Mortgage myths exposed

Getting caught out by any of these misconceptions could drastically increase the cost of buying a home.

Do you fully understand how mortgages work and have a firm grasp of all the financial terminology?

If you find yourself confused by home loans, we’ve taken a look at the truth behind five mortgage myths.

Myth one: Low rates always mean top deals

When comparing mortgage deals, it might be tempting to focus exclusively on the headline rate and assume the deal with the least interest is the most competitive.

In fact, the vast majority of best-buy tables rank home loans according to interest rates.

Although the rate is a key factor in the overall cost of a mortgage, there are other expenses you need to take into account.

In many cases, products with an extremely low rate come with a high fee – sometimes in the region of £2,000.

Before committing to a mortgage, it’s worth factoring in both the mortgage rate and any additional fees. This way, you can calculate the total cost of the mortgage over the term of the loan.

Myth two: You can’t get a mortgage if you’re self-employed

If you’re self-employed, you may not have a regular income or may have difficulty in proving your earnings.

Although these factors may complicate the process of getting a mortgage, it’s certainly possible for self-employed people to borrow money to buy a home.

Following the abolition of self-certification mortgage (so-called ‘liar loans’), most lenders now require self-employed people to provide two or three years’ worth of accounts.

If you are in this situation, you should be prepared to face some tough time-consuming questions from potential lenders.

Myth three: Having a good job guarantees you’ll get a mortgage

Of course, a potential borrower’s income is important in determining whether or not they’ll be accepted for a mortgage.

However, banks will look at other factors such as an applicant’s outgoings and credit rating. In order to assess the affordability of the mortgage, many lenders are now examining almost every detail of an applicant’s spending habits.

Mortgage lender GE Money recently hit the headlines with the announcement that it would no longer accept applications from those who have taken out a payday loan within the previous three months.

Myth four: Your bank will help you find a good deal

If you’ve held your current account with the same bank for years, you might think this would be a good place to start looking for a home loan.

While it doesn’t hurt to investigate deals from your own bank, this shouldn’t be the extent of your research.

As well as scouring the mortgage best-buy tables, it could be wise to consult a whole-of-market mortgage broker ­– these individuals often have access to deals that aren’t available online.

Myth five: Big banks offer the best deals

When it comes to the mortgage market, every borrower has different requirements.

You shouldn’t necessarily assume that the most competitive deal for your circumstances can be found on the high street.

In many cases, smaller regional building societies (that you might never had heard of) offer the most attractive rates.

Even if you’re not familiar with a particular brand, it could still be worth considering the deals it has on offer.

**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**

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