Amid the countdown to the official date of Brexit, which is March 29, mortgage lending figures have been announced for the month of December. According to data from UK Finance, mortgage lending within the UK housing market was almost 5% higher than the same month last year. Gross mortgage lending for the month of December hit £21.1bn and the total for the year 2018 was £267.5bn. The total is 3.8% higher than the year previous.

Mortgage lending, along with house price growth, is a fundamental metric for the health of any housing market. The UK housing market has shown extreme resiliency as uncertainty surrounding Brexit is a prevailing issue.

In addition to mortgage lending, remortgage remains quite strong. Remortgage activity picked up just before the first of two base rate increases in November of 2017. This increase in activity has not quieted and 2018 saw many house owners grab a new fixed deal during the year.

The forecast for remortgage activity is quite optimistic for the next twelve months. Many housing experts are predicting strong growth in the amount of remortgage approvals not just prior to Brexit, but following the end of March as well.

House owners are finding a number of benefits as they discover what is currently available within the market. Lenders are offering a variety of packages featuring low interest rates, a number of incentives and even cash back.

Remortgage is expected to enjoy a successful year in 2019, but it is not without some amount of uncertainty until the days following Brexit. Experts suggest house owners consider a remortgage as there are many advantages being found right now.