
See upsizingDownsizing to a smaller home
A smaller mortgage, or none at all, and equity released for the next chapter. Partial early repayment charges and age criteria are the catches. We net off the real figure.
See downsizingChain-break finance
Your sale falls through but the purchase is still alive. A regulated bridging loan can hold the move together while you re-sell. Costs are real, so the exit plan comes first.
See chain-breakMoving with a Help to Buy loan
The equity loan is repaid when you sell, at a percentage of current value, not what you borrowed. We line up redemption, valuation and the next mortgage in one move.
See Help to BuyMoving-home questions we hear a lot
Can I take my current mortgage rate to the new house?
Often, yes. That is porting: the product moves to the new property via a fresh application, with a full affordability re-test and a valuation on the new home. It is never automatic, so we confirm the route with your lender before the chain commits to dates.
Will I pay an early repayment charge when I move?
Not necessarily. Porting with sale and purchase completing together typically avoids it. Breaking the deal triggers it, usually 1% to 5% of the balance, and sometimes paying it still wins overall if a new lender deal is sharp enough. We price every route with the charge included so nothing is hidden in the comparison.
Should I sell my house before I start viewing?
Your offer carries far more weight once your home is at least under offer, and agents will tell vendors exactly that. Selling first makes you effectively chain-free; buying first needs finance to cover two properties at once. The right order depends on your local market and your equity, and we help you sequence it deliberately.
How much can I borrow for the next home?
Lenders re-test affordability from scratch on current income, commitments and rates, typically around 4 to 4.5 times income with stretch options for stronger profiles. Your deposit is usually your equity plus savings, minus selling costs and Stamp Duty. We confirm the realistic figure before you view, so it survives underwriting.
What does your advice cost?
Nothing: the lender pays us a procuration fee on completion and we charge no broker fee on any case. Third-party costs may apply and are always disclosed in writing before you commit to anything.
Related guides
Three reads worth your time before you start the process.
Moving home: your mortgage options
Porting, a clean switch or let-to-buy. The three mortgage routes through a move, compared in plain English.
Read guideThe true cost of moving home
Stamp duty, agents, conveyancing, removals and the ten smaller costs that land in the same eight-week window.
Read guidePorting your mortgage
How porting really works, when it saves thousands, and the traps that stall chains.
Read guideWhat our clients say
Real reviews from clients across Romford and Essex, verified on Google.
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 92 Google reviews Read the reviews on Google
Planning a move in the next six months?
A quick 15-minute call maps the order of events: what your sale will fund, whether to port or switch, and what the next mortgage looks like. You deal with a named adviser wherever possible, not a call centre.
We aim to return your call as quickly as we can. Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm. Weekend appointments available on request.