Remortgaging

Remortgaging? It's a different job to buying or selling.

There's no chain, no marketing, and ownership itself doesn't change hands — but your new lender still needs a solicitor to redeem your existing mortgage and register their charge at HM Land Registry. Here's what that actually involves.

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What Actually Happens

Redeeming one mortgage, registering another.

A remortgage is not a sale and it is not a purchase — you keep the property, and nobody new is added to the title. What changes is who lends against it. Your solicitor's job is to pay off (redeem) your existing mortgage in full, deal with any conditions your new lender attaches to their offer, and then register the new lender's charge over the property at HM Land Registry.

Because there's no buyer, no seller and no chain to coordinate, the work is narrower and more contained than a full sale or purchase — but it still needs a solicitor to make sure the old charge is properly discharged and the new one is correctly registered.

Stamp Duty

Why there's usually no Stamp Duty to pay.

Stamp Duty Land Tax is charged on a change of ownership, not on a change of lender. Since a straightforward remortgage leaves the ownership of the property exactly as it was, SDLT generally does not apply. This is general information rather than tax advice on your own situation — if your remortgage involves an unusual element, such as adding or removing someone from the title, it's worth raising that with your solicitor early so it can be checked properly.

Why & How

Faster than a sale, for a reason.

Why it's typically quicker

With no chain above or below you and no property to market, a remortgage often completes in a matter of weeks rather than months. Search turnaround and your lender's own requirements still affect the exact timing, so treat this as a general expectation rather than a guarantee.

Common reasons to remortgage

A fixed or introductory rate coming to an end, switching to a better deal elsewhere, or releasing equity for home improvements or another purpose are the reasons we see most often.

What your solicitor needs from you

To get started, we'll typically ask for proof of identity, your new mortgage offer, and details of your existing mortgage or charge. From there, we deal directly with both lenders so the redemption and the new registration happen in the right order.

What A Remortgage Costs

A smaller, fixed fee — because the job is smaller too.

Because there's no chain to manage, no marketing involved, and usually no Stamp Duty to calculate, remortgage conveyancing is priced as a smaller, fixed fee than a full sale or purchase. We don't publish a single figure here because the right fee depends on your lender and circumstances — the fastest way to see an exact, no-obligation number is to talk to us using the form below, or by phone.

Get a fixed remortgage quote →

Also buying or selling a property, rather than just remortgaging the one you own?

Also buying or selling? Get a full itemised quote →

Common Questions

Remortgaging,
answered plainly.

See all FAQs →

If you are staying with your existing lender on a simple product switch, you often do not. But as soon as you move to a new lender, that lender will require a solicitor to redeem your old mortgage and register their new charge at HM Land Registry — this is standard remortgage conveyancing, not optional paperwork.

Usually not. Stamp Duty Land Tax is triggered by a change of ownership, and a straightforward remortgage does not change who owns the property — only which lender holds the charge over it. This is general information rather than tax advice on your specific circumstances.

Typically a matter of weeks rather than months, since there is no property chain to wait on and no marketing period. Exact timing still depends on your lender, the searches they require, and how quickly your paperwork comes together.

Usually your identification documents, your new mortgage offer, and details of your existing mortgage or charge. Your solicitor will confirm exactly what is needed once instructed.

More on remortgaging and related transactions.

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