Question – I have a joint mortgage currently and we want to change it to being solely in my name or my partners what do we need to do?
Firstly you need to establish whether your existing mortgage is still within any tie in period and what penalty there is if so. Then you need to check with the lender whether they are happy for the mortgage to be in only one of your names, which will mainly come down to their assessment of whether it is affordable to you as a single applicant.
They will re-assess the affordability of the case as if it was a new mortgage. If they are happy that you can afford it alone then a new mortgage contract will be required and there will be costs involved with the legal process of making the transfer of equity. However if they are not happy you will not be able to make the change without finding a lender that does believe you can afford the mortgage in your sole name. As it’s a contract the only way to make the change if your existing lender is not satisfied is to change lender and this is where it becomes important to consider any early repayment charges and whether it is best to wait until these penalties cease.
As well as affordability the lender will usually re-assess you as a credit risk and possibly the property value. If however you are considering this because of an impending bankruptcy this will not actually prevent the property from being seized which is a common myth.
As usual if your need further information about this call 0845 4594490 to a speak to a mortgage advisor about your own circumstances.
