Knight Frank Finance

14/04/2026

Thinking about buying a new‑build home?

Join Knight Frank Finance and Berkeley for a live webinar where we will share a mortgage market update, explain international mortgage options, and guide you through the home‑buying finance process.

With a spotlight on Oval Village, our team will also highlight the benefits of using a mortgage broker and how expert advice can make a real difference.

👉 Register now to secure your place.

27/03/2026

How are global events affecting the mortgage market?

With lenders adjusting rates frequently, it’s more important than ever to understand your options and seek the right advice before making a move.

👉 Find out how today’s mortgage volatility could affect your buying plans. https://bit.ly/40XvcFc

19/03/2026

The Bank of England has kept the base rate at 3.75%, but mortgage rates are still on the rise.

With markets now expecting rates to stay higher for longer, the opportunity to secure lower fixed deals is starting to narrow.

Our latest update explains what’s driving these changes, what it means for homeowners and buyers, and why acting sooner could make a difference in the months ahead.

👉 Read the full update here: https://bit.ly/479Hlu8

If you’re thinking about buying or reviewing your mortgage, our team is here to help you navigate the market.

12/02/2026

The Family Building Society has launched an enhanced 100% LTV Family Mortgage, designed to support first-time buyers and home movers who can lean on family assistance. The product offers a 5-year fixed rate of 5.19%, no application or product fees, and borrowing of up to 5.33× income. Crucially, buyers can proceed without a deposit so long as family members provide 20% security via savings or a collateral charge.

As always, expert advice is essential when considering low or zero deposit mortgages, as there are numerous ways to approach this. At Knight Frank Finance, our team add real value in navigating family-assisted borrowing and multi‑generational finance solutions. If you or your clients are considering options like this, we can help ensure the structure is sound, the risks are understood, and the outcome supports long‑term financial wellbeing.

https://theintermediary.co.uk/2026/02/family-building-society-launches-100-ltv-mortgage/


Knight Frank

Family Building Society has launched an enhanced version of its Family Mortgage, now available up to 100% loan-to-value (LTV).

11/02/2026

What has Later Life Lending got to do with First-Time Buyers?

This month sees the launch of a 98% LTV mortgage from a major high street lender. No doubt others will follow soon.

These products will help aspiring first-time buyers make that first step onto the property ladder. The latest launch has a 5-year fixed rate of 5.19% and requires just £10,000 as a minimum deposit.

BUT

Is there another way?
Lending to homeowners in Later Life is increasing, with UK finance reporting a 24.7% increase in lending to the over 55’s in Q3 2025*. One key driver behind this growth is that the older generation are seeing the benefit of gifting to children and/or grandchildren earlier, to help them with things like house purchases, rather than waiting until they pass away. There is a growing recognition that by gifting earlier, they can help the next generation now, when they need it most.

Below is a direct comparison between 2 options available for a typical first-time buyer. One using the newly launched product, the other taking help from grandparents which ultimately gives a significant saving.

The Scenario
Tom is 32 and purchasing his first home for £400,000. He has been renting in London and has only been able to save £20,000. He can afford to make monthly payments of £2,000 per month. Stamp duty is £5,000. Survey fees, legal costs and so on will add at least £2,000 to this and he'd like to hold on to some savings to buy new furniture.

Option 1 - The 98% Mortgage
The minimum deposit is £10,000, so Tom has decided to borrow the maximum £390,000 available. The interest rate is 5.19% fixed for 5 years.

To make this affordable, Tom needs to make the mortgage term 35 years.

Monthly cost = £2,016, which will be a stretch for Tom, but he's confident he can manage.

Option 2 - With a little help from grandparents
Tom’s grandparents raise an interest-only retirement mortgage for £90,000 at 4.74%** and gift it to Tom. Their monthly payments are £355.50.

Tom can now take a 75% mortgage of £300,000. The interest rate he can obtain is now 3.91%, also fixed for 5 years.

Monthly cost = £1,491 if he keeps a 35yr term.

Tom could use the surplus in his budget to make the interest payments on his grandparents mortgage and still have £153.50 left over each month.

The ‘blended’ rate across both loans is 4.10%. That’s 1.09% cheaper than Option 1.

Conclusion
It's very 'British' not to discuss our finances with family, but an open and honest conversation with parents and grandparents could result in a much cheaper alternative for first-time buyers.

There are, of course, implications for both Tom and his grandparents beyond just the interest rates and cost of borrowing. Here at Knight Frank Finance we can research all the options and provide the expert advice to guide both.

Knight Frank


*https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/data-and-research/data/mortgages/later-life-lending

**Example lifetime discounted RIO mortgage rate available on 06/02/26.

09/02/2026

Purchasing prime European property is becoming increasingly competitive, and buyers need to be well prepared. John Busby, Head of Sales at Traverse International Finance, explains the value in being 'bank-ready' for your purchase, so you beat the competition.

https://www.traverseinternationalfinance.com/european-property-market-finance-news-and-commentary/feb-26-european-mortgage-market-update/



Knight Frank

February 26 European Mortgage market update from Traverse International Finance with rates and commentary

05/02/2026

Today, The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 3.75%. The Bank holding rates was widely expected, but the fact that four of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut is a positive sign.

Mortgage pricing has moved and slightly increased over the last 2 weeks. The best two-year fixed rates now sit at around 3.5%.

Our advice? Secure a rate early where possible and keep your options open. Click here to read more: https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/perspectives/article/2026/2/bank-of-england-holds-rates-while-signalling-more-easing-is-likely

05/02/2026

Mr. and Mrs. H recently purchased a brand new retirement home from Pegasus Homes for £700,000, needing to borrow £150,000. Both clients are in their mid-70s and have a healthy retirement income.

Most standard, RIO, Lifetime, and retirement mortgage lenders typically do not lend on age-restricted properties, particularly those newly built. However, Bath Building Society deserves recognition for their careful scrutiny of both the property and the clients' income, as they agreed to lend. Their retirement mortgage product offers a competitive discounted rate, provided the borrower has Power of Attorney in place, and there are no early repayment charges.

This outcome is a win for our clients and highlights the strong product offering from Bath Building Society.


Knight Frank

Photo by Gariev on Unsplash

03/02/2026

"52% of UK adults said they found saving money for a deposit to be the biggest barrier to buying a property."

An interesting statistic, but have that 52% spoken to grandparents or parents about how they can help? Yes a 98% mortgage might be the right solution, but it may not be the only solution. Speak to an expert here at Knight Frank Finance and make sure you have taken advice before deciding the right course of action. Sometimes a little help from family can result in huge savings.

For example, the Santander 98% mortgage is fixed at 5.19% for 5 years. If your parents/grand-parents were to borrow enough to gift you a 20% deposit you could get a 5 year fixed rate at 4.04% or better (subject to underwriting and criteria). That's a big difference!

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/santander-launches-98-ltv-my-first-mortgage.html


Knight Frank

52% of UK adults said they found saving money for a deposit to be the biggest barrier to buying a property.

30/01/2026

, Simon Gammon, our Managing Partner, has commented that there are signs of buyers increasing in January, but "Activity in the housing market remained tepid between the Budget and Christmas, even though the measures announced were predominantly positive"

Friday's BoE data showed that consumer borrowing in December was unchanged at 8.2% year-on-year. Lending was up 1.542 billion pounds ($2.12 billion) in the month.

Read the full article below.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/bank-england-mortgage-approvals-fall-lowest-since-june-2024-2026-01-30/


Knight Frank

British lenders approved the fewest mortgages for house purchase in 18 months in December, according to unexpectedly weak figures from the Bank of England on Friday that cast doubt on expectations of an early recovery in the housing market in 2026.

26/01/2026

Why High‑Net‑Worth Clients Need a Different Kind of Mortgage Advice. Read our latest article here (5 minute read).

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-highnetworth-clients-need-different-kind-mortgage-wwlqe/

High‑net‑worth (HNW) borrowers rarely fit neatly into standard lending frameworks. Traditional mortgage criteria are typically designed around predictable, salaried income, straightforward assets, and conventional property requirements — a world far removed from the financial lives of sophisti...