Resources

What Is Remortgaging?

Remortgaging means replacing your existing mortgage with a new one, either with your current lender or a different one. Most people do this when their current deal is ending, to avoid rolling onto a higher standard variable rate, though many also remortgage to release equity, consolidate borrowing, or switch to better terms. Behind the scenes, remortgaging is still a genuine legal process: your existing mortgage needs to be redeemed, a new legal charge registered against your property, and any lender requirements properly dealt with, which is where a specialist conveyancing solicitor comes in.

We are automating: Our systems just got 50% faster, so you can move through your remortgage without unnecessary delays.

Our dedicated remortgage team provides expert guidance through every step of the process, ensuring a smooth experience

We keep customers connected: Customers can be in control of their case through our portal, app and Alexa - 7 days a week

We provide quotes 7 days a-week: Customers can get a quote any day of the week.

PLS 24/7 Portal speeds up the process for customers: Customers can track every stage of their remortgage from application to completion.

We are on every lender panel: This gives customers the advantage of securing their mortgage with any lender they choose

Why should I Remortgage?

There are four key reasons to remortgage your property:

If you are paying a high interest rate - Switching to a fixed or tracker interest rate on your mortgage could lower your monthly payments and help you pay off your mortgage sooner.

You want to pay off your mortgage early - By switching to a mortgage that lets you make over-payments you can pay off your debt earlier than your original term.

Your current mortgage deal ends soon - If your deal ends soon then you can move to the lender’s standard variable rate. This rate is often higher and so this is a good opportunity to look for better deals.

Your property has increased in value - Remortgaging can allow you to borrow for home improvements, further increasing your property’s value. A lower loan to value ratio might mean you meet the criteria for a wider range of interest rates.

How does the Remortgage process work?

Considering your financial situation as a whole is vital in the remortgage process as well as understanding what happens when you remortgage. There are four key steps:

Complete an Agreement in Principle - Most lenders will let you get an online Agreement in Principle in order to see if a lender is willing to lend you what you need. This will help you understand your options without choosing a specific deal.

Considering the costs - It is important to make sure that a remortgage will leave you in a better position. Therefore, it is essential to consider costs such as application fees and valuation fees in the process.

Applying for a new mortgage - Once you have your Agreement in Principle, you can now apply for a new mortgage. You will be asked for various personal and financial information in addition to the details of your current mortgage.

Completing your remortgage - Your new lender will carry out a credit check and arrange to have your property valued. PLS can help you with the transfer of your mortgage and complete the process.

Testimonials

Customer feedback

See What Our Customers Are Saying

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DIANE

Catherine and the whole team have been a fantastic help for us with our recent sale and purchase. They made the whole thing seem effortless on our part. Catherine handled everything really quickly and professionally and made everything alot less stressful for us. We were kept up to date every step of the way and everything explained clearly. Would definitely recommend using PLS again if we were ever to need them. Thank you for helping our move be possible and effortless.

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Jag Patel

Jacob Wolstencroft and his team helped us immensely during our part exchange on both the selling and buying side of conveyancing. They were very fast and efficient on getting the transaction completed within 35days. We could not recommend PLS highly enough.

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Chris

Excellent service from start to finish on both my house sale and purchase of a new build. Lucy Hubbard was great throughout, answering my questions promptly and keeping both myself and the developer regularly updated on progress. Would use again without hesitation.

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Katie

We used this lovely company to help us on our home buying journey. They were very helpful and answered any queries that we had. They made the process very easy and stress free. 100% recommend them!

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Annamaria Skaba

Caroline handled our first house buying process for us. Pls and Caroline was amazing, proactive and responsive from day one. They have completely removed the stress from our purchase, kept us updated very often, we always knew where we stand. 38days from first viewing to completion.😁 I would like to thank Caroline and PLS also for the hard work, and to make this so easy for us.Will definitely use PLS again in the future if needed.

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Anna

My original house purchase fell through and PLS could not have been more understanding, professional and responsive from start to finish. My solicitor, Shah, was great. He was always available to answer my calls and emails and he progressed my completed purchase with no delays from our side. Very happy with the service, thank you so much.

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Lorraine

Rubina and her team made everything easy for me as a first time buyer. They answered any questions I had and were really friendly. Couldn't ask for a better experience!

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Michael Finch

Excellent service from PLS Solicitors Emma and her team were absolutely amazing throughout the whole process. You hear lots of horror stories when it comes to buying a house and dealing with solicitors, but my experience with PLS Solicitors was the complete opposite. Everything was straightforward, smooth and stress-free, with nothing but professionalism from Emma and the team. Emma kept me regularly updated throughout and was always incredibly responsive whenever I had a question — and I had a lot of questions! 😂 I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The whole process was handled brilliantly from start to finish, and I always felt that I was kept informed and supported. I would 100% recommend PLS Solicitors, Emma and her team to anyone looking to purchase a property. Thank you for making what can be a stressful process such a positive experience! 🏡🔑

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sugathan K Ramankunji

They are excellent , very helpful and supportive .Thank you PLS team.

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Olanle Olasoji

Nick really did a good job. He was meticulous, took his time to make sure everything went well and he put us through every step. He was very supportive, made every part of the process smooth and finished the entire process quite timely. I cannot recommed PLS Solicitors, especially Nick team enough.

A Guide to our residential conveyancing costs

It is not possible to give precise costs1 figures without first understanding your specific transaction and your exact requirements. This costs guide is only an indication of the likely approximate cost of a transaction. For a costs estimate specific to your transaction, please contact us. This costs guide is intended to give you an approximate idea of the overall legal costs and is based on the average amount of work involved in a basic house remortgage. We start with a base fee for a basic house remortgage (around £150) and add fees for specific elements, such as leasehold status, ID verification, or banking charges, which are included in the £150- £900 range. If unforeseen complexities arise (e.g., title defects), the fee may be revised.

Typical Sale Costs1:Typical Remortgage Fees:

Legal Fees2 (Inclusive of VAT at 20%)

Additional fees are included in the above range and are applied where applicable. Some typical examples of these are as follows (inclusive of VAT):

Leasehold purchase fee:

Banking and bank charges fee:

Lawyer Checker fee:

ID verification administration fee:

OS1 search fee

Office copies fee:

Bankruptcy search fee:

Fee for provision of general searches, which includes local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches

Search Indemnity fee – this is for a no search indemnity policy (Inclusive of VAT at 20%)

We carry out searches on a re-mortgage only if it is a requirement of the lender (below are an indicative costs if searches are required).

£150 – £900

£30.00 – £50.00

Search Fees (Inclusive of VAT at 20%) (these are not included in the legal fees mentioned above)

Dependant on the property type & location typical examples of these can be:

Mining Search:

Brine Search:

Chancel Search:

£50.00-£70.00 (per search)

Other Disbursements3 (no VAT)*

Land Registry Fee: (Dependant on the value of the property)

1 Costs means fees and disbursements, taken together
2 Fees means our charges for the work we do for you (including any VAT element)
3 Disbursements means any costs or expenses paid or to be paid to a third party on your behalf

£20.00 – £140.00

£20.00 – £140.00

Typical Sale Costs1:Typical Remortgage Fees:

Legal Fees2(Inclusive of VAT at 20%):
£450 – £1900

Additional fees are included in the above range and are applied where applicable. Some typical examples of these are as follows (inclusive of VAT).:

Leasehold purchase fee:
Banking and bank charges fee:
Lawyer Checker fee:
ID verification administration fee:
OS1 search fee:
Office copies fee:
Bankruptcy search fee:
Fee for provision of general searches, which includes local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches:
Search Indemnity fee – this is for a no search indemnity policy (Inclusive of VAT at 20%)
£30.00 – £50.00

We carry out searches on a re-mortgage only if it is a requirement of the lender (below are an indicative costs if searches are required).

Search Fees (Inclusive of VAT at 20%) (these are not included in the legal fees mentioned above)
£50.00-£70.00 (per search)
Dependant on the property type & location typical examples of these can be:
Mining Search:
Brine Search:
Chancel Search:
Other Disbursements3 (no VAT)*
£20.00 – £140.00
Land Registry Fee: (Dependant on the value of the property)
£20.00 – £140.00

1 Costs means fees and disbursements, taken together
2 Fees means our charges for the work we do for you (including any VAT element)
3 Disbursements means any costs or expenses paid or to be paid to a third party on your behalf

Please contact us for a Free Quote.

A detailed quote will always be provided to you at the beginning of the case.
Our costs quotes for the work to be carried out are made on the following assumptions. If any of the assumptions are incorrect, we mayneed to revise our quotation:

That the property is registered land.

That you are obtaining a mortgage from a high street lender and that lender does not require separate legal representation.

That no third parties’ consents are needed to the transaction.

That in the case of leasehold land that there is no freeholder’s or superior lessor’s consent required as a pre-condition of there mortgage.

That no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction

That the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise

That all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providingdocumentation

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore our FAQs for Remortgage!

How long does a remortgage typically take?

Remortgages are usually quicker than a purchase or sale, often completing within 4-6 weeks, though this depends on your lender and how quickly documentation is returned.

Your new lender will usually arrange their own valuation of the property. This is separate from the legal work we carry out on your behalf.

A legal charge is the formal record of your lender’s interest in the property, registered at the Land Registry. When you remortgage, your old charge is removed and the new lender’s charge is registered in its place.

No, Stamp Duty Land Tax doesn’t apply to a straightforward remortgage with no change in ownership.

Need more Information?

For more information, please contact our Advisory Team.