helpful reading
Guides
Plain-English mortgage and protection guides from our Yorkshire advisers — first-time buying, remortgaging, buy-to-let, self-employed and protecting your home.
Guides Life Insurance, Critical Illness or Income Protection?
Life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection each solve a different problem. A plain-English comparison to help you see whic…
Guides The 2026 Homeowner Check-Up. Four Things Worth Reviewing This Year
Four key areas every homeowner should review in 2026 — from mortgage deals and protection cover to home insurance and household resilience.
Guides Selling in Spring 2026? A Practical Checklist
Spring brings more buyers but also more competing listings. A practical checklist to get your home, your paperwork and your mortgage positio…
Guides Could Your Household Cope if Your Payslip Stopped?
If illness or injury stopped you working, even for a few months, what would happen to the mortgage? A mortgage reality check on sick pay, st…
Guides Mortgage Deal Ending This Year? What to Do Now
If your mortgage deal ends this year, acting early can widen your choice of lenders and help you avoid slipping onto your lender's Standard…
Guides The Home Insurance Detail Many Homeowners Miss
Home insurance is often treated as a simple renewal, but small policy details can leave you underinsured and facing an expensive shortfall.…
Guides Common Bank Statement Mistakes That Could Delay Your Mortgage
Lenders scrutinise your bank statements closely when you apply for a mortgage — here are the most common red flags to avoid and how to prepa…
Guides How to Choose the Right Investment Property in 2025
With rental demand strong and borrowing costs elevated, choosing the right buy-to-let property in 2025 requires a clear strategy — here's wh…
Guides Mortgage Product Transfer vs Remortgaging: Why Advice Can Make All the Difference
When your mortgage deal ends, staying with your lender isn't always the cheapest option — here's why professional advice can uncover better…
Guides Why Autumn is the Perfect Time to Review Your Income Protection
Autumn is a natural moment to check whether your financial safety nets still fit your life — especially income protection, which covers the…
Guides Why Reviewing Your Protection Cover Matters When Remortgaging
Remortgaging isn't just about chasing a lower rate — it's the ideal moment to check whether your life insurance, income protection, and home…
Guides Mortgage Deal Ending in 2026? What to Do Now
Around 1.6 million fixed-rate mortgage deals end in 2025–26. You can usually lock in a new rate up to six months early — here's how to plan…
Guides Young Homeowners Risk Losing Homes as Thousands Remain Unprotected
Thousands of young homeowners have no protection in place if illness or job loss strikes. Why 18–34s are most exposed, and the cover worth c…
Guides Simple Summer Projects That Could Add Thousands to Your Home’s Value
The summer home improvements that genuinely add value — practical, budget-friendly projects UK homeowners can tackle, and the jobs buyers ac…
Guides Does Sick Leave Affect Your Mortgage Application?
Sick leave can affect a mortgage application: lenders assess your current income in affordability checks, and SSP of £123.25 a week rarely c…
Guides Home Insurance and Emergency Cover: Are You Protected for Summer Risks?
Summer brings specific home insurance risks many homeowners overlook — this guide covers what to check on your buildings, contents, and emer…
Guides How First-Time Buyers Can Get a Mortgage – A Guide to Government Schemes and Support
From 95% mortgages and the Lifetime ISA to Shared Ownership and family guarantor schemes, this guide covers the main routes onto the propert…
Guides The Government's Help to Build Scheme: Making Custom and Self-Build Homes More Accessible
The government's Help to Build equity loan scheme, combined with specialist self-build mortgages, is making it genuinely possible for more p…
Guides Buy-to-Let Mortgages Explained: A Guide for UK Landlords
How buy-to-let mortgages work in the UK — rental cover (ICR), interest-only vs repayment, deposits, limited company questions and the costs…
Guides Self-Employed Mortgage Guide: What UK Lenders Look For
Can you get a mortgage when you're self-employed? Yes. How lenders assess sole traders, company directors and contractors — and the paperwor…
Guides Stamp Duty Uncovered: How Much Will You Really Pay?
How stamp duty works in England and Northern Ireland: current rates, first-time buyer relief, the second-home surcharge and worked examples…
Guides Is a remortgage right for you?
Is a remortgage right for you? The benefits, the considerations and the alternatives — including when a product transfer might suit you bett…
Guides What Is Home Insurance? Buildings and Contents Explained
What home insurance is, how buildings and contents cover differ, why most lenders require buildings cover, and how to avoid underinsuring yo…
Guides Mortgage Jargon Buster
Whether you’re a first-time buyer, or looking to refinance your existing home, understanding this jargon is crucial to making informed decis…
Guides Understanding Credit Reports and Scores: A Comprehensive Guide
A good credit score opens doors to better mortgage deals. Our plain-English guide to credit reports: what lenders see, and how to improve yo…
Guides What is a Mortgage Capacity Report and why would I need one?
A Mortgage Capacity Report provides you with a bespoke report, outlining how much you could borrow under a mortgage, following divorce/separ…
Guides Mortgage Advice: Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction When it comes to purchasing a property, securing a mortgage is often the most important financial decision you will make.
Guides First-Time Buyer Guide: How to Get Your First Mortgage
The complete first-time buyer guide: deposits, how much you can borrow, mortgage types, government schemes and the application journey — exp…