Northfields

Ask the Agent: I Want to Buy a Property With a Friend, But What Are the Pitfalls?

Housing Minister Grant Shapps wants more people to buy houses with friends.  He feels that will quick start the housing market. He wants lenders to offer 'mates mortgages', so called because young first time buyers can pool their resources and buy property together. You can read more about the Mates Mortgage idea by clicking the link.

Buying property with your mates or family members may indeed be a great way to get on the housing ladder, but it can also lead to some potential issues and problems.  Peter Bolton King, CEO of the NAEA (of which Northfields is a member), talks you through some of the areas you should consider before buying a house with friends in this video:

 

If you are considering buying a property with friends or family members, find out exactly how much you could borrow by seeking the free, no obligation advice of an independent mortgage broker.  Call Northfields today on 0208 840 6666 or e-mail us at sales@northfields.co.uk  and we will be happy to refer you to an independent broker who can look across the entire market and find the best "mates mortgage" for you.

 

Ask the Agent: How Can I Get a Mortgage When I Am Self-Employed?

With the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee having voted once again this November to keep the base rate on hold at its historic low of 0.5%, mortgages should be more affordable than ever.

But the MPC’s decision does arise from a struggling economy, even backed up with £275bn quantitative easing measures as decided at the October 2011 meeting. 

However, one interesting and optimistic side to recessions and economic uncertainty, is that periods such as this usually see a rise in entrepreneurialism.  Those people who have lost their jobs start a new small business rather than searching for a new job.  Often, with positive life changing effects for the new business owner.

However, one downside does emerge from such an exciting new venture – it can be harder to find a mortgage when you are self-employed. 

Hurdle No. 1 – Proving Trading History

According to an article on the Mortgage Advice Bureau website, reporting on research by Kensington, the ability to provide adequate trading history is a block to accessing mortgage financing.  This factor is particularly problematic if the new business was started in response to the credit crunch and there may be no trading history. 

In a survey of 619 intermediaries (that is, mortgage brokers and other independent representatives), 42% said proving trading history is the biggest barrier for self-employed borrowers.

Charles Morley, head of sales at Kensington, says: “While many successful small businesses emerge from recession, it is not unusual for a high street lender to ask for three years’ trading history.

Hurdle No. 2 – Complex Income Structures

Ask any self-employed person and they will tell you that it is wise to have multiple income streams so that if one dries up you can always fall back on another.  Diversification is vital to ensure that you don’t put your proverbial eggs all in the same basket.  However, this again, can prove to be an obstacle when trying to apply for mortgages.

In the Kensington findings, 23% of mortgage intermediaries flagged complex income structures as a difficulty in proving to lenders that self-employed people were able to pay the mortgage. 

Morley from Kensington points out: “And whereas the self-employed will often have a complex income structure from more than one source, automated decision making systems (used by mortgage lenders to evaluate mortgage applications) take a more black and white stance on affordability.”

Hurdle No. 3 – Standard Scoring System

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will put each applicant through a standard credit scoring system.  Unfortunately, many intermediaries, amounting to 15% of surveyed brokers said that self-employed circumstances do not fit standard credit scoring systems, making it difficult to proved credit worthiness.

Hurdle No. 4 – Self-Employed People’s Perceptions

12% of the mortgage brokers asked felt that the self-employed’s own perception of how difficult mortgage finance is to obtain is the greatest obstacle.  While many people see the hurdles that self-employed people have to overcome to secure financing, many don’t realise that there ways to overcome these issues. 

Self-Employed Solution

Being your own boss does not mean that you have to sacrifice your own home. 

As Charles Morley, head of sales at Kensington, says: “High street lenders are often unable to consider the more complex circumstances of a customer who owns their own business, but intermediaries have access to lenders, like Kensington, that are able to take an intelligent approach, with decisions made by experienced underwriters.”

Independent mortgage brokers are not limited to one set of mortgage products like a high street bank would be.  Your broker can look across the entire market and pick a mortgage lender who is more likely to award a self-employed person with the finance they need. 

Mortgage brokers will also know the ins and outs of mortgage applications and will be able to tell you how to fill out the application for a particular lender for the best chance of success.

Not only that, mortgage brokers often have access to special rates and deals that are not even available on the high street, in the end, making your mortgage more affordable.

According to Kensington’s research, the average mortgage intermediary receives six enquiries from clients who consider themselves to be self-employed each month.   This means that the average mortgage broker will have the opportunity to place, on average, over 70 self-employed mortgages each year.  That’s experience you can bank on.

To be referred to an independent mortgage broker who can give you no obligation advice on getting a mortgage call Northfields on 0208 840 6666 or request a referral via e-mail at sales@northfields.co.uk

Ask the Agent: When Can I Increase the Rent on my Rental Property?

Answer: If your tenants signed an assured shorthold tenancy agreement then the rent is fixed at an agreed rate for a specified period of time.

After this fixed period there are a few options available to landlords:

1.  Issue a new fixed-term tenancy agreement - A new contract is arranged stipulating the new rental amount, usually in agreement with the tenant - this is normally done by issuing a new fixed-term tenancy agreement including the new rent amount. If a new tenancy agreement is not signed then there should be some written record of the rent change, for example, a letter signed and dated by them.

2. Following a rent review clause in the tenancy agreement - The tenant will normally be deemed to have agreed to this by signing the agreement, so again will be unable to challenge it.

3.  By notice of increase - Once the set time in a assured shorthold tenancy agreement has elapsed, the tenants have the right to remain in occupation under a "statutory periodic tenancy". The rent under that statutory tenancy can be reviewed - and increased.  Landlords may serve this notice once a year, provided it is done in the set format.

If you decide to raise a tenant's rent you may want to try to negotiate a rental rise with the tenants first. By having the discussion about the possibility of the rent rising, you will usually stand a better chance of maintaining a good rapport with your tenants.This negotiation is not strictly necessary, but will certainly go some way toward maintaining goodwill.

If you issue your tenants will notice of a change of rent (under a statutory periodic tenancy) there are 3 possible outcomes:

1. The tenants either agree to the rent rise or do nothing at all, in which case the rental rate set out in your notice will become the new rent rate from that period on.

2. After negotiations with the tenants you agree on a new rental fee.

3. Your tenants will refer the matter to the Rent Assessment Committee, which determines an appropriate rent level.

The best way to increase the rent then is to simply talk to your tenants and agree on a rent that suits both parties.  Although landlords are allowed to put up rents once a year, consider the value in keeping a good relationship with good tenants going.  It is far easier and cheaper to retain current tenants rather than to look for new ones.  Also consider that if you put up the rent, the tenant may feel that they are entitled to new furnishings or other maintenance on the property that they were happy to live with at the previous rent.

If you need advice on letting your property and setting a rental fee that will keep landlords and tenants happy, contact our award-winning lettings team on 0208 567 6660 or e-mail us at lettings@northfields.co.uk

Ask the Agent: If my flatmate can't pay their part of the rent, am I responisble for it?

If your flatmate can't pay for their share of the rent, responsibility for the rent depends what type of rental agreement you signed.

Joint Tenancy Agreement

If you are flat or house shaing under a joint tenancy, you will be "jointly and severally liable", which means that any one (or all tenants) can be held responsible for the rent payments and other obligations of the contract. So under this type of tenancy agreement you are responsible for the whole rent as explained in the following video from PropertyLive:

 

Another point to consider is if one flatmate wants to leave the property before the others, their notice effectively ends the tenancy agreement for everyone until a replacement contract (with a replacement flatmate) is created, but the replacement contract is not an automatic right. Many landlords will allow a replacement flatmate to be found and the contract to be re signed. Be aware, that some lettings agents may charge you a fee if a replacement contract is needed as it will entail extra administrative work. 

Rooms Rented Separately or Separate Tenancy Agreements

Sometimes a landlord will let rooms in a house-share or flat separately, so each flatmate has their own separate agreement.  In this case, you will only be responsible for your own rent.  In addition, a single flatmate leaving before the end of the tenancy will not cause so many potential problems. The landlord will have the responsibility for finding a replacement tenant.  While this will take the pressure off you to find someone new, it might also mean that you will have to take whoever the landlord finds and the new flatmate may not be compatible with you.  You may however ask the landlord to be allowed to find a replacement, but be prepared that some landlords may want to fill the room quickly so as not to miss out on rent and may not be prepared to involve the other flatmates. 

Lodgers

Lodgers rent a room where the landlord both owns and lives in the property and rents out one or more rooms. Flat/housemates in this situation are often referred to as lodgers. Some people feel uncomfortable with this situation as feel they can't fully relax as the owner of the property is there or because everyone isn't on an equal footing as with a flatshare. The plus side is that with the landlord on site you may find a property is better looked after.

Please note that this information is meant as a general guide only and does not constitute legal advice.  If you are in need of legal advice the Citizen's Advice Bureau should be able to help you.

If you are looking for a house or flat share, check out the range of properties Northfields currently has available for let  by clicking the link or call us to register on 0208 567 6660 to make sure we call you as soon as a property becomes available.  No time to call?  No problem - register your details online here.

 

Ask the Agent: Can I Paint the Walls of My Rental Property?

If you would like to paint the walls of a property you are renting you will need to check with your landlord or the property manager to get permission.

It is always best to choose a neutral colour to paint a rental property.  While you might love strong colours, stripes or bold wallpaper, a strong interior will provoke a strong reaction in people who view the property to rent after you move out.   Bold strong colours can also be very difficult to paint over, so neutral is generally the most rentable.

If the landlord grants you permission to paint, but only using neutral colours and you would still prefer something splashier, show them samples of your intended colour scheme and offer to repaint it when you move out (back to neutral, and at your own expense).

If the landlord does not give you permission then don't do it.  If you go ahead and paint walls without permission you may face losing your deposit to pay for painting the property again. 

There are other ways that you could brighten up the walls of your rental property.  Here are a few paint-free ideas:

1.  Create a feature wall - You can create a feature wall using interesting, black and white photos - no order to them, just scatterd over one wall. Use all different sizes, with mix and match colour/style frames.  Take a look at this photo display on Country Living's website for idea of the impact grouping photos like this can have.

If you don't have or can't afford a load of frames, then check out this clever idea using scraps of wood and decoupage photos with this free tutorial from Crafts by Amanda

If the landlord doesn't want the wall full of holes, try using a curtain rod and hang a series of photos from it.  You couldn't get more impact than this extremely cool idea where a larger image is created by clipping a serious of photos together and hanging them from a curtain rod.  Find out how get this low cost, high impact look on Ikea Hacker.

2.  Make a wall hanging - Or you can make your own wall hangings with bright or bold patterned material or large canvases. 

If you aren't the crafty type or don't have a lot of cash to spend, check out this tutorial from Blue Cricket Designs which shows you how to create high impact canvases covered with old book pages and with bird silhouettes. You just need to be able to trace and cut and paste to create these canvases which could hide a multitude of sins, depending on the size or number of canvases that you used. 

Crafts by Amanda uses some paint and cut and paste to make these French Fruit Wall Art pieces that would really brighten a kitchen.

3.  Use a screen - Use a decorative room divider screen to create a feature wall and disguise an old or ugly wall. 

Check out this free tutorial which shows you how to remake a room divider screen into a very cool photo display with chicken wire as featured on the Homeroad blog. Just click the link to see the step by step how-to.

With a little bit of creativity you can have a space that is unique to you without actually causing permanent damage or change to the rental property. 

If you need advice on exactly what can and can't be done to a rental property, call our award winning lettings team on 0208 567 6660.

Ask the Agent: What does porting your mortgage mean?

Answer:  Simply put, if you already own a home with a mortgage, and are moving to a new home, porting your mortgage means that you can apply your current mortgage to your new home.  Porting your mortgage allows you to keep your mortgage at the interest rate that you currently have rather than having to risk getting a new mortgage with a potentially higher interest rate. 

As you can keep the interest rate from your old mortgage, porting mortgages are most common when there is an increase in interest rates.

Do be aware that when you port your mortgage, you will be required to pay a mortgage release fee. This fee is determined by your mortgage lender and is explained in your mortgage contract.

Tips for Porting Your Mortgage

1.   Check your lender's porting criteria - it is usual to port only fixed rate mortgages.   However, there is an exception to every rule. You should check with your mortgage lender before you give up the idea of porting your mortgage.

2.  Move into your new home at the same time as you sell your current home. Depending on your mortgage lender's terms this will save you having to pay fees. If for some reason you are unable to immediately move into your new home, your mortgage lender may charge you an early repayment charge. This is a fee mortgage lenders charge to customers who pay off their mortgage before the termination of the mortgage.  Again, check your mortgage terms.

3.   Submit your application to port your current mortgage rate to your lender. If you are not approved, you can ask your mortgage lender for alternatives or you may have to reapply for a new mortgage for your new home.

4.  Your current mortgage doesn't determine your eligibility to port your mortgage. The approval process for porting your mortgage is the same as applying for a new mortgage. This means your lender will review your credit report, your debt to income ratio, and your employment history. If any of this has changed since you applied for your current mortgage, your application could be rejected.

5.  Don't port your mortgage without checking out other options first - Given that your lender will review your financial eligibility all over again and it may affect your chances of porting the mortgage, why not check that there aren't better deals available to you.  Some people will be tempted to stick with their current lender, even if they find they are unable to port their current mortgage.  However, you could save yourself a lot of money by doing some comparison shopping.  Make sure that you use an independent mortgage broker rather than a mortgage broker who is tied to a particular bank or who is limited to certain mortgage products.  Independent brokers can look across the entire mortgage market to find you the best deal.  Independent brokers also often have access to special rates and deals that are not available on the high street.

Find out if you could save money on your mortgage using this handy Mortgage checker online tool.

If you would like to check that you have the best possible deal on your mortgage, Northfields can refer you to an independent mortgage broker who will be able to ensure that you are saving the most amount of money possible.  Call us on 0208 840 6666 for a referral that could save you money.

Source: How to Port Your Mortgage | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6664428_port-mortgage.html#ixzz1EbldlLf8

Ask the Agent: How Do I Know If I Can Get Planning Permission Before Buying?

Answer:  If you are looking at buying a property, but will be basing your decision on whether or not you can get planning permission, then it pays to know a little bit about the process

First of all, what is Planning Permission?

Planning permission governs the form and use of a building and how that use affects its environment - be that visually (are you proposing a very modern extension on a period house), in development terms or in social terms (with your extension block the neighbours light). If you are considering altering the external appearance of a property, or planning major internal alterations, you should start by contacting your local council's planning department to find out if you need permission for the work.  If you don't get planning permission before undertaking work, you may be asked to tear down any renovations or additions you may make.  In addition, if you try to sell a property where the proper planning permissions were not sought before work was carried out, you may have trouble completing the transaction.

Planning Permission Types

There are several different types of planning permission and the type you will need will depend on the property and its location.

Outline planning permission - permission has been granted for some kind of dwelling to be built, but before work can start full details of the build must be approved.  Sometimes properties are sold where this type of planning permission has already been granted, so this can be a benefit to you.  The estate agent and your conveyancing solicitor should make you aware if this type of permission is already in place - sometimes it is even advertised in the property's details.

Full planning permission - permission has been granted for a particular design. Conditions may be attached such as requirements to build with a particular type of brick.

Listed building consent - this will be needed if the property to be renovated or converted is listed. Detailed planning permission will also be required as may Conservation Area Consent.  If you are planning on buying a listed building be aware that you will be limited in what you can do with the property, so make sure you understand the restrictions before committing to buy.

Conservation area consent - this will be needed if the property to be renovated or converted is in a conservation area - for example, the Brentham Garden Estate in Pitshanger, Ealing is a designated conservation area. Detailed planning permission will be also be required as may Listed Building Consent.

Other permissions may be required in certain circumstances, for instance, if there is a tree preservation order.  Tree preservation orders may mean that you won't be able to make some changes to your outside space.

Getting Planning Permission

If you are undertaking renovations or additions with the help of an architect, they will usually apply for planning permission on your behalf, but if you are looking at a property to purchase you won't have arrived at the stage where an architect has been employed as of yet.

Many people will tell you that if the neighbours have an extension that you should be able have an extension too.  That is not always the case.

One way to find out if getting the desired planning permission will be possible, is to contact one of the council's planning officers, who should be able to give you general guidance on what is and is not acceptable in the area.  The advice of a local council planning officer is the best advice on which to base your decision to buy.

For more general information on getting planning permission, visit the DirectGov website for further insight.

If you are looking at buying a property with the hope of getting planning permission contact the council in question.  Here are a few of the West London boroughs that Northfields deals with on a regular basis.

If you are looking to buy property in Ealing, contact the London Borough of Ealing's Planning Services, for more info on planning permissions.

If you are looking to buy property in Shepherd's Bush or elsewhere in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, contact the  London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, for more info on planning permissions.

If you are thinking of buying in Chiswick or Brentford, contact  the London Borough of Hounslow, for more info on planning permissions.

If you are looking for property to renovate, expand or improve, contact our sales team on 0208 840 6666 to let them know that you are looking to add some value to any property you buy by renovating and we will let you know as soon as the ideal fixer-upper comes onto the market.  Or register your details online here.

Ask the Agent: How do I contact the Freeholder of my property?

Most flats in England and Wales are purchased on a leasehold basis. This means that you do not own the property outright; instead you purchase the right to live there for a specified period, typically for 99 to 125 years, although some leases run for 999 years.  The freeholder owns the property and the land it stands on and you pay to lease the property from this "landlord".

Once a lease has expired, ownership of the property reverts to the freeholder, but the tenant is permitted to stay in the property, paying a market rent.

There may be several reasons that you might need to contact the freeholder of your property.   Here are a few examples:

• To extend the lease on your property - if your lease is below 60 years, you will find it difficult to sell and it might be in your best interest to extend the lease.  Read this article on lease extensions for more information. 
• To get permission to change a covenant on the lease - don't know what a covenant is?  Read this article on covenants for more information.
• If you have issues with insuring the building, maintaining the building, enforcing the obligations of the lease on other leaseholders in the building, all of which are the responsibility of the freeholder

Leaseholders are required to pay ground rent (which is usually nominal), as well as service charges (which are not). These are payable to the freeholder or to an intermediary, known as a managing agent, who looks after the property on the freeholder’s behalf. Service charges include the costs of maintenance, repairs and buildings insurance, and may also include things like lifts, lighting, cleaning and gardening. 

Contact details for the freeholder can be found on your bills for ground rent and service charges. If these don't say who the freeholder is, then you can ask the managing agent for the freeholders details. Alternatively, you can contact the Land Registry to find out who the registered freeholder is.  You will need to look for the title register for the freehold title.  This can be found on the Land Registry site and costs £4 per title.  Click here to see an example.

What if you have an absentee freeholder?

In some cases, you can't get a hold of a freeholder which as known as an absentee freeholder.  If you have an absentee freeholder it can cause many problems.

• Lenders and Absentee freeholders- Almost every lender in the UK is reluctant to lend on a property where there is an absentee landlord and even those that do lend on properties with an absentee freeholder will insist on absentee landlord indemnity insurance.  It is worth noting that some lenders point blankly refuse to provide financing even with indemnity insurance in place. 
• No one to fulfil practical obligations such as insuring the building, maintaining the building, enforcing the obligations of the lease on other leaseholders in the building -  In the majority of cases where an absentee freeholder exists the tenants club together and resolve management issues and disputes amongst themselves,
• Other leaseholders who refuse to pay service charges or to contribute to insurance - there are times when tenants who, in an absentee freehold situation, refuse to pay service charges or insurance contributions, so maintenance and insurance become a problem for the rest of the residents.

Is it possible to forcibly purchase the freehold title from an absentee freeholder?
The answer is yes, but purchasing the freehold from an absentee landlord is a fairly complex area of conveyancing.  Watch this video for an explantion of the full process:

 

If you wish to purchase your freehold and have an absentee freeholder, then please call us on 0208 840 6666 or e-mail us at sales@northfields.co.uk and we can refer you to a reliable and affordable conveyancing solicitor who can steer you through the process.

 

Ask the Agent: Selling or Buying Property that is Above Commercial Premises

There are definite pros and certain cons when buying or selling property above commercial premises.  Find out what benefits there are and what pitfalls you should look out for.

Pros

• Affordability - Flats over commercial premises are very often cheaper.  Depending on the type of business underneath, you can save between 10 and 20 per cent of the price of an equivalent property on a local residential street.
• More space - because flats above commercial premises are cheaper, you can often get a lot more space for your money.
• Live in a better area- for many first time buyers, flats over commercial premises allow them to move into a more desirable area, as the prices are that much cheaper.
• Great investment properties -  being above a business does not tend to lower the property's rental value. Tenants on six-month or yearly contracts are not as bothered as owner-occupiers about what lies beneath them.

Pitfalls

• Difficulty getting mortgages - Being unable to find a lender willing to give you a mortgage on a flat above a shop is common as many lenders view flats above shops as being too difficult to resell and, when property prices are falling, that they tend to lose their value more quickly.  However,  there are lenders prepared to lend on flats above shops as long as they meet their lending criteria. That lending criteria may differ from lender to lender but common criteria include requiring the flat to have its own entrance separate from the shop entrance or may limit the type of shop that a flat is on top of. Lenders are also guided by the comments of its surveyor which will not only focus on the condition and value of the property but also look at its future marketability. Factors relating to the shop beneath that particularly put off lenders are late-night opening and proximity to takeaways.
• Possible higher service charges - With flats above shops it is common for there to be a shared leasehold, so look at how long is left on the lease and how the service charge is split. Service charges on a commercial business are normally much higher than on a residential property: when the building is split between the two, there is no standard rule as to who pays what, so be sure you are clear what the service charges are before you sign on the dotted line.
• Possible higher building insurance - Depending on what type of business the flat is situated over, the building insurance premiums may be higher.  Bars and restaurants beneath your flat can incur much higher building insurance because of fire and security risks.
• Change in use - Check before you make an offer that there are no plans for the business beneath to change.  You may buy the flat while there is a beautiful florist beneath only to find that it becomes a chicken take-away a few months later which will affect the resale value of the property, not to mention your quality of life with noise and smell.
• Fewer opportunities to buy the freehold- On a mixed residential and commercial building, a third-party investor usually owns the freehold. In many cases the owner of a flat above a shop has no right to buy the freehold under enfranchisement legislation.  There are exceptions to this, however, like the below flat for sale in Northfield Avenue.

Ealing offers several beautiful properties above commercial premises, including those in Ealing Park Mansions in South Ealing and those along Northfield Avenue.  For example, this 2 bedroom flat above commercial premises in Northfield Avenue offers so many benefits.

 
 

• Freehold property combining superb living accommodation with leased commercial shopfront. 
• Residential area is spread over three floors
• Front and rear entrances
• Well established 40’ South facing garden
• Close to Northfields (Piccadilly line) tube station
• Within the excellent and much sought after Fielding School catchment area
• Stunning and very spacious downstairs kitchen/diner, separate cloakroom and private entrance.
• On the first floor there is a large  reception room (extended third bedroom), a stylish family bathroom and double bedroom. 
• The loft has been converted to provide a large master bedroom with ensuite shower room.

To see more information, photos, floorplans, maps and to book your viewing online for this fantastic two bedroom property for sale in Northfield Avenue, click the link.

 Buying property above commercial premises means that you should make sure that you are aware of all the possible pitfalls and look into them carefully, but if you do your homework and make sure that the particular property in question stands up to inspection, you can stand to gain a great deal. 

If you are looking to buy a property above commercial premises, make sure that you can get a mortgage.  There are lenders who will provide funding for properties over shops, but you will need the help of an independent mortgage broker who knows the ins and outs of lending criteria.  Call us on 0208 840 6666 or e-mail us at sales@northfields.co.uk and we can recommend an indepedent broker who can help to secure financing for your perfect property - whether it is over a shop or not.

 

Ask the Agent: How much of your income should go towards your mortgage?

In the midst of our turbulent economy it makes sense to ensure that you take steps to ensure that you are able to pay your mortgage if interest rates should rise, that way you are less likely to be faced with the prospect of losing your home to repossession. 

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) would like lenders to make sure that you'll be able to afford your mortgage if interest rates rise. The FSA is worried that current low mortgage rates are disguising the full impact of unaffordable lending and the true extent of consumers' vulnerability to a rise in interest rates.

The general guideline as to the proportion of your income that should be spent on mortgage payments, is that half your income should be earmarked for paying debt of all types – not just your mortgage. Some experts suggest that the total amount you pay towards your mortgage should not exceed 28% of your gross income (Gross income is commonly defined as the amount of a person's income before all deductions including tax). And you should make sure that you don't go over 36% of gross income for the total amount you spend on all borrowing, including mortgage.

For more advice on protecting yourself from repossession with the right mortgage product for you, seek the advice of an independent mortgage broker (one who is not tied to a particular bank or lender).  Northfields can recommend an independent mortgage broker who will be able to give you some free advice, call us on 0208 840 6666 for a referral or e-mail us a sales@northfields.co.uk