Notices

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

Yes, it may be possible, but it depends on several factors — including your income and affordability assessment, the size of your deposit, and the mortgage products and interest rates available to you. You’ll also need to consider additional costs such as the valuation, legal fees, and stamp duty.

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.

Do you need our help?

If you have questions about your mortgage or need our help please contact our friendly Mortgage Service Team

Get in touch

Managing my mortgage

You can either send us a secure message via our Online Service, call us on 03330 140146 or send a signed letter.
You can do this by sending a secure message via the Online Service, calling us on 03330 140144, or sending us a signed letter. Please note there is a £15.00 fee.
You will need to fill out a direct mandate form and send it back to us. (Please note that we will need 5 working days following receipt to change the details)
We would need to assess the affordability of the mortgage based on the remaining borrower’s income alone – please call our New Business Team on 03330 140140 to discuss this. They’ll need to know about the remaining borrower’s current income and expenditure.

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’).
Yes, on the same date of the mortgage product switch you can make a lump sum payment, penalty free. Please let us know in advance of your product switch date if you would like to make a lump sum payment.
If you are suffering from financial hardship, please call us on 03330 140146 so we can try and find a solution for you.
If you do not make your mortgage payment, your account will fall into arrears which could affect your credit rating. Please call us on as soon as possible on 03330 140146 if you are struggling to make your payments.

 

We will write to you three months before it ends letting you know the options that are available. If you select a new mortgage product, we will then send you an offer which you need to sign and return to us. If you don’t select a new mortgage product before your current mortgage comes to an end, the rate of interest on your mortgage will change to the follow-on rate as specified in the terms of your mortgage. Our follow-on rates are usually more expensive than our new mortgage products and may cost you more in the long term. It’s also variable so you need to be comfortable with the risk of your monthly payments going up if the rate changes.
As an existing borrower, and subject to satisfactory maintenance of your mortgage, you could be eligible to apply for additional borrowing on your current mortgage. Additionally, please contact our New Business Team on 03330 140140 or use the Call Me Back form.
You would need to call us on 03330 140144 or write to us to request a redemption statement. We will need to know the date you would like to redeem the mortgage, the source of funds being used to redeem your mortgage and the reason for redemption.
If you already have one of our Family Building Society mortgages and you're looking to move home, then you'll be pleased to hear that you can take your current mortgage with you - this is known as 'porting'. Please contact our New Business Team on 03330 140140 if you wish to discuss this further.

Planning for my later life

We’ll need to see the original or a certified hard copy of the Power of Attorney Document, together with a completed Details form available here. Newer Lasting Power of Attorneys can also be registered online - you will be provided with a code which we can use to view the Power of Attorney.

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.

You can complete our contact form, email us, notify us in writing or you can call us on 03330 140146.
Initially, a certified copy of the death certificate so we can register the death. Please refer to our bereavement support page for more information.