Preparation hub
Preparing to move home
Moving usually means running two processes at once: ending one mortgage arrangement and preparing a new application. This hub focuses on what to organise and clarify in advance.
What to focus on
Six areas worth organising first
Educational preparation areas, not requirements. Every lender sets its own criteria and only a qualified adviser can tell you what matters in your case.
Existing mortgage terms
Equity and LTV
Chain and timing
Updated income evidence
Costs of moving
Portability questions
Guides for this situation
Read these next
Each guide covers what tends to be asked for, what varies and which questions are worth taking to a qualified adviser.
Documents · 8 min
What documents are usually needed for a mortgage application?
Deposit & LTV · 6 min
Understanding loan-to-value (LTV)
Income · 8 min
Mortgage on Probation or After Starting a New Job
Applications · 7 min
Joint applications: three things people mix up
Planning · 8 min
A 90-day mortgage preparation framework
Documents · 7 min
Bank statements: what to review before you apply
Preparation tools
Work it through yourself
Free educational tools. Nothing is submitted to a lender and no credit search is performed.
- Readiness checker
Review broad preparation areas without an eligibility score
- LTV calculator
Work out loan-to-value from a property value and mortgage amount
- Document checklist
Build a printable preparation list
- Application timeline
See educational preparation milestones from a target month
An optional resource for this situation
Optional educational preparation resources. Nothing here is mortgage advice, a lender or product recommendation, an eligibility assessment or a prediction of whether an application would be accepted.
- Mortgage Preparation Starter Checklist
Your answers span more than one area of preparation. This free starter checklist is a simple way to see the usual paperwork and questions in one place before you decide what to tackle next.
- Readiness checker
Eight broad preparation questions. It never says whether you would be eligible, approved or declined.
Common questions
Questions people ask at this stage
- Can I take my current mortgage with me?
- Sometimes arrangements can be portable, subject to a lender's own assessment and criteria. Ask a qualified adviser and your lender directly.
- Do I need all my paperwork again?
- Usually yes, and it typically needs to be current. Our checklist builder produces a printable starting list.
Independent advice
When you need personal advice
Preparation and advice are two different things. We can help you get organised; only a suitably qualified, FCA-authorised mortgage adviser can advise you on your own circumstances, assess what you may be able to borrow or recommend a product.
Before You Apply is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is not a mortgage adviser, broker or lender. We provide educational preparation resources only. We do not give mortgage advice, recommend lenders or products, assess eligibility, arrange mortgages or introduce you to advisers. If you need advice about your own circumstances, contact a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser directly.
- Choose and contact an adviser independently. We do not introduce you to anyone, name any firm or receive any payment for anyone you contact.
- You can check whether a firm or individual is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority’s public register before you share any information.
- Take your prepared documents and written questions with you — that is what this site is for.
It helps us understand what readers need next. Nothing is sent and nobody contacts you.
What this hub does not do
It does not assess eligibility, estimate what you could borrow, compare or recommend lenders or products, arrange a mortgage or introduce you to an adviser. Those are regulated activities and Before You Apply is not FCA authorised.