Mortgages, explained.
The mortgage questions banks won't answer plainly. Answered.
Clear, honest guides to UK mortgages: self-employed and complex income, contractors, limited-company directors, buy-to-let, remortgage and product transfer. When you are ready, we introduce you to a regulated broker who can advise you.
MortgageExplained is a UK mortgage information and introducer website. It explains how mortgages work in plain English, then introduces you to a regulated mortgage broker who can advise you. It is not a lender and not an advice firm. The guides are free to read with no email gate; the broker introduction is free too, though the broker may charge a fee or earn lender commission.
Why this site exists
Mortgages are full of jargon, caveats and "it depends". People land on a lender's page and still cannot answer the basic questions: can I get one, how much, what do I need, what happens next. The harder cases, self-employed, one year of accounts, day-rate contractors, company directors paid in dividends and retained profit, are where the confusion is worst and where a high-street bank is most likely to say no without explaining why.
We write the real answers in plain English. Then, when you want a regulated human to actually arrange the mortgage, we introduce you to a broker. That is the whole model: information first, then a real, regulated adviser.
Where we focus
How it works
- 1. Read. Find the plain-English answer to your situation. No sign-up, no email gate.
- 2. Decide. Understand your options, what a lender needs, and what is realistic.
- 3. Get matched. When you want it arranged, we introduce you to a regulated broker who advises you.
The market, in three numbers
- The Bank of England base rate is 3.75%[Bank of England], yet many fixed rates on offer are higher. We explain why on the swap rate vs base rate page.
- Around 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgage deals are scheduled to end in 2026[UK Finance], so a very large number of households face a remortgage or a product transfer decision this year.
- Internal product transfers run at roughly £261bn a year against about £77bn of external remortgaging[UK Finance]: most people simply roll over with their existing lender, which is not always the cheapest outcome.
Common questions
Is MortgageExplained a mortgage broker?
No. MortgageExplained is an information website. We explain how UK mortgages work in plain English, then introduce you to a regulated mortgage broker who can give you regulated advice. We do not advise and we are not a lender.
Does it cost anything to use MortgageExplained?
Reading the guides is free and there is no email gate. The introduction to a regulated broker is also free. The broker themselves may charge a fee or be paid by lender commission, and they will tell you which before you commit to anything.
Who writes the content?
Every page is written and reviewed by Adam Parker, who is CeMAP and CF qualified and spent nearly a decade as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance.
Are you owned by a bank or a comparison site?
No. MortgageExplained is owned and operated by Muswell Rose Ltd and is independent. Many well-known mortgage brands are now owned by banks, lenders or comparison conglomerates. We are not.
Founder, MortgageExplained, MortgageExplained
Adam spent nearly a decade as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance. He is CeMAP and CF qualified. He built MortgageExplained to do one thing well: explain mortgages in plain English, then introduce you to a regulated broker when you are ready. Every page is written and reviewed by Adam.
Last reviewed: 29 June 2026