Will You Become A Mortgage Prisoner?

Buying Property in the UK  with tighter lending conditions and an increase in interest rates will lead to more people becoming mortgage prisoners

Mortgage prisoner in the UK’s housing market

If you’re currently repaying a variable rate mortgage – or you’re considering taking out a mortgage in order to purchase and move to a new property – it’s worth considering whether or not you’re likely to become a “mortgage prisoner”. Tighter lending conditions and an increase in interest rates will lead to more people becoming mortgage prisoners, as banks force borrowers to stay on their standard variable rates.

A recent article by The Telegraph explores the term in detail, and also puts a few scenarios forward. In one of the examples, a 1.5% increase in the Bank of England base rate leads to an increase over nearly £1,500 per year in mortgage repayments. Realistically, is that a figure you can afford to pay on top of your other outgoings? The threat of the base rate being increased is very real, with most experts predicting it will be increased before the end of the year. Of course the increase will vary based on the size of your mortgage and its associated terms, but it’s not a topic that should be swept under the carpet without consideration.

Lots of different factors contribute to the decision to raise or decrease the base rate – including things like unemployment and inflation. Unfortunately, the base rate is one of those things in life that you just can’t control – so there’s no point trying to fight it! Instead, it makes sense to budget well for your mortgage, and to plan for “worst case scenarios” where the base rate does increase far beyond the level it’s at when you take out your mortgage. Some products including fixed rate mortgages do insulate against base rate changes – talk to a mortgage advisor about your options.

It’s clear that the base rate is going to increase; it’s just a matter of time. With that in mind, assess your finances to ensure that you can cope with any increase in mortgage repayments that arises as a result.