State of Remortgaging UK 2026

Quick Answer: Key Findings

Methodology

• Source: answers submitted to the RemortgageSaver.com online enquiry form between 6 July and 9 October 2026 (10,000 submissions).
• De-duplication: repeat submissions from the same household were removed, keeping the most recent, leaving 9,767 unique households (9,456 homeowners). Matching was done on a one-way hash during processing; no personal details were stored in, or published from, the analysis.
• Self-reported: property values, mortgage balances and credit ratings are as given by respondents (values and balances were entered on sliders and are rounded). We use medians rather than averages to limit the effect of outliers.
• Not a population sample: respondents are homeowners who chose to enquire about remortgaging — most after seeing our online advertising — so findings describe people actively looking to remortgage, not every UK mortgage holder. Results are not weighted.
• Conditional questions: the debt-consolidation question was shown only to people who reported other debts (6,457 homeowners), and the adverse-credit question only to people who described their credit as fair, poor or unsure (1,260 homeowners). Percentages for those questions use those bases.
• Region is estimated from the postcode area. Every region reported has more than 300 responses.
• Not reported: income and total debt amounts, because slider defaults made those figures unreliable.
• Modelled figures use a standard repayment calculation and indicative August 2026 rates; assumptions are shown alongside.

When Homeowners Need to Act

The clearest signal in the data is urgency. Six in ten homeowners enquiring are looking to remortgage within the next six months — the window in which most lenders let you lock in a new rate before your current deal ends.

Timeline	Homeowners	Share
Within 6 months	5,624	59.5%
6–12 months	1,859	19.7%
More than 12 months	1,195	12.6%
Unsure	778	8.2%

Base: 9,456 homeowners. Starting three to six months ahead gives you time to compare deals and secure an offer, so your new rate starts the day your old one ends.

Why Homeowners Are Remortgaging

Main reason	Homeowners	Share
Fixed rate ending	5,095	53.9%
To save money	3,031	32.1%
To borrow more	582	6.2%
To consolidate debt	466	4.9%
Other	282	3.0%

Base: 9,456 homeowners. More than half are being pushed by a deal coming to an end; a further third are proactively looking to cut what they pay. See how to move off your lender's standard variable rate.

How Much Equity Homeowners Have

Most homeowners enquiring are in a strong position. The median loan-to-value is 50%, and two-thirds (65.6%) have at least 40% equity — enough to qualify for the lowest-rate bands, which typically start at 60% LTV.

Loan-to-value	Share of homeowners
Up to 40%	33.4%
40–60%	32.2%
60–75%	19.7%
75–85%	9.2%
85–90%	2.9%
Over 90%	2.5%

Base: 9,429 homeowners who gave both a property value and a balance. Typical figures: property value £340,000, outstanding mortgage £170,000. If your home has risen in value, you may have moved into a cheaper band without realising — see rates at 60% LTV.

Debt Consolidation: 45% Want to Roll Debts In

Among homeowners who reported other debts, 45% (2,877 of 6,457) said they would like to consolidate them into their mortgage — about 3 in 10 of all homeowners enquiring.

Consolidating can cut monthly payments, because mortgage rates are usually far lower than credit cards or personal loans. But spreading short-term debt over a long mortgage term can mean paying more interest overall, and the debt becomes secured on your home. Overpaying the consolidated amount helps avoid that. See our debt consolidation guide.

The Cost of Missing Your Deadline (Modelled)

If a fixed deal ends without a new one in place, most borrowers move onto their lender's standard variable rate (SVR). Using the typical balance in our data:

£170,000 over 20 years	Monthly payment
Competitive 5-year fix at 3.8%	£1,012
Standard variable rate at 7.0%	£1,318
Difference	£306 a month (£3,668 a year)

Modelled illustration, not a quote. Assumes a capital-repayment mortgage, the median balance in our data (£170,000), a 20-year remaining term and indicative August 2026 rates. Your figures will depend on your balance, term, lender and circumstances.

Credit Profile

Self-described credit	Share
Excellent	58.3%
Good	28.3%
Unsure	6.1%
Fair	4.9%
Poor	2.3%

Base: 9,456 homeowners. Of the 1,260 who described their credit as fair, poor or unsure, a quarter (25.2%) reported adverse credit — around 3% of all homeowners enquiring. Adverse credit narrows your options but rarely rules remortgaging out; see remortgaging with bad credit.

Regional Picture

Homeowners in every nation and region show the same urgency, but the size of their mortgages — and how much of their income could be freed up by switching — varies widely.

Medians. *Of homeowners in that region who reported other debts. Region estimated from postcode area.

• Wales has the highest share looking to remortgage within six months (65%) and, with Yorkshire & Humber, the highest appetite for consolidating other debts (48%).
• London homeowners carry the largest typical mortgage (£290,000 — more than double Wales, Scotland's £130,000 and Northern Ireland's £110,000) but are the least likely to want to consolidate debts (39%).
• Northern Ireland homeowners hold the most equity, with a median loan-to-value of 45%, followed by the North West (48%).

What This Means for Homeowners

• Start early. Most lenders let you secure a new rate up to six months before your deal ends. If you're inside that window, compare now.
• Check your equity. Two-thirds of homeowners in our data already qualify for the cheapest LTV bands. A higher valuation or a paid-down balance can move you into a cheaper band.
• Don't drift onto the SVR. On a typical balance it can cost around £300 a month more than a competitive fix.
• Think carefully before consolidating debt. It can ease monthly pressure, but compare the total cost over the term.

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Using This Data

Journalists, researchers and publishers are welcome to use the figures in this report. Please credit RemortgageSaver.com and link to this page as the source. For regional breakdowns, additional cuts of the data or comment, please get in touch.