The reality of remortgaging: Brits underestimating £3.5bn* possible Mortgage savings

 

A quarter of homeowners remortgaging plan to do so in January

A third of people Just About Managing (JAMS) consider remortgaging

54 per cent of homeowners don’t know the current Bank of England base rate

 

 

The remortgaging rush is expected to continue in 2017, with almost a third (31%) of eligible homeowners planning to cash in on low interest rates. The potential savings they could be making, however, are being underestimated by nearly half, according to a new report from TSB.

According to the survey of 2,000 homeowners, the average saving they expected to make from remortgaging their property was estimated at £49 a month. This compares with an actual average of £96 per month**, or £2,300 across the life of a two-year fixed term on a £100,000 mortgage.

A third (33%) of JAMS*** are planning to remortgage in 2017, with the majority (88%) doing so to free up monthly income, lock in at a fixed rate to better manage their money, or take advantage of the low interest rate environment.

Ian Ramsden, Director of Mortgages at TSB, said “Mortgage payments are often the biggest outgoing for many households. By remortgaging, homeowners stand to save up to £96 per month on average, which can make a huge difference to family finances. It could mean being able to afford a family holiday, carry out much needed home renovations, or simply help ease the pressures on household finances each month.”

TSB, which has witnessed an 18 per cent increase in remortgage applications in the three months to September 2016, has launched its Stay Nation Britainreport to explore the outlook for remortgaging in 2017.

By remortgaging at a lower fixed rate, homeowners have been able to free up extra cash for other uses:

• Go on holiday:  39 per cent would use the extra money to go on holiday, and a quarter (24%) of these homeowners said they would go on three or four holidays in the year with Greece and Florida proving popular.
• Higher mortgage repayments: More than a third (37%) of those surveyed say they would use the extra money to overpay their mortgage payments, with the aim of becoming mortgage free faster.
• DIY:  A third (30%) plan to carry out DIY jobs and one in five (21%) would use the cash for a major home renovation like a loft conversion or extension. These plans include adding more bedrooms for a growing family (21%), creating space for a home office (13%) and making their home open plan (16%).
• Spruce up the garden: 16% would spend the money on doing up their garden, with most wanting new paving or raised flower beds.
• Big ticket item:  A further 11% would buy a big-ticket item like a fridge or new TV.
• Buy a new car: 9% would buy a new car with around half (48%) opting for a family sized car.

Despite these potential savings, some homeowners remain unaware of the opportunity altogether. More than half (54%) aren’t able to correctly identify the Bank of England base rate as 0.25 per cent  and 15 per cent of homeowners who aren’t considering remortgaging say they won’t be doing so because it’s too much effort or it hasn’t crossed their mind. 

Ian Ramsden, continued: “Remortgaging might not be right for everyone, but it’s important to understand your options. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming to remortgage so it’s well worth investigating if people are looking for ways to make their finances go further in 2017. At TSB we’ve helped almost 6,000 people remortgage onto lower rates since the Bank of England lowered the base rate.” 

Find out more on the Stay Nation report .