- 84% of parents help their children - 57% is a gift, 18.3% is a no-interest loan and 4.8% a loan with interest
- The Bank of Mum and Dad contributes 26% of funds to the UK housing market
- The Bank of Mum and Dad is the 9th biggest lender
With many young people struggling to find the money to put down a cash deposit, it comes as no surprise that the majority are leaning on their parents to help them find the money (AKA the bank of Mum and Dad).
A recent report from Legal and General reveals that the Bank of Mum and Dad now contributes to 26% of funds to the UK housing market, and if Mum and Dad were an actual bank, they’d be the 9th biggest lender in the market.
So if you’ve made plans for your parents to help you financially, just be aware that there’s a set procedure to follow as this money has to be officially ‘gifted’.
What is gifting money and what does it involve?
The difference between being loaned the money and gifted the money is that with a gift, you don’t have to pay it back.
On the whole, mortgage lenders tend to prefer the money to be gifted. You just need to ask your parents to write a letter detailing how much they’ll be gifting, and that the money does not need to be repaid.
If your parents would rather loan you the money, i.e. it does need to be paid back, then your mortgage adviser will have to take these payments into consideration when working out how much you’ll have to repay in total (mortgage and loan to parents).
Guarantor Mortgages
A close relative can act as a guarantor on your mortgage. This is often an attractive option for first time buyers as the guarantor’s income is taken into account when working out how much the borrower can afford to borrow. Therefore, you may be able to borrow more than if you were applying on your own. However, this does mean that if you’re unable to make your repayments, your guarantor will be expected to make them on your behalf. A guarantor would therefore need to be able to afford all of their own current commitments and lifestyle, as well as your mortgage, should you not be able to pay.
If you'd like to arrange to speak with a mortgage adviser local to you, please feel to get in touch with us today, or head to find out more about getting a mortgage
Important information
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.