How to Port My Mortgage? Your Guide to Moving Home While Keeping Your Rate
- Ben Stephenson
- Jan 6
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 27
Moving to a new home is an exciting milestone, but if you already have a mortgage, you’ll need to decide how to handle it.
One often-overlooked option is to port your mortgage: that means you essentially take your existing deal (and rate) with you to your new home.
This guide will walk you through how to port your mortgage in the UK, what makes it work (and what doesn’t), and whether it makes sense given your circumstances.
Last updated: 27 October 2027
What Does It Mean to Port a Mortgage?
“Porting” your mortgage means you ask your lender to take your existing mortgage product (rate, term, features) from your current property and apply it to your next house.
Here are the core features of a mortgage port:
You remain with the same lender.
You retain your current fix, interest rate or discount deal.
You still need to go through affordability and valuation checks because you’re effectively taking out a new loan.
If you borrow more for a more expensive property, the extra borrowing may be on different terms or a different rate.
If you borrow less (e.g., downsizing), you may face early repayment charges on the part of the loan you don’t carry forward.
In effect, “porting” is closer to a special form of “new mortgage with same lender” rather than a simple transfer.
Why Consider Porting Your Mortgage When Moving Home?
1) Retain a Great Rate
If you secured a particularly low fixed-rate deal and interest rates have since risen, porting may let you keep that favourable rate, rather than being forced onto a higher rate.
2) Avoid Early Repayment Charges (ERCs)
Many fixed-rate mortgages include early repayment charges if you exit the deal early. If you port, you may avoid paying those on the portion you carry to the new property.
3) Avoid Searching for a New Deal
Porting can be a simpler route, you don’t need to compare the entire market, switch lender, or renegotiate a completely new product. If speed and minimal hassle matter, this can help.
4) Ideal if Your Circumstances Are Similar
If your income, credit rating and deposit scenario remain similar, porting may make sense because you’re staying with your existing lender, who knows you.
When Porting Might Not Be the Right Option
Borrowing More = More Complications
If you’re up-sizing (moving to a more expensive home) and need to borrow much more, the lender may not allow porting of the rate for the extra borrowing, you could end up with two different loans: the original at the old rate, and the extra at a new, higher rate. This can make your cost of borrowing higher than if you simply moved to a new deal.
Your Financial or Credit Situation Has Changed
If your income has gone down, you’ve changed employment, or your credit score worsened, your current lender’s criteria may have changed too. You might not qualify to port.
The Market Rate Is Much Better Than Your Existing Rate
If your current deal is quite high relative to today’s rates, it could make more sense to remortgage instead of porting, as you’ll access better terms overall. Even though porting avoids ERCs, the cost of staying on a poor rate may outweigh that benefit.
Downsizing (Borrowing Less)
When you’re buying a cheaper property and need to borrow less than your current loan, you may face early repayment charges for the portion of your loan that’s not carried over.
Step‐by‐Step Guide to Porting Your Mortgage
Here’s how the process typically works:
Step 1: Check If Your Mortgage Is Portable
Look at your existing mortgage offer or speak to your lender to see if your deal includes a “portable mortgage product”. Not all deals are portable. The offer letter should state if the deal is portable.
Step 2: Evaluate Your Move & Finances
Decide whether you’re borrowing the same, more or less than your current mortgage balance.
If borrowing the same: Straight port may be possible.
If borrowing more: Expect additional borrowing to be on different terms.
If borrowing less: Check for Early Repayment Charges.
Also, review your current income, credit status and affordability. If any deterioration has occurred, it may affect portability.
Step 3: Talk to a Specialist Broker
We recommend using a specialist mortgage broker who understands mortgage portability when moving home in the UK.
We can:
Check your lender’s terms and current lending criteria.
Compare whether porting or switching lender is better in your situation.
Prepare your case for the lender.
Step 4: Apply to Port the Mortgage
You’ll apply with your existing lender, who will carry out checks similar to a remortgage: valuation of the new property, affordability, etc. If you’re borrowing more, you may need to apply for additional borrowing under existing or new terms.
Step 5: Completion & Moving Day
Once approved, your mortgage will be applied to the new property. If everything lines up close to your sale and purchase dates, you can retain the product and rate as you move home.
Step 6: Post-Move Review
After moving, review your mortgage and keep monitoring rates, even if you ported, you may benefit from switching or remortgaging once your deal ends.
Specialist Broker Tips to Boost Your Porting Success
Keep your credit record clean, even though you’re staying with the same lender, criteria may have changed.
Maintain your income documentation, lenders will reassess you as if you were applying afresh.
Consider timing: try to align sale of old home and purchase of new home simultaneously, minimising the gap where the product might lapse.
If borrowing more, check whether “additional borrowing” can carry the original rate or if it will be on a new deal.
Don’t assume porting is cheaper, always compare the cost of porting vs applying for a completely new deal.
Use a broker who covers mortgage portability, you’ll need specialist help, especially if your move is complex (e.g., buy-to-let switch, downsizing, higher LTV).
Comparison: Porting vs Getting a New Mortgage When Moving Home
Porting
Keep same lender and rate.
Avoid early repayment charges (if criteria met).
Quicker in some cases.
Limited by lender’s current criteria & additional borrowing may be less favourable.
New Mortgage (with same or new lender)
Access the whole market and might get better current rates.
More flexibility in lender choice and product features.
Might incur early repayment charges and legal/valuation fees.
Takes longer and involves more paperwork.
As you can see, the “best” option depends entirely on your rate, move scenario, borrowing amount and personal finances.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How far in advance can I port my mortgage when moving home?
A: There’s no standard window, each lender has its own policy. Ideally you should speak to your lender as soon as you have an offer accepted on your new home.
Q: Will porting cost the same as remortgaging?
A: Not necessarily. While you may avoid an ERC for the existing product, you may still pay valuation, legal, and arrangement fees, especially if borrowing more.
Q: Can I port a fixed-rate mortgage?
A: Yes, if the deal is labelled as “portable”. You may keep your fixed interest rate, but your circumstances must still satisfy the lender’s current criteria.
Q: What happens if I move to a more expensive property?
A: You (or your broker) will need to check how your lender treats “additional borrowing”. Often the original mortgage part keeps the rate; the extra borrowing may be under a new product at a different rate.
Q: Do I need a new mortgage valuation if I port?
A: Very likely, even though you're staying with the same lender, the new property must be assessed. Valuation is a standard part of the process.
Q: Is porting always better than finding a new deal?
A: No. You should always compare your current deal (including how good the rate is today) with what’s available on the market. If better deals exist, switching lender may save you more, even factoring in fees.
Final Steps
If you’re moving home and wondering “Can I port my mortgage?”, now is the time to take action.
Moving home does not have to mean losing your low rate, with the right strategy and specialist advice, you could keep your deal and move with confidence.
Written by Ben Stephenson, CeMAP-qualified Mortgage Broker. Reviewed by Mortgage Experts.
Manor Mortgages is FCA authorised (496907) and has been supporting homeowners for nearly 30 years. Based in Bristol with a 4.9-star Google rating, we help clients nationwide secure, review, and remortgage the right way.