Types of Remortgages

Before we dive into types of remortgage loans, it's important to understand the basics of what a remortgage is. A remortgage is a type of transaction where the homeowner chooses to switch mortgage lenders, but they will stay in the same property as in the first mortgage. People opt to remortgage when they want to save on repayments or if they want an influx of surplus funds. Those who have gone through a new mortgage application may find that the application for remortgage is remarkably similar, yet slightly more simple and less time consuming.

Types of Remortgages

Remortgages generally fall into three categories: fixed rate, discounted rate, and variable rate. With a fixed rate, your payments will be set for a certain length of time. During this period, your payment rate will not fluctuate up or down, but it will stay at the same level. Once the predetermined fixed-rate period is over, the loan will then adopt a variable rate. A discounted rate remortgage is like a variable rate mortgage, but it differs in that the lender offers you a discount on your interest rate. Thus, your payments will be reduced for a certain length of time, but your payments are still influenced by the fluctuations in interest rates. A discounted rate remortgage becomes a variable rate remortgage once the discounted period is over.

A variable rate remortgage makes it fairly difficult to predict what your monthly payments will be since the interest rate fluctuations will determine the amount you have to pay each month.

Benefits of Each Type of Mortgage

A fixed rate remortgage is good because the fixed rate protects you from any upward fluctuations of the interest rate. However, do not expect to be benefited if the interest rate goes down. This type of remortgage is apt for thrifty borrowers who plan loan payments carefully. Such borrowers want the security from interest rate fluctuations that a fixed rate remortgage guarantees.

A discounted rate remortgage is advantageous for those who appreciate lower initial payments, and for those who want to pay lower interest rates when the interest rate decreases. Bear in mind that when you possess this type of remortgage, your payments go up as interest rates go up.

A variable rate remortgage generally benefits people who want their payments to go down when interest rates fluctuate downwards, but are willing to pay more when interest rates go up.