It is the time for homeowners to shop for a remortgage. It’s been years since the threat of rising interest rates have been so ominous. At the start of December last year the interest rate was at almost zero and at an over 300 plus year historic low of 0.1%. Due to inflation, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) hiked the rate and much earlier than had been expected as the forecast had been for the first quarter of 2022 by many experts. It would not be the last hike rate as more occurred and it is now at 0.75%.

The UK housing market has been robust since the first lockdown caused by the global pandemic. It had been thought that the market would face difficulty, and no one could have predicted that instead home buyers would rush into the market to buy a home better suited to a pandemic lifestyle. It happened that demand grew for property with more room, and that included room both inside and outside to better deal with the new lifestyle thrust upon the public. However, as vaccines became available and rising cases were no longer as big a threat, the demand for housing remained.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has raised the standard base interest rate during the last three consecutive meetings. The cost of borrowing becoming more expensive each time the rate increased. Because of this, homeowners have been seeking to escape paying more than necessary by shopping for remortgages. Through a remortgage, not only could a homeowner discover a low interest rate in which to save money, but other benefits as well.

The UK economy is putting a strain on households. Inflation along with rising fuel and energy costs are taking money out of budgets that had already been strained due to the global pandemic. Experts are encouraging homeowners to take advantage of an opportunity they have to save money and build in a financial safety net against rising interest rates.

The UK housing market has been in rapid movement upwards for a long time and during a time when it was unexpected. The global pandemic had been expected to slow down most markets, including property buying. However, it sparked strong demand from home buyers. First time buyers and home movers were buying rapidly and in markets that had received little attention such as those in the country due to buyers seeking property with more space. 

Households are facing financial strains from many areas. Fuel and energy costs are causing issues and inflation is taking extra out of pockets on more and more goods. Borrowing is more expensive as well with the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) increasing the standard base interest rate upward during each of the last three consecutive meetings. Due to the tightening on consumers, the risk in lending is also higher and this could be setting in place a tighter lending environment for borrowers making it not only more expensive but harder to come by.