Porting a mortgage lets you take your existing rate to a new property when you move home, potentially avoiding early repayment charges. But porting is not automatic. You must reapply and pass a full affordability check. If your lender declines, or if a new deal is cheaper overall, a whole-of-market broker can calculate the best route forward.
Initial discussion free. A broker fee of £299 is payable if you choose to proceed following a formal mortgage offer.
Get Porting Mortgage AdvicePorting means transferring your existing mortgage deal to a new property when you move home. You keep the same interest rate and the same product, but apply it to your new purchase instead of your current one.
Most fixed rate and tracker mortgages in the UK include a portability feature. This means, in principle, you can carry the deal across when you sell your current home and buy a new one, rather than ending the deal early and triggering an early repayment charge.
Porting is particularly valuable when you are mid-way through a fixed rate deal with a competitive interest rate. If current rates are higher than your existing rate, breaking the deal to remortgage could cost you significantly more each month. Porting lets you protect that rate while moving home.
However, porting is not automatic. Your lender treats a ported mortgage as a new application. You must pass a full affordability assessment for the new property, and the new property itself must meet the lender's current criteria. If either of these fail, the port will be declined regardless of the portability clause in your mortgage terms.
The portability clause in your mortgage is a permission, not a guarantee. Whether you can actually port depends on your circumstances and the new property at the time you apply.
If your lender declines the port and you still want to proceed with your purchase, you will need to find a new mortgage elsewhere. This means ending your existing deal early and paying the early repayment charge. A broker can calculate whether the total cost of switching lenders, including the charge, still makes financial sense for your move.
If your new property costs more than your current mortgage balance, you need additional borrowing. Lenders handle this by splitting the mortgage into two parts.
Your existing loan balance is ported across on your current rate for the remainder of your fixed term. The additional amount you need to borrow is taken on a new product at current market rates. The two parts may have different interest rates, different end dates and different monthly payments.
This is sometimes called a split mortgage. A broker can calculate the total monthly cost of both parts combined and confirm whether the blended rate is competitive before you commit to the purchase.
If you are moving to a cheaper property and your current mortgage is larger than the new purchase price, you will need to repay the difference. Many lenders allow this repayment penalty-free as part of the porting process, treating it as a permitted overpayment rather than an early repayment. The rules vary by lender and product. Confirm the position with your lender or broker before exchanging contracts.
We compare the total cost of porting your existing rate against switching to a new deal, factoring in any early repayment charge, to give you a clear recommendation before you commit.
Initial discussion free. A broker fee of £299 is payable if you choose to proceed following a formal mortgage offer. Full fee details are explained before you proceed.
Get Porting Mortgage AdvicePorting is not always the right decision. Whether it makes financial sense depends on the size of your early repayment charge, how long remains on your fix, and what rates are available today.
The right answer depends on the exact numbers: your current rate, your remaining term, the ERC amount and what new deals are available today. A whole-of-market broker can run both scenarios side by side and give you a clear recommendation. If you are considering a remortgage rather than porting, our remortgage advice section covers the options in full.
We assess your current mortgage, calculate the cost of porting against remortgaging, and identify the best route forward for your move, subject to individual lender criteria.
A broker fee of £299 is payable if you choose to proceed following a formal mortgage offer. Full fee details are explained before you proceed. We may also receive commission from the lender. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Get Porting Mortgage AdviceWoodhall Mortgages is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 762513. Woodhall Mortgages is a whole-of-market mortgage broker. We consider a comprehensive range of mortgages from across the market, but not all lenders or products may be included.
A broker fee of £299 is payable if you choose to proceed following a formal mortgage offer. Full fee details are explained before you proceed. We may also receive commission from the lender. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
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