General election: Expert advice from mortgage expert Scott Howitt
12 Jun 2024

According to Rightmove, 95% of those planning to move this year have said ‘the upcoming general election won’t change their plans’, but prospective buyers will likely still be wondering what the different policies mean to them and in this article, we asked Scott Howitt at Chartwell Mortgage Services to tell us what his advice is to buyers right now.

Here’s what he told us…

Research

Whether you’re looking for your first or forever home, it’s important that we all do our research before buying a home and in the midst of a general election, it is sensible to look at the different party manifestos.

We all have individual circumstances and preferences, so it's important we understand how each party’s policy will impact us should they come into power. 

Prepare

Preparation is key and regardless of what is going on in the world, my advice remains the same:

Don’t rush it - take your time and have a look around, as you would with any large purchase.

Budget properly - make sure you can afford it and make sure it’s going to be sustainable. It’s really important not to overstretch yourself and to know that if costs go up, you’re able to absorb them. 

Take proper advice - engaging professionals right from the beginning and through to the end will help to make sure that you get the outcome you’re looking for. It’s the key to ensuring everything fulfills your needs - both now and in the future.

Go Ahead

I’ve got 28 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, so I’ve seen the ups, the downs, the highs and the lows - and I would say that now is a good time to buy. 

In the past 18 months, we’ve seen interest rates increase, but they’ve steadily started to come back down, which is very encouraging and very positive. 

There is a general election pending, but we’ve had lots of events over the last few years, so if now is the right time for you to buy a home, then I see no reason not to go for it.