The Mortgage Store

I think it’s often misunderstood. People understand the basics, that we help you get a mortgage, but for me, the most important thing is why you would use a broker.

I’m quite new to the industry, but my father was in financial services for 30 years, and I saw the industry through his eyes. I originally came into the family firm to offer support during the pandemic when everything went online.

When people ask me what the firm does, I explain it as being a bit like a personal shopper. Most of us are familiar with websites like ASOS or Net-a-porter, those e-commerce sites where we can get lots of things in one place.

You can buy brands directly from them, there’s a value range, and you can now get things like Ted Baker, Nike and other concessions – all in one place. You can think about your mortgage broker as a little like that.

It’s not just about putting something in your basket, getting it delivered, seeing what you like and sending it back. When it comes to you buying a home, often this is the first conversation you’ve had with a professional around finance. You want someone to take you on a shopping spree.

I’m your professional shopper, here to give you great advice, like a friend who goes into the changing rooms with you and makes sure things fit, they’re in budget, and that you shop around.

We work out exactly what you want, your budget, your requirements and your attitude towards finance. Let me give you advice and provide the solutions at the same time.

Let’s stick with this idea of a personal shopper. If you go into a supermarket and buy a pair of jeans, is that the same as going into Levi’s, or Selfridges or Harvey Nichols? If you ask my mum, she’d say it’s the same pair of jeans. But the fit, cut and style will be different – and how you feel about it is different.

A pair of jeans might be £50 of £500. But buying a property is a much bigger commitment than a pair of jeans. If you just walk into a high street bank, they can only offer you the products on their shelf.

What people don’t realise is that there’s 4,000 to 5,000 mortgage products available every single day. Which one of those products is right for you? Which ones do you qualify for? It’s a bit like nightclubs – do you want to go to one that lets anyone in, or one that’s more selective where the atmosphere, the music and the ambiance is what you want.

If you only want to go into one store or place of entertainment and just get their products, that’s what a high street lender can do. But as a bespoke brokerage we can look at thousands of products and work out exactly which one is right for you.

People think they can walk into their bank and get a mortgage – but that isn’t always the case. They might turn you down because of your financial history, your employment status or the amount you want to borrow. There’s so many variables.

So come to me, let me understand your position and your variables and I’ll match you with the lender who offers the right product for you.

Most of us are working, whether that be full time, part time, contract work or freelance, and it’s hard to find time to make all the calls we need to in life. As your broker, this is literally our role – to connect all the dots and keep the process moving forward.

When you’re buying a property, you have an estate agent, a lender, hopefully a great broker, your legal team. You have the person you’re buying from and possibly someone you’re selling a property to. There are lots of moving parts.

Everybody is available at different times and they all have a different objective. But nobody in that transaction gets what they want until the transaction is complete. That’s our incentive – to get you across that line in a timely manner, and make sure it’s done thoroughly. We’re not about racing to get the keys in your hand. I want to make sure all the details are correct.

We dot the I’s and cross the T’s so the conveyancing is all lined up, the funds are all ready. You can book your movers and give notice on your rental. We are your project manager, and we are confident, comfortable and used to those transactions.

I’m here to be your advocate every step of the way, to answer your questions, make sure your needs are met and get what you need within that transaction and that timeframe.

As I mentioned, I’m actually relatively new to the industry, but my father has been in the industry for years. He built his entire firm and business purely through referrals. He never even had a website. When I talk to him about social media and podcasts, it blows his mind.

All his business has been from people who come back time and again, and they tell their friends and family members, which is brilliant. When I came into the business I was starting my own family, I was recently married. I noticed that in mortgages and protection there weren’t many people who looked and sounded like me. And that actually gave me a lot of confidence.

I didn’t find many people having clear, straightforward conversations without all the jargon. An important part of our financial wellbeing is making sure not only do we have funds to buy a property, but we need to be able to make sure we can stay in it and we have to plan for adverse situations.

We have to be comfortable talking about what could happen and what you would do. I saw it first hand – the goal was always for me to take more of a lead role in the business, but that really got accelerated this year as unfortunately, my father’s health took a downturn. He’s absolutely fine, I’m pleased to report, but it has slowed him down a little.

So I did all of my qualifications – because obviously it’s a very regulated industry, which is a real positive. We only want our clients to have advice from people who are genuinely qualified to give it.

We’ve gone through a huge rebrand, changed our business model and The Mortgage Store Bolton was born. We have clients that have trusted our family firm for years and they’ve had a nice gradual handover with me. I’m really looking forward to welcoming them back – along with new clients, as well.

It’s never too early. We’re recording this now in November and lots of people are already asking if it’s too early to put the Christmas tree up. I think you should put it up whenever you like if it brings you joy.

But going back to that shopping analogy, if I had a wedding in two weeks, I’m someone who will be running around 10 days before trying to get an outfit and wishing I had more time. It’s exactly the same with your mortgage.

Start early and it will work out better. If you’re starting to think about buying a property or putting yours on the market, come and speak to us. I’ll happily give you a 30 or 40 minute consultation call. There’s no charge and no commitment, and gives you an understanding of how the land lies and what we can do for you.

In the last couple of years we have had a very changeable economic market. Things have been changing really quickly – but there will always be ups and downs. We want to plan for you as early as we can. This is your income, this is your home, this is your investment property. Let’s have as much time as we can to be prepared and to plan.

Plus, for First Time Buyers especially, we can get you mortgage ready. It’s like having a wellness check. Whether it be 12 months or six months before you’re ready to buy, we can review your credit file, look at your commitments and check your bank statements. There are little things to watch for.

You might be transferring money to your friend for an Uber ride. Make sure it’s professionally labelled, not with something you think is funny at the time. A lender might not think it looks like a great money transaction. We want to help you get financially fit and ready.

Imagine you’re going on holiday and you do a six week shred with a personal trainer. It’s much better to get healthy long term – not just have a quick fix. We want to work with you in the short, medium and long term so you’re not rushing that transaction at any point.

I think I have a very different perspective from a lot of brokers and a unique attitude towards finance and money. I was 21 when I launched my first business and I was really lucky that I had great mentors around me.

I received investment, I had accountants, bookkeepers, and financial advisors that made sure I really understood the building blocks of a business. That transpired to understanding money management.

I spent six years running my companies and then took a new turn into consulting, helping other businesses grow and develop. Within one firm I was working a lot with self-employed people who had variable incomes. They had different amounts hitting their profit or loss on a weekly or a monthly basis. We had to manage a lot of the emotion and the preparation around that.

That gave me a deep understanding of how people’s money management can impact so much. I’m a big believer that money doesn’t make you happy, but when you are struggling to pay bills or reach your next goal, it can certainly cause you stress, and that really can make you unhappy.

It’s about making sure my clients understand budgeting. We all know the word and theoretically what it means. But for a lot of people, budgeting sounds restrictive and that you’re coming from a place of lack. But money management is about understanding your fixed costs, your variable costs and looking towards savings.

I’m here to make sure you understand all your numbers. I still remember my parents balancing a chequebook, but most of our clients now have never seen one! We now use all of our money electronically, we move money between our apps, we tap our phones and our cards.

People don’t often do an analysis of their income and expenditure, and their annual or five-year goals. I don’t want to admonish anyone. I don’t want anyone feeling like they’re being told off – we just want to get some awareness around it. Then we can look at those building blocks to get you mortgage ready, or make your mortgage more comfortable.

People ask if they can pay the mortgage off faster so they don’t pay as much interest – that’s the stuff that gets me really excited. You can use your money for you. For me it’s not about ticking a box – getting a lender or the loan.

I really want to understand where you want to be in five or 10 years? Do you want to be buying another property, or paying this one off to go travelling? Do you want to go from working 40 hours a week to 20 hours a week?

It might make me sound a geek, but I’m into it and I’m here for it. We don’t learn this stuff at school and you can feel very vulnerable putting your hand up and admitting you don’t understand something.

I have a toddler now. If we all had the confidence of a three-year-old, we would be unstoppable, asking for what we want, seeking more information. But as we get older, we become smaller in that world.

I mentioned before about the regulation that I’m a massive fan of, because you have to be careful who you take financial influence and advice from. You don’t know their full story.
Have you ever seen their credit report? Have they got loans and credit cards and outstanding debt? We often take advice from people only knowing a fraction of that information.

It’s great now that we’ve got people talking on Instagram and TikTok about budgeting and investing, but let’s make sure we’ve got the foundations clear. Let’s make sure you really understand the basics so that we can keep you moving forward, whether it be in your home buying journey, your Buy to Let investments or investing in other ways like pensions, shares and bonds.

That’s a financial adviser conversation, not a me conversation, but if you feel vulnerable, make sure you’re getting great advice from great people.

At this point, there is no cost. I don’t want to make my fees so large or scary that people don’t take the first step to talk to me. I am happy to have a 30-minute call with anyone who wants to have that conversation and explore the next steps.

It’s very easy. There’s a contact form on the website to fill in. Or, if you’re one of the few people who actually likes picking up the phone, my number is there. I’m good on WhatsApp and voice notes, so contact me however it suits you.

We will book in a call and I will send you some information to have ready so we can have some structure and make good headway. Then we go from there. Our fees are some of the lowest in the market to make the barrier to entry low.

I just want to work with people who have an open mindset. We obviously need full disclosure when we’re giving you advice. It’s a bit like going to the doctor – if you don’t tell them half of the medical background, they can’t give you the appropriate advice.

For that reason, it’s really important who you pick as your broker and that you like them. We don’t need to be best mates, or to be going out for dinner together on Saturday night, but you have to feel comfortable.

I never want my clients to feel like they’ll be told off or judged. No one knows the insides of your financial circumstances but you. I’ll never tell you off about that holiday you booked. I’m going to talk about where the goal is, what action should be agreed on and hopefully we’ll get you nearer to that point every time.

YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP WITH YOUR MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS.

THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY DOES NOT REGULATE MOST BUY TO LET MORTGAGES.