rss RSS Feed

 

Mortgages become 20 per cent more affordable

Homeowners in England and Wales saw a 20 per cent drop in the proportion of their take-home pay spent on monthly mortgage repayments in 2009, according to the latest mortgage affordability research released by Woolwich, the mortgage arm of Barclays.

In December 2008, homeowners across England and Wales were spending on average £196 of every £1000 of their take home pay each month on their mortgages. A year later this had dropped to £157. In cash terms this equates to a saving of £110 per month on average in England and Wales.

The average monthly mortgage payments for homeowners now stands at £497, compared to £607 in December 2008.

Andy Gray, head of mortgages at Barclays said: "For the 11 million UK households who have a mortgage there is a silver lining to the recession - a substantial reduction in mortgage payments right when they need it most. For them it's a chance to save in a way they might not have been able to before, or to overpay their mortgage and cut years from its life."

The Woolwich Mortgage Affordability research measures the proportion of homeowners' income that is spent on mortgage repayments. It is based on data from a representative sample of nearly two million Barclays bank account holders making mortgage payments from the full range of UK lenders.

Regionally, the largest fall was in London where the proportion of pay spent on mortgage repayments has decreased by 23 per cent, with the smallest decrease in the North East, at 15.5 per cent. Of the ten regions analysed, the Welsh spend the smallest proportion of their take home pay - £143 in every £1000 - on monthly repayments. Londoners spend the most - £189.

Despite Londoners spending the most, they have also experienced the biggest payment reductions [£228] while homeowners in the North East saved on average £80 a month.

 

Print Print Article

Date: 3rd, February, 2010

Author: Ben Wilkie


Lifestyle Protection Finder
 
Protect all of your monthly outgoings in one flexible, value for money plan. Protect up to 90% of your salary and get the first month free.
Mortgage Finder
First time buyer, home buyer, home mover or remortgaging?

Check out our mortgage 'best buys' supplied by Moneysupermarket.com updated daily and get a mortgage quote today.

Switch Energy Supplier
 
Switch Energy Supplier
Save up to £425 on your Gas and Electricity bills Now!
Postcode:      

ADVICE TO READERS

While this website is checked for accuracy, we are not liable for any incorrect information included. We recommend that you make enquiries based on your own circumstances and, if necessary, take professional advice before entering into transactions.

 

Free Newsletter

Register for your FREE weekly What Mortgage newsletter and get:

  • The latest mortgage news and deals

  • Access to exclusive special guides and features

  • Exclusive invitations to competitions

Name

Your Email

Metropolis Business Media respects your privacy. We collect information via this registration page to support promotion and publicity of our magazines and events through email marketing. The information will be used to provide you with personalised and user-specific newsletters, emails, e-flyers and/or surveys and you may unsubscribe at any time.

House price search

house price index

Enter your postcode here to find out how much your property is worth, based on Land Registry data.

Mortgage Calculator - How much can I borrow?

Enter the following information to calculate the amount you can borrow.

First Income:

Second Income: