Home Mover Mortgages: Your Guide to Moving Home

Moving home is exciting — and a little daunting. You’ve found a place you love, but now there’s the small matter of the mortgage. Do you take your current deal with you? Start fresh? Borrow a bit more? If you already own a property and you’re buying your next one, the mortgage you sort out is known as a home mover mortgage.

Here’s the short version. A home mover mortgage is simply the mortgage you arrange when you sell one home and buy another. You’re not a first-time buyer this time round, so you already have equity, an existing deal, and a few more decisions to weigh up. The upside? You usually have more options than you’d expect.

This guide walks you through how it all works — the three routes open to you, what moving actually costs in 2026, and how to keep the whole thing on track.

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What Is a Home Mover Mortgage?

A home mover mortgage isn’t a separate product like buy-to-let or bridging finance. It’s a standard residential mortgage — just one you arrange when you already own a home and you’re moving to a new one.

So what’s different from your first purchase? Two things, mainly. First, you’ll tell the lender about your existing mortgage, and they’ll factor those payments into their affordability checks. Second, you’ve probably built up equity, which gives you more room to manoeuvre. Beyond that, the process feels familiar — payslips, bank statements, a credit check, and a property valuation.

Your Three Options When You Move

When you move, you’ve broadly got three routes. The right one comes down to your current deal, your circumstances, and the price of the home you’re buying.

1. Port your existing mortgage

Porting means taking your current rate and product across to your new home. You’re not literally carrying the loan from one house to another — you repay it when your old place sells, and your lender sets up a new mortgage on the new property using the same deal.

One thing trips people up: porting still means reapplying. Your lender reassesses your income, your outgoings and the new property before saying yes. Most lenders give you a window — often up to six months — between redeeming the old mortgage and completing on the new one. Porting suits you well if you’re locked into a competitive fixed rate or want to sidestep early repayment charges.

2. Take out a new mortgage

If your current deal is ending, or you can do better elsewhere, a fresh mortgage might be the smarter move — either with your existing lender or a new one. This often works in your favour if your finances have improved since you last borrowed: a bigger income, a cleaner credit file, or more equity behind you.

3. Borrow more (topping up)

Trading up to a pricier home? You’ll usually need to borrow more. In that case, many lenders let you port your existing rate on the original balance and add a second part to cover the extra — at a different rate. You end up with two parts on a single mortgage, each on its own deal.

Worth knowing: porting is never guaranteed. Because you reapply, you might not qualify even if you sailed through first time — for example if your income has dropped, you’ve recently changed jobs, or the lender has tightened its criteria. That’s exactly the kind of thing a broker checks before you commit to a property.

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How much deposit do you need to move home?

As a mover, your deposit usually comes from equity rather than savings. Equity is the difference between what your home is worth and what you still owe on it. When you sell, the proceeds clear your old mortgage, and whatever’s left becomes the deposit for your next place.

The more equity you have, the lower your loan-to-value (LTV) — and a lower LTV tends to unlock better rates and stronger lending terms. Plenty of movers end up putting down far more than the 5–10% minimum a first-time buyer might scrape together, simply because their old home has grown in value.

The exception is negative equity — when you owe more than your home is worth. Moving in that position is difficult, since there’s no equity to carry forward. It isn’t always impossible (a work relocation can sometimes change the picture), but you’d want tailored advice before going any further.

What does it cost to move home in 2026?

Moving comes with more than just the deposit. Here are the costs to budget for:

• Your deposit — usually drawn from equity
• Stamp Duty Land Tax — see the bands below
• Valuation and survey fees — to check the property’s worth and condition
• Legal and conveyancing fees — for both the sale and the purchase
• Early repayment charges (ERCs) — if you leave a fixed deal early or reduce your balance
• Mortgage product or exit fees — vary by lender
• Removals — easy to forget, but they add up

Stamp duty for home movers

If you’re buying in England or Northern Ireland, you’ll pay Stamp Duty Land Tax on the portion of the price above £125,000. The thresholds changed on 1 April 2025, when the temporary higher bands ended, so the zero-rate band dropped from £250,000 back to £125,000. These are the standard rates for a main residence, according to GOV.UK:

Portion of property price	SDLT rate
Up to £125,000	0%
£125,001 to £250,000	2%
£250,001 to £925,000	5%
£925,001 to £1.5 million	10%
Above £1.5 million	12%

A couple of quick examples for a home mover. On a £300,000 home you’d pay £5,000. On a £400,000 home you’d pay £10,000 — nothing on the first £125,000, 2% on the next slice, then 5% on the rest. You normally have 14 days from completion to file and pay.

Two things to flag. Scotland and Wales work differently — Scotland uses Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, Wales uses Land Transaction Tax — so check the rules for where you’re buying. And rates move with the wider market: the Bank of England held its base rate at 3.75% in June 2026, which feeds into how lenders price their deals. The rate you’re actually offered, though, depends on your own circumstances.

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How the moving process works

Here’s the part that catches people out: when you move, you’re juggling three things at once — selling your home, buying the next one, and arranging the finance. Lenders pay close attention to timing, because the riskiest stretch is the gap between selling and buying.

Broken down, the journey usually looks like this:

1. Check your current deal. Is it portable? Are there early repayment charges? Your original mortgage offer letter will tell you.
2. Get an Agreement in Principle. This shows what you could borrow and makes your offer look stronger.
3. Speak to a broker. They’ll compare porting against a new deal and run the affordability maths for you.
4. Make or accept an offer. Once your sale and purchase line up, things start to move.
5. Submit the full application. The lender arranges a valuation of your new home.
6. Conveyancing and searches. Your solicitor handles the legal side for both properties.
7. Exchange and complete. Contracts become binding, then the keys are yours.

As a rough guide, a mortgage application takes around 4–6 weeks to go through. The full move often takes longer, especially if there’s a chain of buyers and sellers all relying on each other.

Common situations movers face

No two moves are identical. A few scenarios come up again and again:

• Downsizing. You can port your deal but shrink the balance. Just be aware you might pay an ERC on the portion you’re no longer carrying over.
• Buying before you’ve sold. If your chain breaks or you spot a place before your own sells, short-term bridging finance can fill the gap until your sale completes.
• Keeping your old home to rent out. Often called “let to buy,” this means remortgaging your current property onto a buy-to-let deal and taking a new mover mortgage on the home you’re moving into.
• Being self-employed. The process is the same, but lenders typically ask to see one to three years of accounts or SA302s to confirm your income.
• Having recently changed jobs. A new role can affect affordability and your chances of porting, so it’s worth a conversation before you apply.

How UK Mortgage Finder can help

Moving home throws a lot at you at once. The good news is you don’t have to work out the mortgage side alone.

UK Mortgage Finder is a free service that connects you with FCA-regulated, whole-of-market mortgage brokers. That means an adviser can compare porting against a brand-new deal across a wide range of lenders, handle the affordability calculations, and guide your application from start to finish — all with no obligation.

You can find out where you stand in a couple of clicks, with no hidden credit checks. If moving is on the horizon, getting the right advice early can save you both money and stress.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I take my mortgage with me when I move?
Often, yes — if your deal is portable. You keep the same rate and product, but you’ll reapply and pass the lender’s checks before it’s approved.

Do I have to get a new mortgage to move house?
Not necessarily. Porting lets you keep your existing deal. Whether that’s the best choice depends on your rate, any charges, and your circumstances.

Is porting guaranteed?
No. Because you reapply, you must meet the lender’s current criteria. If your income has fallen or the rules have tightened, approval isn’t automatic.

Can I borrow more when I move home?
Usually, yes. Many lenders let you port your existing rate and add a second part for the extra borrowing, often at a different rate.

Do home movers pay stamp duty?
Yes. In England and Northern Ireland you pay on the portion of the price above £125,000. Scotland and Wales have their own equivalent taxes.

How much deposit do I need?

Most movers use the equity from their current home. More equity means a lower LTV and access to better rates, though there’s often a 5–10% minimum.

Can I move if I’m in negative equity?
It’s difficult, since there’s no equity to carry forward. It isn’t always impossible — a work relocation can sometimes help — but you’d need specialist advice.

What if my new home is cheaper?
You can downsize and port your deal, but you may face an early repayment charge on the amount you’re not carrying over.

How long does it take?

A mortgage application usually takes around 4–6 weeks. The full move tends to take longer, particularly within a chain.

Should I port or take a new mortgage?
It depends on your current rate, any ERCs, and how your finances look now. A broker can compare both side by side and recommend what fits.

Moving home is a big step, but the mortgage part doesn’t have to be the stressful bit. Once you know your options — port, switch, or borrow more — and you’ve got a clear view of the costs, the rest tends to fall into place. The key is getting good advice early, before you commit to a property.

Ready to make your move? Speak to a mortgage adviser today — free and no obligation.