Porting Your Mortgage When Moving Home | Mortgage Advice

What does porting a mortgage mean?

Porting a mortgage means taking your existing mortgage deal with you when you move to a new property.

This will sound straightforward, especially if your current mortgage rate is lower than the rates available now. But porting usually involves a new mortgage application with your current lender.

Your lender will need to check:

• Your income
• Your affordability
• Your credit position
• Your deposit
• The new property
• How much you need to borrow
• Whether your current mortgage deal can be moved
• Whether you need any extra borrowing

This means porting is not guaranteed, even if your current mortgage product is described as portable.

A mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert can help you understand your position before you rely on porting as part of your moving plans.

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Porting your mortgage at a glance

Porting your mortgage means taking your existing mortgage deal with you when you move home.

It can be useful if your current rate is competitive or you want to avoid an early repayment charge. However, porting is not guaranteed. Your current lender will usually need to approve a new mortgage application and reassess your income, affordability, deposit, property and borrowing needs.

A mortgage broker can help you compare porting with taking a new mortgage, so you can understand which route may be more suitable before you offer on a property.

Key points to know:

• Porting usually involves a new application with your current lender
• Your lender will normally reassess your affordability
• You may need a separate rate if you borrow more
• Early repayment charge rules can affect the decision
• Porting is not always cheaper than switching lender
• Advice before you offer can help avoid delays later

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Why use a broker when porting your mortgage?

Porting your mortgage isn’t just about asking your current lender if you can keep your rate.

You need to understand whether porting is actually the suitable option for your move.

A mortgage broker can help you compare the bigger picture, including your current mortgage, any early repayment charges, your new borrowing needs, lender criteria and alternative options.

We can help you:

• Check whether your current mortgage is portable
• Understand whether your lender is likely to reassess your affordability
• Compare porting with taking a new mortgage
• Check whether early repayment charges will apply
• Understand what happens if you need to borrow more
• Review whether your current lender is still the right fit
• Compare the overall cost, not just the interest rate
• Avoid delays once your sale and purchase are underway
• Prepare the documents your lender will need
• Manage the mortgage process alongside your move

The aim is to help you make a clear decision before you’re too far into the moving process.

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When might porting your mortgage be useful?

Porting is worth exploring if you’re moving home and want to keep your existing mortgage deal. Porting can sometimes be an option, but it should not be assumed to be the only option without checking the details.

This is helpful if:

• Your current rate is lower than new rates available
• You’re still within a fixed rate period
• You want to avoid or reduce an early repayment charge
• You’re moving before your current deal ends
• You’re borrowing a similar amount
• Your current lender is still comfortable with your circumstances
• Your new property meets your lender’s criteria

The choice for you depends on your current mortgage, the property you’re buying, your income, your deposit, your lender’s criteria and the wider mortgage market.

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When might porting not be the best option?

Porting will not always be suitable or possible and there are other options you should consider as part of your planning. A mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert can help you work through these alternatives.

You will need to consider other options if:

• Your lender will not approve the new application
• Your income has changed since your original mortgage
• You need to borrow significantly more
• Your new property does not meet the lender’s criteria
• Your credit position has changed
• The additional borrowing rate is not competitive
• The overall cost is higher than switching lender
• Your current lender cannot work within your moving timescale
• You’re selling before you have found another property
• The early repayment charge rules make the move more complicated

This is where advice can be valuable. A mortgage broker like Your Mortgage Expert can help you compare whether porting, switching lender, paying an early repayment charge, or waiting until your current deal ends is more suitable.

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What happens if you need to borrow more?

Many people moving home need a larger mortgage than they currently have.

If you port your existing deal and need to borrow more, your lender will treat the extra borrowing separately. That extra borrowing will generally be on a different rate, with different terms and potentially a different end date. Lenders commonly explain that extra borrowing will need a new deal alongside the existing ported amount.

For example, you would in many cases have:

• One part of the mortgage on your existing ported rate
• Another part of the mortgage on a new rate for the extra borrowing
• Different product end dates
• Different early repayment charge periods
• Different monthly payments across each part

This can make the decision more complicated. We can help you understand how the numbers compare and whether the overall mortgage structure works for your plans.

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What about early repayment charges?

If you’re still within your current mortgage deal, leaving it early will trigger an early repayment charge.

Porting will help avoid or reduce this in some cases, but the rules depend on your lender, your mortgage offer and the timing of your sale and purchase.

You will need to think about:

• Whether your current deal has an early repayment charge
• How much the charge could be
• Whether the lender will allow the product to be ported
• Whether the sale and purchase need to complete within a certain timescale
• Whether any charge could be refunded if you complete on a new mortgage with the same lender
• Whether paying the charge and moving lender could still work out better overall

Early repayment charges can be expensive, so it’s important to understand the cost before making decisions.

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Porting your mortgage with complex income

Porting can become more complicated if your income has changed or is not straightforward.

This might apply if you’re:

• Self employed
• A company director
• A contractor
• Paid through CIS
• A freelancer
• Receiving variable income
• Recently promoted
• Recently changed job
• Working reduced hours
• Receiving bonuses, overtime or allowances

Even if you already have a mortgage with your lender, they will still reassess your income when you move home.

We can help you understand how your lender will view your income and whether another route is worth considering.

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Should you port or take a new mortgage?

Porting might look attractive if your current rate is low, but it’s important to compare the full picture.

You’ll need to consider things like your existing interest rate, the rate available for any extra borrowing, whether any early repayment charges apply, any fees such as valuation fees and arrangement fees and whether a new lender might suit your purchase.

A mortgage broker can help you compare the options clearly, so you’re not making the decision based on rate alone.

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Why get advice before you offer on a property?

If you’re planning to move home, it’s worth checking your mortgage position early.

This is especially important if you’re relying on porting your current mortgage or avoiding an early repayment charge.

Getting mortgage advice early can help you:

• Understand whether porting is possible
• Check what you can borrow
• Avoid offering on a property before the mortgage position is clear
• Understand any early repayment charge
• Compare your current lender with other options
• Prepare documents before you need them
• Reduce the risk of delays later
• Feel more confident about your budget and next step

Moving home is stressful enough without discovering halfway through that your mortgage plan does not work as expected.

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Why choose Your Mortgage Expert?

At Your Mortgage Expert, we help clients understand their moving home mortgage options clearly.

We can look at your current mortgage, your new property plans, your income, your deposit and your borrowing needs. We can then help you understand whether porting looks suitable or whether another option is better.

Clients choose us because we offer:

• Clear advice in plain English
• Help comparing porting with new mortgage options
• Support understanding early repayment charges
• Advice on affordability and lender criteria
• Guidance on documents and next steps
• Access to a wide range of mortgage options
• Support from enquiry through to completion
• Friendly advice by phone, video or face to face

We’re based in Salisbury and help clients locally and across the UK.

Thinking about moving home and keeping your current mortgage?

You don’t need to work out whether porting is right on your own.

If you’re moving home and want to understand whether you can keep your current mortgage deal, we can help you compare your options and make a clearer decision.

Speak to a mortgage adviser

Last updated: May 2026
Reviewed by: Your Mortgage Expert mortgage advice team
About this page: This page explains porting your mortgage when moving home, including lender reassessment, extra borrowing, early repayment charges and how mortgage advice can help.