Mortgages can be difficult to navigate at the self-employed Bar, where you experience fluctuating income and aged debt. Alongside this, the mortgage market will be impacted by changes in government and fiscal policies, the regular Bank of England interest rate announcements and moveable inflation rates.

An ongoing consideration

Buying your first home will be one of the biggest financial decisions you make in the early part of your life. Getting the right advice before you set off looking for the right property will help to make sure you don’t go over budget and have everything ready to proceed at the point you want to make an offer, giving you the best chance of having your offer accepted.

Your first mortgage will no doubt have an incentive deal which typically expires after 2 to 5 years. At that point – if you don’t take action – lenders will move you on to their standard variable rate, which can mean a significant increase in your monthly payments. Reviewing this six months before the end of your current deal allows time to get everything lined up for you to switch product or lender to make sure you avoid this jump in your payments by moving to a better deal in the market.

Your 12-step guide to buying a home

Looking to purchase a home can add a lot of additional administrative work to your schedule, when you are already time poor. It’s not quite as easy as 1, 2, 3; but if you follow our step-by-step guide, it can help you navigate what might otherwise feel an overwhelming task:

  1. Gather your paperwork – tax returns; reference letters, bank statements etc.
  2. Contact Westgate – we can organise a no-obligation meeting to discuss your needs and begin the process of determining your mortgage options.
  3. Get confirmation of what you can borrow.
  4. Get your mortgage Agreement in Principle.
  5. Find your home and make an offer.
  6. Submit your full mortgage application.
  7. Instruct a solicitor (necessary for conveyancing, but also part of your ‘personal power team’ to make life easier).
  8. Have a follow-up meeting with Westgate to consider your mortgage protection options and submit applications.
  9. Get your mortgage offer.
  10. Sign contracts with your solicitor.
  11. Exchange.
  12. Complete, collect your keys and move in!

Getting the best deal

Being able to search quickly and efficiently from some of the best deals available in the market isn’t just a case of finding the best rate. Getting professional guidance allows you to benefit from advice around fixed or tracker rates, product terms and mortgage length.

Barristers may also benefit from bespoke underwriting, so lenders will understand how and when you are paid and what you can expect to earn in the coming years. Using an intermediary who knows the right lenders to speak to can help save you money and could make the difference between getting the property you want or not.

Your personal power team

Your personal power team are there to help you make life easy. They are the ‘who’ for your ‘how’ tasks and have your best interests in mind, so you can make the most of an opportunity when it comes along.

Is Westgate on your personal power team? When you are ready to take your next step on the property ladder or review your existing mortgage and protection, book a no-obligation meeting with us, using the details below: