Remortgage Requirements: What You Need to Know in 2025

When you remortgage, the process of switching your existing mortgage to a new deal, either with your current lender or a new one. It’s not just about getting a lower rate—it’s about meeting strict financial criteria that lenders use to decide if you qualify. Many people think remortgaging is easy because they see ads for ‘instant approvals,’ but the truth is, lenders are more cautious than ever in 2025. They’re watching your credit score, a three-digit number that shows how reliably you’ve paid bills in the past, your loan-to-value ratio (LTV), how much you owe compared to what your home is worth, and whether you can prove steady income. Skip any of these, and you could be rejected—even if you’ve never missed a payment.

One of the biggest surprises for homeowners? Your early repayment charge, a fee you pay if you leave your current mortgage deal before it ends can eat up months of savings. If you’re on a fixed-rate deal that still has two years to run, that fee could be thousands of pounds. And if your home’s value has dropped since you bought it, your LTV might now be too high. Lenders typically want an LTV under 80% for the best rates. If you’ve only paid off a little of your mortgage, you might not have enough equity to qualify. That’s why checking your home’s current value before applying matters more than ever. Also, your income, the amount you earn regularly from your job or other sources is under more scrutiny. Lenders now use stricter affordability tests, especially after recent interest rate hikes. They don’t just look at your salary—they check your spending habits, other debts, and even how much you spend on groceries or childcare.

There’s no magic number for credit scores, but most lenders won’t even look at your application if it’s below 600. And if you’ve taken out a personal loan or missed a credit card payment in the last year, that’s going to show up. Remortgaging isn’t a quick fix—it’s a financial decision that needs planning. You need to know your numbers before you call a broker. That’s why the posts below cover real cases: what happened when someone tried to remortgage with bad credit, how much equity you really need to avoid high fees, and why some people saved £500 a month while others lost thousands in penalties. You’ll find clear breakdowns of lender rules, hidden costs, and steps to get approved—even if your situation isn’t perfect.