
Can I release equity from my property?
To confirm whether you can release equity from your property, lenders will consider several factors, including the type of loan you wish to take and the amount of equity you want to release.
What factors affect the value of equity release?
The value of your property will, of course, be a big influence on the equity you can release and the money you can access, but there are several other considerations too, such as: The age of the youngest homeowner - the minimum age for an equity release plan is normally 55. The health and lifestyle of the homeowners.
What is the minimum age for equity release?
The age of the youngest homeowner - the minimum age for an equity release plan is normally 55. The health and lifestyle of the homeowners. Some health conditions could enable you to borrow more through what is known as an ‘enhanced’ lifetime mortgage .
Should you release equity from a family home to buy-to-let?
And by releasing equity (i.e the money) from that family residence, investors get the cash injection they need to invest in their first buy-to-let property – and subsequent ones. It’s a repeatable cycle. Confused? Don’t be. There are a load of pros, but there are also things you’ll need to consider before you dive in and release the cash.

What impacts how much equity I could release?
There are two main things that providers look at when working out what your figure will be:
Is there an alternative to equity release?
Taking out equity release is a big decision so consider the pros and cons first. There are a number of alternatives including downsizing or moving to a less expensive area.
Is there a minimum or maximum amount I can release?
Typically, most people release between £10,000 - £100,000. The minimum amount you can release is usually £10,000 because providers want to make sure it is financially justifiable.
What is equity?
The proportion of your home that you own outright is referred to as equity. It’s the difference between the amount you owe on your mortgage and the market value of your house.
How much equity could I release from my home?
A lender may want to look into your finances and credit history, just as they did when you first got your mortgage, to determine an offer based on their lending requirements. On some lenders’ websites, you can use calculators to estimate how much you could borrow. Our Mortgage Experts can consider the whole of the market so should be able to assess every lenders lending limits to let you know how much you can potentially borrow.
What are the costs of remortgaging to release equity?
When remortgaging, you may be subject to an early repayment charge, which may extend even after your fixed-term period has ended. The bill is normally a percentage of the unpaid loan so that it may be thousands of pounds. You might also be charged an exit fee (which is not the same thing!). Besides, depending on the lender and the particular offer, there could be set-up costs associated with your new mortgage.
What are the alternatives to remortgaging if you need cash?
Remortgaging may not be the easiest or the best value way for you to access extra money. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Why do people remortgage their homes?
Remortgaging to unlock equity may be a way to get extra cash for home improvements, short-term debt repayment, or assist with your children’s education. If you’re thinking about it, you’ll want to weigh the advantages against the long-term costs, as well as see if there are any better-value alternatives.
Why is it bad to remortgage a house?
Your unpaid debt is greater than the total value of your house, resulting in negative equity. This is a poor position because it can make remortgaging impossible and sell your home very difficult.
Is remortgaging a home based on your age?
Furthermore, the mortgage lender’s rate would be based on the amount of equity you already have. Your age is also a factor. When you’re approaching retirement, remortgaging your home can be more daunting because it’s expected you’ll have less money to pay off the debt. Lenders have maximum age limits so the older you are the shorter the term you have to repay the mortgage. This could make the monthly payments unaffordable, however, every lender is different so why not get in touch with us to find out more information.
Why should you release equity from your property?
Releasing equity from your home is often considered the quickest and easiest way to get started with property investment.
What happens when you release equity from a family residence?
And by releasing equity (i.e the money) from that family residence, investors get the cash injection they need to invest in their first buy-to-let property – and subsequent ones. It’s a repeatable cycle.
What is leverage in mortgages?
Mortgages are often the catalyst that fuels property portfolio building – often referred to as ‘leverage’. If you’re an avid Hub follower, you’ll have heard us talk about leverage numerous times. It’s the tool that we like to call a property investor’s secret weapon.
Does remortgage release equity?
Which leads us onto higher mortgage payments. When you remortgage to release equity, your payments are likely to be higher than they were. The rental income from your new buy-to-let property may be able to ease the hit, but always run the numbers to make sure you’re 100% confident that releasing equity on your home is the right option for you.
Do you need income to remortgage a home?
Your income will also be taken into consideration when remortgaging your main family home. Residential mortgages are based on your income – so depending on how much you’re looking to borrow, you’ll need to show proof that you have enough of an income to cover the new mortgage payments.
Is it faster to remortgage or stack savings?
And finally, remortgages can be relatively quick. Some might say it’s far quicker than stacking savings for 5+ years; by which time, house prices could have risen massively so the amount needed as a deposit will also increase.
Can you use leverage on a buy to let property?
Chances are, you’re probably only going to extract equity from your residential property once, to get you off the ground. After that you can use the leveraging method on your buy-to-let properties to purchase more. That way, if you want to continue to pay off the mortgage on your home ready for when you retire, you can do so.
