Your finances now
Income, regular spending and existing debts may have changed. The lender assesses current affordability for the proposed loan, rather than relying on its earlier decision.
Moving home · keeping your mortgage deal
Porting a mortgage
You may be able to take your current mortgage deal to a new home, but the move still needs a new lending decision. Check the property, borrowing, charges and any change in your circumstances before you plan around the old rate.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
The short answer
What does porting a mortgage mean?
Porting means applying to keep an existing mortgage deal when you buy another home. Your old loan is repaid on sale and a new mortgage is secured on the home you buy. The lender must accept the new application and property; portability in an old offer is not a promise of approval.
This guide is for people moving their main home. If you are staying put and only changing your rate, use our product-transfer guide. If the decision is whether to change lender while keeping your current property, see our bad-credit remortgage guide where credit history is the concern.
Before you make an offer
What will the lender check?
A portable deal and an acceptable new mortgage are different questions.
The new property
The lender must accept the home and its valuation. Flag lease length, unusual construction, building issues or a change of use before paying for further work. Its valuation is not your survey.
The new arrangement
Borrowing more, changing the term or adding or removing a borrower may need additional checks and legal work. Tell your adviser what you intend to change at the outset.
The loan amount matters
What if you borrow more or less?
Borrowing more
Your current rate may cover only the amount that is ported. Extra borrowing can sit on another product with a different rate, fee and end date. Ask for the combined monthly payment and total cost, not just the headline rate on the old portion.
Check how much equity will be available after repaying the existing mortgage and paying sale and moving costs. The lender still needs to accept the larger loan and new property.
Borrowing less
An early repayment charge may apply to the amount of your old mortgage that you do not port. Ask the lender for a written calculation using the proposed sale and purchase figures. Any unused overpayment allowance may affect that calculation.
Even if the next home is cheaper, the property valuation and your remaining equity still matter. If sale proceeds might not repay the present loan, speak to the lender before committing to another purchase.
Changed since the old mortgage?
Income, credit and borrower changes
Tell your adviser about a new job, self-employment, reduced or irregular income, larger commitments or a change in household spending. Ask which evidence the lender wants now. If you have become self-employed, see our self-employed mortgage guidance; the records required vary by lender and case.
If a missed payment, default or another credit event has arisen, do not assume your existing lender will ignore it. Share the facts before making several applications. Our bad credit mortgage guide explains the wider assessment; remortgaging with bad credit is a different route for people staying in their home.
Compare like with like
Will porting save you money?
It may preserve a useful deal, but a lower monthly payment or familiar lender does not settle the full cost.
| Check | Porting the existing deal | Taking a new deal |
|---|---|---|
| Rates | Check the old rate and the rate on any extra borrowing, plus each end date. | Check the new rate, end date and what follows it. |
| Charges | Ask about any charge on unported borrowing, product fees and a sale–purchase gap. | Include any early repayment charge for leaving the current deal, plus new product fees. |
| Overall cost | Compare over the same period: repayments, fees and the balance left at the end. Allow for legal, survey, tax and moving costs in either route. | |
If you sell before you buy, an early repayment charge might be payable when the old loan is cleared. A later refund can depend on the lender’s deadline and conditions; get those in writing before relying on it. Nationwide and Halifax explain examples of their own policies. They are illustrations, not universal rules or confirmation that Count Ready can place a case with those lenders.
Google reviews
Live reviews
Read the original Google feedback before you enquire. Reviews describe individual experiences of advice; they cannot predict your lender’s decision.
See how clients describe the advice
Moving home can involve a rate decision, a property assessment and tight sale and purchase dates. You can read how clients describe Count Ready’s communication before deciding to speak with us.
We link to the live profile so you can read feedback in context, rather than relying on selected website quotes.
Prepare for a useful conversation
What should you have ready?
Your current deal
Have the lender, approximate balance, rate end date, mortgage offer and any early repayment charge information to hand.
Your moving figures
Estimate the sale price, next purchase budget, equity available after the sale and how much extra borrowing you may need.
What has changed
Note any new income pattern, debts, credit events, borrower changes or property concerns since the original loan.
Your timeline
Explain whether sale and purchase could complete together and whether a gap is likely. Ask the lender about its deadlines.
Your conveyancer coordinates the legal sale and purchase. Request a tailored document list before sharing sensitive records through an agreed secure process.
Count Ready can help you compare
Talk through the move before applying
Tell us where you are in the moving process and what you want to change. We can discuss the checks that still need to be made with your current lender and how to compare a suitable alternative. We cannot promise that a lender will allow porting or approve another mortgage.
There is no broker fee for our initial evaluation under our published Terms of Business. We explain applicable later fees and exceptions before chargeable work. Please do not send identity documents, bank statements or credit reports in the initial enquiry.
Common questions
Porting a mortgage FAQs
Does a portable mortgage mean my move will be approved?
No. Portability concerns the existing deal, not automatic approval for a new home loan. Your lender may reassess affordability, credit history, the proposed borrowing and the new property under its current rules.
Can I port my mortgage if my credit has worsened?
You can ask your lender, but its decision depends on the whole application and current policy. Explain the type, amount and timing of any credit issue before relying on a move. An existing mortgage does not guarantee acceptance for the new property.
What if I need to borrow more for the new home?
The extra amount may need a separate product at a different rate, subject to your lender’s assessment. Compare the payment, fees and end dates for all parts of the borrowing. The ported rate does not automatically apply to the increase.
Will I pay an early repayment charge if I borrow less?
Possibly. A charge may apply to the portion of the old mortgage that is repaid rather than ported. Ask your lender for a written calculation for your proposed amount and dates, including any relevant overpayment allowance.
What if I sell before I buy the next property?
Your current mortgage is normally repaid when you sell, and an early repayment charge may fall due. Some lenders consider a later refund if a qualifying new mortgage completes within their deadline, but this is lender-specific and not guaranteed. Confirm the terms before you sell.
Is porting cheaper than taking a new mortgage?
Not necessarily. Compare the total cost over the same period, including all rates, product fees, early repayment charges, monthly payments and the balance left at the end. A lower payment by itself does not establish a lower overall cost.
Can I change borrowers when I port?
Ask the lender before applying. Adding or removing a borrower may need fresh affordability and credit checks, consent and legal work. A private agreement does not remove someone from the mortgage debt.
Is porting the same as a product transfer?
No. Porting concerns a move to another property and a new mortgage application. A product transfer usually means changing the deal on the home you are keeping. The checks, costs and available choices can differ.
Guidance and first-party lender links checked 15 October 2026. This is general information, not a lender decision or personal mortgage advice.
Start with the figures and your moving date
We can help you frame the questions for your lender and compare the costs before you commit to the next home.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.