If you are planning to move home but are currently tied into a mortgage deal, you may be wondering whether you can take your existing mortgage with you rather than starting from scratch. This is known as porting, and it is an option that is worth understanding before you make any decisions.
What does porting mean?
Porting a mortgage means transferring your existing mortgage, along with its current interest rate and terms, from your current property to a new one. Rather than paying off your mortgage early and taking out a completely new one, you carry the existing deal across to the new purchase.
Why would you want to port?
The main reasons people consider porting come down to two things: avoiding early repayment charges and keeping a good rate.
If you are in a fixed-rate deal, paying it off early before the fixed period ends typically triggers an early repayment charge, which can be substantial. Porting allows you to sidestep that cost.
If your current mortgage rate is lower than what is available in the market today, keeping it makes obvious financial sense. Rates change over time, and if you secured a particularly competitive deal a few years ago, porting preserves that advantage.
How does it actually work?
First, you need to check whether your mortgage is portable, as not all products offer this feature. If it is, you apply to your existing lender to port it to the new property. This is not simply a transfer, the lender will reassess your financial circumstances, including your income, credit history, and outgoings, in much the same way as a new mortgage application. Approval is not guaranteed just because your mortgage is technically portable.
The lender will also carry out a valuation of the new property to confirm it is acceptable security.
What if you are borrowing more or less?
If your new property costs more than the current one and you need to borrow additional funds, the extra amount will typically be offered at the current market rate, which may differ from your ported rate. You effectively end up with two mortgage parts running alongside each other.
If you are moving to a cheaper property and need to borrow less, you may face early repayment charges on the portion of the mortgage you are not porting, so it is important to understand the numbers before committing.
Timing is important
One of the more complex aspects of porting is coordinating the sale of your current property and the purchase of the new one. The timing needs to align reasonably well, as there can be complications if there is a significant gap between the two completions. Applying to port as early as possible in the process gives you the best chance of managing this smoothly.
Is porting always the right choice?
Not necessarily. Mortgage products and market conditions change, and the deal you are on may not be as competitive as it once was compared to what is available now. It is worth getting a proper comparison done before assuming porting is the best option.
A mortgage adviser can assess whether porting makes financial sense in your specific situation, what the alternatives look like, and help you manage the practicalities of the process.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Approved by In Partnership FRN 192638 June 2026
