Mortgages, explained.

The mortgage questions banks won't answer plainly. Answered.

Clear, honest guides to UK mortgages: self-employed and complex income, contractors, limited-company directors, buy-to-let, remortgage and product transfer. When you are ready, we introduce you to a regulated broker who can advise you.

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UK homebuyers reviewing a mortgage guide with a broker

MortgageExplained is a UK mortgage information and introducer website. It explains how mortgages work in plain English, then introduces you to a regulated mortgage broker who can advise you. It is not a lender and not an advice firm. The guides are free to read with no email gate; the broker introduction is free too, though the broker may charge a fee or earn lender commission.

Why this site exists

Mortgages are full of jargon, caveats and "it depends". People land on a lender's page and still cannot answer the basic questions: can I get one, how much, what do I need, what happens next. The harder cases, self-employed, one year of accounts, day-rate contractors, company directors paid in dividends and retained profit, are where the confusion is worst and where a high-street bank is most likely to say no without explaining why.

We write the real answers in plain English. Then, when you want a regulated human to actually arrange the mortgage, we introduce you to a broker. That is the whole model: information first, then a real, regulated adviser.

Where we focus

First-time buyers Deposits, gifted money, JBSP and guarantor help, 95% mortgages, shared ownership and Right to Buy. Self-employed and complex income Sole traders, one year of accounts, bonus and commission, the cases banks fumble. Company directors Salary plus dividends, or lending on retained profit, the difference can be huge. Contractors and day rate How the right lender reads a day rate as an annualised income, not a gap-filled CV. Key workers and professionals Teachers, NHS and healthcare staff, police and doctors: shift pay, overtime and career progression, read fairly. Buy-to-let and landlords Personal name or SPV, portfolios, HMOs and holiday lets. Most buy-to-let is unregulated. Remortgage and the 2026 cliff Switch or stay, what happens when your fix ends, plus a free payment-shock calculator. Bad credit and declined CCJs, defaults, DMPs, IVAs and bankruptcy, and what to do when a bank says no. Lender Criteria Index Who accepts what, by income type and maximum loan-to-value. Our flagship data asset. Answers in plain English The questions people actually ask, in their own words, answered honestly with where to go next. How mortgages work The A to Z of getting a mortgage: broker or direct, agreement in principle, and what you can borrow. Are you mortgage ready? The four things lenders weigh, how they decide, and how to put yourself in the best position. Mortgage calculators Affordability, self-employed, buy-to-let, offset, interest-only and bridging. Each one shows the working. Find a mortgage broker What a broker does, whole-of-market vs tied, and how to check a broker is FCA-authorised.

How it works

1. Read. Find the plain-English answer to your situation. No sign-up, no email gate.
2. Decide. Understand your options, what a lender needs, and what is realistic.
3. Get matched. When you want it arranged, we introduce you to a regulated broker who advises you.

The market, in three numbers

The Bank of England base rate is 3.75%^{[Bank of England]}, yet many fixed rates on offer are higher. We explain why on the swap rate vs base rate page.
Around 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgage deals are scheduled to end in 2026^{[UK Finance]}, so a very large number of households face a remortgage or a product transfer decision this year.
Internal product transfers run at roughly £261bn a year against about £77bn of external remortgaging^{[UK Finance]}: most people simply roll over with their existing lender, which is not always the cheapest outcome.

Common questions

Is MortgageExplained a mortgage broker?

No. MortgageExplained is an information website. We explain how UK mortgages work in plain English, then introduce you to a regulated mortgage broker who can give you regulated advice. We do not advise and we are not a lender.

Does it cost anything to use MortgageExplained?

Reading the guides is free and there is no email gate. The introduction to a regulated broker is also free. The broker themselves may charge a fee or be paid by lender commission, and they will tell you which before you commit to anything.

Who writes the content?

Every page is written and reviewed by Adam Parker, who is CeMAP and CF qualified and spent nearly a decade as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance.

Are you owned by a bank or a comparison site?

No. MortgageExplained is owned and operated by Muswell Rose Consulting Limited and is independent. Many well-known mortgage brands are now owned by banks, lenders or comparison conglomerates. We are not.

Adam Parker

Founder, MortgageExplained

Adam spent nearly a decade as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance. He is CeMAP and CF qualified. He built MortgageExplained to do one thing well: explain mortgages in plain English, then introduce you to a regulated broker when you are ready. Every page is written and reviewed by Adam.

Last reviewed: 29 July 2026