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Savings products - In preparation of the launch of our new and improved Online Service we have temporarily withdrawn online applications for all our savings products. You can still apply for these products by post or in branch. All savings products will be available to apply online from 12 May. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
- Savings customers: Your 2024 / 2025 Annual Interest Savings Summary are currently being processed and are due to be delivered by 30 April 2025.
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Coming soon... our new and improved Online Service
We’ll shortly be making some changes to our Online Service to make it simpler and easier for you to use.
Our new Online Service will have a modern design, improved navigation and many added benefits.
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Important changes to our mortgage products - Find out more.Mortgage products - On Wednesday 23 April, we made changes to our mortgage product range. These include rate adjustments across our fixed rate products, and an increase to our Owner Occupier Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor maximum LTV to up to 90% (with no additional security required) for loans up to £500,000.
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Online Service update. Due to planned essential maintenance our Online Service will be unavailable from 6pm until 12am on Wednesday 7 May. Our Online Service will also be unavailable between 5.30pm on Friday 9 May until 9am on Monday 12 May. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Frequently asked questions about our mortgage products
Have a question about your mortgage? Here we have answered some of our most frequently asked questions
General mortgage questions
It’s possible yes and would depend on your income affordability, outgoings and the term you want to repay the mortgage over. You'll need a deposit of at least 5% of the property value and you’d need to go through a mortgage advice process to establish what type of products are available, the monthly mortgage payments and costs including valuation, legal fees and stamp duty.
Products are available specifically for first time buyers with small deposits and these sometimes include help with some of the costs involved and low fees. The interest rate on loans with smaller deposits will be higher than for other loans.
One way to reduce the cost is through mortgages (such as our Family Mortgage) that allow other family members to provide extra security, either through a charge over their own property or their savings. This can reduce the interest rate and offsetting savings family members can also help reduce the monthly payment.
Yes you can. Perhaps even longer if you want. See our range of later life mortgages.
There has been a lot of comment in the press recently about 50 something’s finding it challenging to get a mortgage that extends into what used to be considered to be “normal retirement age”.
We’re living longer and therefore working longer, it’s as simple as that, so more and more people don’t fit into that “normal” group.
Many high street lenders will restrict the maximum age at which they allow the mortgage term to run to, typically to between 70 and 75.
However, some lenders, such as us, will take a more common sense approach.
Earned income can in some cases be accepted up until age 70, alongside income from pensions; investment property and savings which can all be taken into consideration. Providing you meet the lenders criteria there is no reason why you cannot obtain a mortgage until or even beyond the age of your retirement.
What is most important is to check that the mortgage remains affordable after you retire and draw your pension income.
The short answer to that is maybe.
It would depend on several factors. The lender may have relied on both your incomes in giving you the mortgage. The lender would need to establish your income, outgoings and the term you want to repay the mortgage over.
Providing you can afford the mortgage on your own and meet the lenders underwriting criteria then there is no reason why you would not be considered.
Another thing lenders would also take into consideration is your credit history. If you have missed any payments, made late payments or taken payday loans this may restrict your choice of lenders; or may mean you cannot obtain a mortgage.
If you are splitting the equity (the difference between the property value and the mortgage amount) and one person is buying the other out, then because you have less equity than before you may find that the interest rate on the new loan is higher than before.
It always pays to look around. A new product may even have a period where the interest rate charged is lower for a few years.
This can keep payments low while you get back on your feet and might help with something like you having somewhere to sit in your home!
We pride ourselves on our flexibility and individual approach to our underwriting. However, there are a few occasions when it’s not possible to consider an applicant:
- Repayment of tax or gambling debts
- Borrowers who have impaired credit
- Borrowers who have utilised ‘payday’ lenders
- Borrowers seeking to consolidate over five credit cards
- Borrowers seeking to consolidate debts accumulated with sub-prime or non-mainstream mortgage lenders or non-mainstream credit card providers
- Borrowers seeking to raise capital for debt consolidation for more than 20% of the property value, or where the main purpose of the loan is debt consolidation i.e. where more than 49% of the monies being raised are to consolidate existing debts.
Our Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) arrangement allows one or two borrowers (who will own and occupy the property) and up to two other family members to support the borrower(s) by using up to four incomes for affordability. Our JBSP arrangement means that borrower(s) can call upon the support of their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles or, in the case of older members of the family, adult children can support their parents if their circumstances change.
Our Family Mortgage caters for borrowers with lower deposits. Subject to a minimum deposit of 5%, family members can then provide additional security for the borrower’s mortgage, either in the form of a charge over their own property or their savings. The deposit plus security provided by family members needs to total 25% of the mortgaged property value.
Do you need our help?
If you have questions about your mortgage or need our help please contact our friendly Mortgage Service Team
Managing my mortgage
Before you send any funds to us, please call us on 03330 140146 to check that you’re not over your annual 10% overpayment allowance, otherwise you will incur an Early Repayment Charge. You can send us a cheque payable to ‘Family Building Society + your name’ or you can send the funds via bank transfer using our bank details below:
- Payee: Account holder’s full name
- Payee’s bank sort code: 40-02-50
- Payee’s bank account number: 21397400
- Payee’s reference: Your 10 digit Family Building Society account number
- Payee’s account type: Personal (unless your account with us is for a Business or Charity, then please select ‘Business’).
Planning for my later life
A copy of the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) document certified in line with government guidelines (by a solicitor, notary, or the donor & Power of Attorney Details form).
To open an account you will need to complete, sign and return the relevant account application form. For accounts that cannot be opened online, you can download the application form from the product page and for those accounts that are opened solely online you will need to contact our New Business Team on 03330 140141.
Attorneys, Third Parties and Deputies are unable to open accounts online with us, but may be able to view the account online.
Once you have obtained the correct application form you will also need to fill in a Third Party Request Form or a Power of Attorney Form and return this and your application form to our New Savings Account Enquiry Team.
For more information please visit our 'help to manage your finances' page.
You will need to complete a Deputy details form and return it to us with an original copy of the Court of Protection Order and identification for each Deputy.
If you are a new member we will check your identity by making searches about you at a credit reference agency that will supply us with information. If we are unable to verify your identity by this method we will advise you of the additional documentation required to complete the account opening process.
If you already have a National Counties Building Society or Family Building Society savings or mortgage account, your signature matches our records and your name & address haven’t changed, you will not need to provide further evidence of your identity.
If you are a new customer or an existing customer opening a new account(s), the Deputy will also need to complete the relevant account application.
A third-party mandate is an authority to transact on behalf of the named customer on the account, in line with the usual terms and conditions of the account. It lasts for 12 months and must be renewed thereafter if still required.
You can request a third-party mandate form by sending us a secure message via the Online Service, sending us an email or calling us on 03330 140144. We also have the form available here.
Bereavement Support
If they held any accounts with us, we’re here to help you understand what you need to do next and make the process as easy as possible for you.
Please visit our Bereavement help and support page for more information.