Second charge mortgages are sometimes just called ‘second mortgages’, but don’t confuse it with getting another mortgage to buy a different property. A second charge mortgage means two loans, both secured on one property.
You usually get a second charge mortgage with a different lender to the one you have your mortgage with. It often has a higher interest rate than your primary mortgage, because for second charge lenders, it’s a bigger risk. If your home is repossessed, the primary lender gets to recoup their costs and mortgage amount first.
Usually, the maximum you can borrow is equal to the amount of equity you have. Your equity in your home is the value of what you own outright, as opposed to what you’re still paying back on your mortgage. Equity = property value, minus mortgage debt.
The minimum you can borrow is normally around £10,000. You can’t borrow more than 90% of your property’s value.
If you want to raise extra funds, remortgaging (replacing your existing mortgage with a new, lower interest one) can sometimes be a cheaper way to do it. Check with your lender if there’s an early repayment charge to pay before you decide what to do. You can also talk to your mortgage broker if you’re not sure.
If you only need to borrow a small amount, you’ll almost certainly be better off going for a personal loan or credit card with a higher interest rate, but over a shorter time.
Either way, it’s a good idea to talk to a broker before you sign on the dotted line.
We don’t do second charge mortgages at Habito, but if you need one, there are specialist second charge mortgage companies out there who should be able to help.
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