There is such a varied choice of mortgages available, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know whether you have the best mortgage for your new home.

Often as time passes (or simply that your knowledge increases) you will find better mortgages are available for your particular circumstances. 

First, it is important to pick a mortgage that offers flexibility in terms of the tie in period;  second,  don't be frightened or get held up by inertia when it could be time to change. The process of changing a mortgage is known as remortgaging.

A representative from Moneywise magazine says that even if a mortgage provider's offer only has a marginally better interest rate, "when you're borrowing thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pounds, all those teeny tiny percentage points make a huge difference to the cost of your monthly repayments."

A Norwich & Peterborough Building Society representative also points out that many providers leave their older, possibly more "inert" customers on higher rates while attracting newer, more nimble customers on low borrowing rates.

The Remortgaging Process

Whilst you should definitely consider remortgaging, you might also bear in mind that there may be a number of costs associated with the property move.

To begin with, your existing property deal may have tie-ins such as ERCs (Early Redemption Charges) which apply if you want to remortgage before a certain amount of time has run on the existing deal.  Mortgage providers have long realized that a number of people change their mortgages frequently, and therefore certain lenders do deter these "rate tarts" (their words not ours!) by pairing their best-rate deals with punitive redemption charges.   

During the remortgaging process, having completed all documentation for your new home your new mortgage lender may well carry out a new valuation of your property which may mean adding in additional costs in your planning.