Business Mortgages FAQs

Important information about how business mortgages work
  • HOW DO I APPLY FOR A MORTGAGE?

    You may have found a property before you read this or you may not have started looking. No matter what stage you’re at you should speak with us before you commit yourself to a property, to make sure you can afford it and can raise the necessary finance.

    To help us assess each application we may ask for some or all of the following:

    • Background details of the applicants in the form of a CV
    • Details of present / anticipated income, expenditure, assets and liabilities. We may request this to form part of a business plan incorporating a cashflow forecast and trading projections
    • Recent certified / audited accounts
    • Management accounts
    • Projections
    • Confirmation of HMRC position and other debt
    • Recent statements on your bank / building society accounts

    We may arrange to visit to discuss your application and business plan if necessary.

    The next step will be to fill in the mortgage application form. Once the mortgage application form has been completed, we will ask you to pay the mortgage valuation fee so that we can send a professional valuer to report on the property to make sure we can lend what you need.

  • WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    If you have not already done so, you will need to instruct a conveyancer to handle the legal details (procedures for buying property in Scotland are different from the system in England and Wales so it is important to contact a conveyancer at an early
    stage for guidance).

    We will then check your application and obtain any necessary references and a valuation report. This usually takes two to three weeks, but we can normally give an
    immediate “in principle” decision.

    We will then send you written confirmation of the mortgage. This is called the “Offer of Loan.” We will also send a copy of the Offer of Loan and our instructions to your conveyancer. In certain circumstances the Society will need to obtain separate legal
    representation. We will explain this to you if appropriate during the application procedure.

  • WHAT WILL MY MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENT BE?

    The amount of the monthly mortgage payment depends on:

    • How much you wish to borrow
    • Over how many years you repay the loan
    • The type of mortgage you choose
    • The current interest rate

    Take all these points into account and with the help of a written illustration you should have a good idea of how much your mortgage will cost each month.

  • WHAT ABOUT VALUATION AND SURVEY REPORTS?

    We will normally ask a valuer to visit the property to be mortgaged and to produce a report. Once the valuer has visited the property any valuation fee you may have paid cannot be refunded, even if you decide not to proceed with your mortgage.

    You will receive a copy of the report. If the report recommends that repairs or improvements need to be done, you should make sure these are completed properly.

    We arrange a mortgage valuation report to help us decide whether a property is suitable for the mortgage you need. Our own valuer or a qualified firm of valuers or surveyors approved by us will prepare the report. It is, however, not a full survey. If the report does not highlight any faults this does not mean that none exist.

    Valuations for mortgage purposes may be lower than asking prices quoted by estate agents. This is because the Society’s valuers base the valuation for mortgage purposes on actual prices achieved on the sale of comparable properties rather than the hoped for asking prices quoted by an estate agent.

    We strongly advise that you obtain a more detailed report. If you want this type of report please tell us when you apply for a mortgage. We can put you in touch with a surveyor to discuss your requirements and the fee involved.

    With the many and diverse uses of a business property we may also ask the valuer to comment on issues relating to the type of business involved (in addition to the usual report and valuation).

    Fees will, therefore, vary but we shall agree the costs with you before instructing the valuer. The valuation on which we base the amount we can lend is the market value of the property including any goodwill and fixtures and fittings.

  • WHAT RATE OF INTEREST WILL I PAY?

    We will give you details of the different types of interest rates that are available (for example variable or fixed rates).

    Details of our current offers can be obtained by contacting us.

    The interest rate which will apply to your account at the beginning of the loan will be shown in your Offer of Loan. If the interest rate changes between the time that you receive your Offer of Loan and the time when your mortgage is completed we will tell you.

    On variable rate loans we may change the interest rate from time to time. The interest rate may go up or down. When we increase the interest rate we will always give you advance notice of the new rate and the date it becomes effective. The notice will be given by either writing to you individually or by placing an advertisement in a national newspaper.

  • HOW IS THE INTEREST CALCULATED?

    We calculate interest on the ‘daily interest’ basis and charge the interest to your account each month. If you borrow extra, interest will be charged from the day the additional borrowing starts. Any items such as charges, fees, mortgage interest and insurance premiums, which are not paid by the last day of the month in which they are due, will result in additional interest being charged until the payment is made.

  • WHAT TYPES OF MORTGAGE ARE AVAILABLE?

    There are two ways of repaying your loan – repayment and 24 month interest only. The 24 month interest only product is available prior to the capital repayment phase, and is an option for new businesses looking to build up cashflow. We will provide details of the different repayment methods and repayment periods that are available.

    REPAYMENT MORTGAGE

    This type of mortgage involves repayment of the capital gradually over an agreed period. Each monthly payment you make consists of two parts, interest on the loan and part repayment of the capital. In the first few years most of your monthly payment simply covers the interest with only a small amount going towards repayment of the capital. The repayment part of your monthly payment will, however, increase as the remaining mortgage term and the amount of the capital reduces. Provided you keep up your monthly payments the capital will be repaid at the end of the agreed mortgage period. With this type of mortgage it is recommended that you take out life assurance sufficient to repay the capital in the event of a critical illness or if you should die before the end of the mortgage term. The amount of interest you pay will vary if we make any changes to the interest rate payable on your mortgage.

  • OVER WHAT PERIOD CAN I HAVE MY MORTGAGE?

    A business mortgage is usually available for a minimum of 3 years
    up to a maximum of 25 years.

  • WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

    Adequate buildings cover will be required in respect of any property in mortgage to the Society. Our Business Lending Managers will be pleased to discuss this issue with you.

  • WHAT ABOUT LIFE ASSURANCE

    We strongly advise you to ensure you have adequate life assurance to protect your mortgage in the event of critical illness or death. If you would like details and a quotation, please ask any of our Business Lending Managers.

  • WHEN WILL MY MONTHLY PAYMENT BE DUE?

    Mortgage payments are due on the last business day of each month. Your first part month’s payment is an interest only payment and the amount will depend on the day of the month the mortgage starts. So unless the mortgage starts on the first day of the month and is an “interest only” loan the first payment will differ from the normal monthly payment quoted in the Offer of Loan.

    The first part-month’s payment will be collected at the end of the second month with that month’s regular monthly payment, which is when your chosen method of payment (see below) will commence.

  • HOW DO I MAKE MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS?

    You can pay by:

    • Variable Direct Debit; or
    • Completing an “internal transfer” form, so we can automatically transfer the right sum at the end of each month from your Cumberland Account
  • CAN I MAKE ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO MY MORTGAGE ACCOUNT?

    If your mortgage is still within an early repayment charge period, you may be able to make overpayments, subject to restrictions. At the end of any early repayment charge period there are no restrictions to the level of overpayments you can make. If at
    anytime you wish to make a lump sum payment of £500 or more off your mortgage, and you would like us to calculate a reduced monthly payment, please ask us to arrange this at the time you make the payment. It is however important to note there may be an early repayment charge. Please ask for details before repaying a lump sum.

  • DO I GET A STATEMENT OF MY ACCOUNT?

    Yes, every April we send you a statement showing the interest and any other items which may have been added, the payments you have made and the amount you still have to pay.

  • WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE INTEREST RATE CHANGES?

    If you make your monthly payment by regular “internal transfer” from a Cumberland account, or by variable direct debit the Cumberland will collect the new payment automatically.

  • WHAT IF MY CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE?

    If you repay your mortgage early or, for example, you cancel your endowment policy, personal equity plan, pension plan or Individual Savings Account intended to repay the mortgage, or there is a change in your personal circumstances (for example you have a long term illness or you have a relationship breakdown) this may seriously harm your financial position.

    It is important to remember that if your mortgage is in joint names, you are both liable for the mortgage and the mortgage related payments. This applies even if you have a relationship breakdown and one of you is no longer living in the property

  • WHAT IF I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE PAYMENTS?

    We appreciate that your circumstances may at some time in the future change and you may experience temporary financial difficulties.

    We will consider cases of financial difficulty and mortgage arrears sympathetically. Our first step will be to try to contact you to discuss the matter. It is important that if you find yourself in financial difficulties then you let us know as soon as possible. We will do all we can to help you to overcome your difficulties. The sooner we discuss your problems, the easier it will be for both of us to find a solution. The more you tell us about your full financial circumstances, the more we may be able to help.

    If you are in difficulties you can also get help and advice from debt counselling organisations. At your request and with your consent we will liaise, wherever possible, with those debt counselling organisations we recognise, for example:

    • Citizens Advice Bureau; or
    • Money Advice Centre; or
    • The Consumer Credit Counselling Service
  • CAN I REPAY THE MORTGAGE BEFORE THE END OF THE AGREED TERM?

    Yes, however, you may also have to pay an early repayment charge. Details are shown in the Mortgage Application Form, the illustration and the Offer of Loan which you will be asked to sign when you make your mortgage application.

    In addition, there will be a fee for the administration work involved when you finally repay your mortgage. A list of current fees is given in our leaflet “Tariff of Mortgage Charges” which is available from any Cumberland branch.

Your mortgage is secured on your property. Think carefully before securing other debts against your property. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.