Can I take my mortgage with me when I move? (Porting explained)

Porting means transferring your existing mortgage product to a new property when you move home, avoiding the Early Repayment Charge. It sounds simple — and on the right day with the right lender, it is.

How porting works

You redeem the existing mortgage on completion of your sale, then immediately re-draw the same product against the new property. The rate, fix end date, and ERC clock all carry over.

What you can't avoid

• Full affordability re-check — lenders re-assess against current criteria, which may be tighter than when you first borrowed.
• Property valuation — the new property has to fit lender LTV and acceptable-construction rules.
• Legal work — same as any move.

When porting works well

• You're moving sideways or down and don't need extra borrowing.
• Your existing rate is materially better than today's market.
• Your income and credit profile haven't deteriorated since the original application.

When porting doesn't work

• You need more borrowing and lender appetite has tightened.
• Income has dropped or you've changed employment status.
• The new property is non-standard construction or sub-50 year lease.
• Your existing rate is worse than today's market — paying the ERC may be cheaper.

The "top-up" issue

If you need to borrow more, lenders usually offer the extra as a second mortgage product at today's rate, alongside the ported product. You end up with two separate sub-mortgages with different end dates — messy at next remortgage.

If you're moving and considering porting, request a callback for an adviser to compare port-and-top-up vs paying the ERC and starting fresh.