Mortgage Quest Ltd

13/01/2026

📉 What's Behind the BoE's Base Rate Drop to 3.75%?

Did you catch the news last month, amidst all the traditional December madness? The Bank of England officially cut its base rate of borrowing to 3.75%.

If you're a homeowner, that's exactly the start to 2026 you were hoping for:

✅ Tracker mortgages are getting cheaper.

✅ Fixed rates are falling below 4% again (for borrowers with good equity/deposit).

✅ The "inflation tiger" seems, for now, to be behaving itself.

💸💸💸💸💸

You could save hundreds of pounds a month by switching to/locking in a new deal now if:

✅ You're currently sat, paying through the nose, on your lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR), or

✅ Your fixed deal is coming to an end soon.

👉 Our latest blog post dives into how the cut in the could impact your wallet:
https://mortgagequest.co.uk/latest-mortgage-news/boe-base-rate-cut-december-2025/

How will the cut impact your mortgage rate?

23/12/2025

Freelancer Financials has done it…again!!! 🏆🏆🏆

We're absolutely thrilled to announce that Freelancer Financials (part of the Mortgage Quest family) has secured a hat-trick of wins at the 2025 Contracting Awards!

For the third consecutive year (and the fourth time overall!), our contractor-specialist arm has been named "Best Contractor Mortgage Provider or Broker".

This award isn't just another trophy to display. It stands testament to our amazing team and the innovative tools we’ve built to help contractors get better mortgage deals—like our new Rate Monitoring Service and dedicated comparison tool.

A huge thank you to everyone, including our hosts, category sponsors and judges, and to our loyal clients. You push us to get better year on year. We couldn't do it without you! ❤️

Read the full story of Freelancer Financials' night and path to success here:
https://mortgagequest.co.uk/latest-mortgage-news/freelancer-financials-contracting-awards-hat-trick/

They win Best Contractor Mortgage Broker for third time

12/12/2025

What the 2025 Budget really means for your mortgage 🏠

You might have seen the Autumn Budget headlines and, as a homeowner or landlord, thought "nothing much to see here." But hidden in the small print are some significant changes that could affect your home finances.

Here's what we're advising our clients:

💰 Your take-home pay matters more than ever:
Tax thresholds are frozen until 2031. That means as your salary increases, you'll pay more tax. This "fiscal drag" directly affects how much mortgage lenders think you can afford.

📈 Stamp Duty is effectively rising:
The thresholds aren't changing, but house prices are still going up. That means more homes are being pushed into higher Stamp Duty brackets, making it more expensive to move.

🏘️ Landlords: Important deadline ahead:
If you own rental properties in your personal name, you need to know about the new tax system coming in April 2027. Rental income tax is increasing from 20% to 22% (basic rate) and 40% to 42% (higher rate). You've got 18 months to review your options.

✨ But there's good news, too (if you act quickly enough!)!
Right now, lenders are competing hard for business and cutting rates to hit their year-end targets. If you've been thinking about moving home or remortgaging, this could be your best opportunity before the bigger tax changes hit in 2027-2028.

From our Pinner offices, we've been helping families across the UK navigate the mortgage market for over 20 years. If you're wondering how these Budget changes affect you specifically, we're here to help.

👉 Read our full analysis: https://mortgagequest.co.uk/latest-mortgage-news/post-autumn-budget-2025-impact-on-housing/

📞 Call our team: 0208 421 7998

Have questions? Drop them in the comments below! 👇

No scary headlines, but the small print? Ominous!

07/11/2024

Stamp Duty Changes: What First-Time Buyers and Second-Home Investors Need to Know

Recent changes to for second homes and investment properties could significantly impact your property purchase.

In the , Rachel Reeves wasted no time implementing the changes, either. They came in with almost immediate effect, raising all second home/investment property tiers by 2%.

Moreover, the Chancellor has added a further tier between the bottom two levels, which HMRC will implement in April 2025.

We include both tables in our new blog post, which you can access through the link at the end of this post.

Our blog post wouldn't be complete without adding the changes to residential Stamp Duty.

Again, we include the rates' tables that are applicable post-budget, and the new that will come into effect in April next year.

As with second home/ Stamp Duty, there's an additional tier due to come in in April to take into consideration.

You can see what those changes mean to you using the Stamp Duty included in this hot-off-the-press update:

What Budget 2024 rises mean for you and your taxes

07/11/2024

Budget 2024: A Mixed Bag for Homeowners

Rachel Reeves' first budget brought both bad and (limited) good news for homeowners. While there are some positive steps towards increasing housing supply, first-time buyers may face challenges due to higher Stamp Duty and limited affordable housing options.

The biggest missed opportunity for me was no extension of the freeze for first-time buyers.

Many people who want to buy their first home are currently in private rented property, struggling to save a deposit. Given that Stamp Duty for second homes and investment property has risen (with immediate effect), private tenants could well see rises from their landlords imminently.

These facts, coupled with a projected more cautious approach to interest rates by lenders, will make it more difficult for first-time buyers to save to buy a home of their own.

Yes, Labour committed to funds for building affordable homes. We can only hope that their definition of 'affordable' matches the scenario they created for those hoping to get onto the property ladder.

If you want to know more, call us to discuss how these changes may impact you.

For a deeper dive, I expand on the possible outcomes here:

Stamp Duty is only the first of more ways they'll pay

08/08/2024

Base Rate Cut: A Small Step in the Right Direction

While the Bank of England's decision to cut the Base Rate is positive, it's important we don't get carried away.

Considerable across-the-board cuts in mortgage rates aren't on the cards anytime soon.

That's because the BoE is wary of multiple factors that could affect consumer pricing (inflation), including:

• services inflation running much higher than headline inflation,
• wage growth (slowing, but not as quickly as expected), and
• the myriad potential global flashpoints that could see central banks worldwide change policies overnight.

So, what are the best options for you in this changing market if you're stuck on your lender's Standard Variable Rate (SVR) or your fixed deal is about to expire?

We have options!

Our rate monitor service can help you secure the best new deal.

Alternatively, many of our clients are taking out tracker mortgages as a stop-gap measure before taking out a new fixed deal.

If you're ready for an informal chat about your options, drop us a line or call our expert today!

In the meantime, check out our latest blog post: it expands on your mortgage repayment options, and underlines why waiting for a plunge in mortgage is such a bad idea:

Remortgage, tracker or suffer your lenders SVR? Our view:

27/06/2024

Calling all , , and ! 🏡 The 2024 General Election could shake up the UK . We've crunched the numbers on each party's housing pledges so you don't have to. From Labour's 'Freedom to Buy' to the Conservatives' stamp duty promises, find out what might be in store for your future home. Read the latest post on the Mortgage Quest Ltd blog to stay ahead of the game.

Are any of the parties offering real change?

02/05/2024

We can't overstate the importance of getting an Agreement (or Decision) in Principle.

It can assure you that you meet the basic tenets a lender requires from you to begin the proper.

It also shows a buyer that you're a serious prospect, which could be key if you're competing for the same home as other buyers.

Halifax does a great job here, underlining other specifics and advantages of taking time to arm yourself with an from the outset.

IMPORTANT:
An Agreement in Principle is NOT a . If you're further down the line and need a firm offer from a , talk to our specialists today.

If you’re looking to buy your first home, an
Agreement in Principle can give you an idea of how much you could borrow. http://spr.ly/6185buFbx

15/04/2024

It's always interesting to scrutinise the Budget after the policy changes announced therein have had time to take root.

In fairness, there was very little in last month's snoozefest for the housing and mortgage markets to monitor.

It was more about what wasn't announced for us, the Chancellor's missed open goal, that caused the biggest ripples in our offices and beyond.

Still, there's enough happened since to show us how fickle markets can be and derail even the most fastidious of plans.

I think everyone expected inflation to continue its steady plummet towards its target 2%. It didn't.

So, despite low unemployment and decreasing wage growth potentially encouraging the BoE to reduce its base rate of borrowing, until inflation creeps closer to the fabled 2%, it's unlikely we'll see genuine movement downwards.

Coupled with the totally ignored opportunity to reform Stamp Duty, a stubborn base rate means the best mortgage rates look likely to remain somewhere between 4.5%-5.0% for the foreseeable.

We were hoping for more. My full round-up here »
https://ow.ly/aeyl50Rgq69

Even my nan could have scored with Stamp Duty reform

04/04/2024

A Family Affair: From a One-Room Operation to a Burgeoning Multi-Brand Business

When John Yerou's firstborn entered the world, he decided to give up a globe-trotting career to spend more time in the UK with his new family.

First stop: after becoming CeMap-authorised, John took a role as an advisor with his brother's accountancy firm in London. But it didn't take long there for John to realise what a rough ride his brother's clients got beyond dealing with the taxman.

Recognising he could help professional contractors in other ways, John set up Mortgage Quest in 2004.

The early days were fraught, navigating initial resistance from lenders, the global financial crisis, dwindling contractor benefits, and, recently, the pandemic.

But, coming out stronger on the other side, Mortgage Quest is now better placed than ever to help not just self-employed workers, but all types of workers secure the best deals for their circumstances.

It's no coincidence that having a family bond cementing the company has helped ride the waves. John's wife, Sam, and sons George and Jason all play critical roles within the business.

And it's not just the Yerous with generational ties. This recent interview with Mortgage Solutions delves deeper into other familial pillars that support Mortgage Quest and its subsidiary brands:

» » » "There are husbands and wives who are mortgage brokers, a husband who’s a mortgage and his wife who’s an administrator. There is also a father and son, so it’s really like one big, huge family here."
~John Yerou

Follow the link below for the full, heartwarming story of how Mortgage Quest got to where it is today, plus its plans for an inclusive future:

Advice firm Mortgage Quest is like “one big, huge family” due to the number of staff who are related, its founder said.

26/03/2024

Unveiling the Mystery: Independent vs. Whole-of-Market Mortgage Brokers

Choosing the right mortgage can feel overwhelming. A broker is ideally positioned to help you remove the headache and get the best deal for you.

There are two main types of : independent and whole-of-market. But what's the difference?

Independent brokers (like us) consider mortgages from the widest possible spectrum of lenders.

This means we can find you the most competitive and products to suit your needs from any lender in the country.

If you value personalised service and a strong relationship with your broker, our team is on hand for your current mortgage requirement and beyond*.

Whole-of-market brokers work with a limited panel of lenders. They may not have access to the absolute best rates for your situation, only to those offered by said panel.

So, which is right for you?

This essential guide — What it means to be a truly independent mortgage broker — will help you understand the pros and cons of each type.

If you're looking to buy a home or , we can help you navigate the process to ensure you get the best possible deal for your unique situation. Connect to discuss your options!

(*Ask our brokers about our rate-tracking system, which means you'll never pay too much for your mortgage again!)

The full guide is here: https://mortgagequest.co.uk/guides/independent-vs-whole-of-market-mortgage-broker/

11/03/2024

News release - learn how London based Mortgage Quest Ltd keeps it in the family with through . https://mortgagequest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/News-release-for-immediate-distribution-Mortgage-Quest-keeps-it-in-the-family-by-growing-through-diversification.pdf