Frequently Asked Questions

It’s all about understanding your circumstances and needs to help find you the most suitable solution for you. Should you wish to explore your options there are a number of things your advisor will discuss with you, including;

• Your home and it's value as well as the type of construction;
• Your financial situation including your incomings and outgoings;
• Your future plans and if you're looking to access money from your home, how you plan to spend it;
• Your health;
• Your current and potential future financial situation; and
• The alternatives to lending that you should consider.

With a standard repayment mortgage, the payments you make go towards repaying the initial amount you borrowed as well as the interest that accrues. So over the agreed term, you gradually repay what you owe until it's totally paid off.

With an interest⁠-⁠only mortgage, the payments you make cover the interest on the loan and so at the end of the agreed term, you will still owe the initial amount you borrowed and this will need to be paid off.

There is no definitive answer to this. The most typical mortgage length in the UK is 25 years, but this is changing, with many new mortgages now extending to 30 or 40 years to lower monthly payments.

The longer the mortgage term, the lower your monthly repayments are likely to be but bear in mind that the longer the term is, the more interest will accrue and so the more you'll pay overall.

If you want to pay off your mortgage more quickly, you could look at making overpayments.

Paying even an extra £50 per month will reduce the overall interest you pay and can reduce the term of your mortgage.

But check your lender's terms and conditions, as most lenders will only allow you to overpay up to a certain limit. Above that, you may face a financial penalty.

We’re experts in equity release, it’s our job to guide you through the process, explaining everything every step of the way.

The amount of equity that you can release is based on the value of your home and the age of the youngest homeowner, rather than on how much equity you have in your home.

The only way that you could access all of your equity is by selling your home, rather than using equity release.

Lots of people wonder ‘can I move house?’ or ‘can I sell my house if I have equity release?’ Yes is the answer. All plans that meet the Equity Release Council’s standards have to allow you to move house in the future. That is providing that the house you’re moving to meets the criteria set by your equity release lender.

Despite ups and downs in property prices, there is every chance that your home is still your biggest asset, and is worth considerably more than you paid for it.

According to Nationwide House price data, average UK house prices have risen by 39% in the last decade (to end of June 2025). As a result, Britons who may have reached or are approaching retirement age, may now find themselves with a wealth of equity that far outweighs their savings and income.

You can use tools such as Zoopla and Nethouse prices to check how much similar houses in your area have sold for recently. That will give you a good indication of how much your home could be worth.

As part of your equity release application, the lender will organise for a full property valuation, which will tell you exactly what your house is worth in the eyes of the property surveyor.

Equity release could be an option for anyone who owns their own home and is aged 55 or over.

• You can still have a mortgage in place
• Your home must be worth at least £70,000.

There can be other things that affect whether you qualify. Such as if your home is classed as non-standard construction because it’s not built from brick or stone. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t qualify, but it may limit the lenders we can recommend to you.

Use our online calculator  to check whether you qualify and how much tax⁠-⁠free cash you could release.