Guides to UK mortgages and home buying: fixed and tracker deals, remortgaging, current rates and Stamp Duty Land Tax, with a free Stamp Duty calculator. Figures are checked against the Bank of England, HMRC and the FCA and dated so you know they are current.
Rates as of mid-October 2026 · Updated monthly · By the MortgageCompass Editorial Team · How we research UK mortgage rates have risen sharply this autumn. According to Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed rate is 5.97% and the average five-year fix is 5.99%, up from 5.68% and 5.73% a month earlier. On 5 October the
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By the MortgageCompass Editorial Team · How we research Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is the tax you pay when you buy a home in England or Northern Ireland above a certain price. The calculator comes first, because most people just want the number. The rules that decide that number,
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By the MortgageCompass Editorial Team · How we research Remortgaging means replacing your current mortgage deal with a new one, usually when a fixed or tracker rate ends. If you do nothing, most lenders move you onto their standard variable rate (SVR), which averaged about 7.13% in September 2026 according
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By the MortgageCompass Editorial Team · How we research A fixed-rate mortgage locks your rate, usually for two or five years, so your payment cannot change. A tracker follows the Bank of England’s Bank Rate plus a set margin, so your payment moves every time Bank Rate does. In mid-October
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By the MortgageCompass Editorial Team · How we research The best mortgage lender in the UK depends less on the brand and more on your situation. A borrower with a salary, clean credit and a 25% deposit can get competitive offers from almost any high street bank or building society.