Frequently Asked Questions

Because we're Northern Ireland's number one mortgage broker, as confirmed by Trustpilot. Being a broker, we're not tied to one bank or lender and can therefore show you a wide range of mortgage deals to find the right one that suits you. We offer evening and weekend appointments, you can do all appointments online or over the phone AND we don't charge fees.

Use our online pre-approval tool to find out instantly if you're eligible for a mortgage or book an appointment with one of our advisers here.

There isn't one. Rather than walking round all the banks to see what they offer, with us we can compare the best deals available in Northern Ireland at the click of a button. Mortgage brokers are nothing new. We just do it better.

You could but there is a very good chance it will take you a lot longer to get an appointment and you will be limited to the products on offer by that bank. If they are not the most competitive you are missing out and secondly if things don't work out you need to start from scratch. With us we can see what all the banks are offering and if Plan A doesn't work, we have Plan B, Plan C and D ... and E ... and F.

Of course. Technology makes this possible and easy. We can share our screen so you see everything as if you were in one of our branches. If you decide to go ahead we can arrange for a courier to collect the documents. You might start telling people how great we are without even meeting us!

Yup. Call us any time on 028 90 999 999 and see for yourself.

Your Pre-Approval Certificate is valid for 90 days, which gives you time to go and find your dream home. If you don't find the perfect place within this time, we'll contact you again to see if you need to extend the agreement.

Due to the fact that our process is based online, we can significantly reduce our overheads, and therefore don't need to pass on any additional cost to you. We believe that as a result PropertyPal Mortgages is simple, convenient and cost effective for you the customer.

If you wish you won't need to go any further than your living room sofa! We offer both face-to-face meetings or online appointments from the comfort of your home. We have local branches in Coleraine and Belfast where you can pop in to see us. This gives you flexibility to talk to us at a time that suits you, whether that is in the evening, first time in the morning, or during your lunchtime.

Check out our affordability calculator which will give you a general idea of how much you could borrow. But, if you'd prefer a specific number, you can get Pre-approved for a mortgage online. It takes just 5 minutes to complete and, by gathering some details from you, will tell you instantly if you're eligible for a mortgage and how much you could borrow.

At the moment the minimum deposit is 10%, however if you can put down a larger deposit of 15% or more, you may have access to more deals and better rates. There are very few 10% deals on the market due to a number of lenders limiting their deals in light of Covid-19. Prior to Covid-19, the minimum deposit was 5%, these deals may return but we don't have a timeframe for this.

We recommend using our Mortgage Comparison tool to see how different deposit amounts impact the number of deals on offer and the repayment amounts.

You can use our Mortgage Comparison tool to see the mortgage deals on offer and how much your repayments might cost. There may be some additional costs such as Home Insurance or Life Cover which we can help you with.

We will not, however, charge you fees for our service. We do all the work for free.

With regards to buying a house, additional costs will vary depending on your needs and the providers you use. For example, as well as solicitor's fees you may also have to factor in paying for a removals service.

In order to process any mortgage application, you will need to provide the following: A recent utility bill for proof of address, proof of ID, last 3 months payslips, last 3 months bank statements, proof of your deposit and disclosure of any outstanding loans or debt e.g. car loans etc. The meeting should take no longer than an hour and a half.

If you are buying a home to live in, your lender will probably require that the mortgage is taken out on a repayment basis. This will ensure that with each payment you make the loan is reducing and is guaranteed to be paid off at the end of your chosen term. With an interest only mortgage you are not paying off any of the debt, and these are usually only suitable for buy to let mortgages.

In general, buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Many people ask this question but ultimately it will come down to your individual requirements after talking to one of our advisers. In general, with the Bank of England base rate generally being very low, most clients are aware that a rise is possible in the future. This sort of change can impact on monthly costs for variable rate products. With a fixed rate mortgage this provides some level of security for a set period of time after which you can come back and see us. We will however explain in detail things to be aware of with each of the products listed on the mortgage calculator.

This can be an issue with some lenders, however we have access to lenders that will not base their initial decision solely on your credit score.

The content of your credit report is much more important than the credit score that some referencing agencies provide. For anyone who hasn't had a mortgage or a lot of credit in the past, it can be difficult to achieve a high credit score. This is often due to the fact you don't have much good credit to build up a good score, as opposed to bad credit pulling your score down.

One quick fix to boost your credit score would be to register on the electoral roll at your current address. If you are worried about your credit score - mention this your adviser during your appointment and they can advise you what else can be done to improve your score. Ask for a personalised illustration because the actual rate available will depend upon your circumstances. (The overall cost for comparison is 5.1% APR.)

If you want to see which options are available to you, try our online mortgage pre-approval process.

Co-Ownership is a government funded scheme specifically designed to help purchasers onto the property ladder. Co-Ownership is ideal for people with low deposits, or when the affordability criteria for a full mortgage is beyond your reach. We can advise if Co-Ownership is the right path for you.

Provided there is equity in your house, most lenders will allow for additional borrowing for home improvements.

This criteria varies from lender to lender. Some lenders will have no minimum employment period, where others will require you to be in your job for a minimum of six months. As professional advisers, it is our job to consider these details when recommending the most suitable lender.

In general, most lenders will not look favourably upon this. This would not only greatly reduce the number of lenders available to you, but it would also negatively impact your overall affordability.

A gifted deposit is where a family member provides you with your initial deposit. It is required in writing that the deposit does not have to be repaid and the family member concerned confirms that they have no interest in the property.

Your lender will arrange for a fully qualified surveyor to visit your property and perform this on your behalf. This is carried out on your new property to make sure it meets particular lending criteria and it is actually worth what you are paying for it. The cost of the valuation will depend on the value of the house and the type of report you require. However some lenders will have incentives, where the valuation is free.