Mortgage transfer

When you take out a mortgage, you agree on an interest rate with the mortgage lender. This interest rate is fixed for 10, 20 or 30 years, for example. We call this the fixed-interest period. However, at some point the interest rate may be a lot lower than the interest rate you are currently paying on your mortgage. You can then choose to refinance your mortgage. In that case, refinancing a mortgage provides a financial benefit. You can take advantage of the lower mortgage interest rate, which also reduces your monthly expenses.

Keep in mind that mortgage refinancing is not free. There are always costs involved. Do you transfer the mortgage before the end of the fixed-interest period? Then you have to pay penalty interest. On Alpina.nl you can read all about mortgage switching and what is involved.

What is mortgage switching?

Refinancing a mortgage means paying off your current mortgage and taking out a new mortgage. This can be done with either your current mortgage lender or with another that may be more favorable to you at the time. Refinancing a mortgage is usually done at a time when interest rates are low, providing a financial advantage. Moreover, it can significantly reduce your monthly expenses. Keep in mind that refinancing a mortgage costs money. You have to pay penalty interest and there are notary, advisory and appraisal fees. Refinancing is only wise if you recover those costs.

Why mortgage refinance?

The main reason for refinancing a mortgage is because it can benefit you financially. In most cases, a person chooses to transfer his or her mortgage because the mortgage interest rate will be lower. When you take out a mortgage, an interest rate is agreed upon. This is often fixed for, say, 10, 20 or 30 years. This is called the fixed-interest period. By transferring your mortgage, you pay off the current mortgage and take out a new mortgage with a new interest rate and a new fixed-interest period. You can then take advantage of a lower mortgage interest rate. This will also lower your monthly expenses. Switching your mortgage to a lower interest rate can sometimes save you thousands of euros.

When to transfer mortgage?

Refinancing your mortgage is especially wise if you benefit financially. Of course, you should not be more expensive with your new mortgage than with your previous one. Switching a mortgage can be a particularly good move financially if the current mortgage interest rate is a lot lower than the interest rate you are currently paying. The lower mortgage interest rate results in lower monthly payments. However, switching a mortgage is not without costs. For example, you will have to pay appraisal, notary and advisory fees. If you refinance your mortgage during your fixed-interest period, you usually also have to pay a penalty.

Is it wise to transfer a mortgage?

Whether it is wise to transfer your mortgage depends on your current mortgage, your personal situation, current mortgage rates and your plans for the future. There are also costs involved in refinancing a mortgage. Therefore, it is important to consider these carefully before making a decision.

Refinancing a mortgage has both advantages and disadvantages.

Benefits

• You can take advantage of a lower mortgage rate and lock it in immediately for a longer period of time
• It provides long-term security
• When you refinance your mortgage, you save on monthly expenses
• Penalty interest (the penalty you have to pay for refinancing your mortgage) is tax deductible
• When renovating a home, you can immediately increase the mortgage when you refinance. This is only the case if the mortgage lender agrees to it.

Cons

• If you refinance your mortgage before your fixed-rate period expires, you will have to pay penalty interest. The amount of penalty interest depends on the term of your old mortgage, among other things
• Refinancing a mortgage costs money. For example, you have to deal with appraisal, notary, advisory and brokerage fees.
• The mortgage interest deduction is less because you pay less interest
• If you choose a new mortgage lender, your financial situation will be reassessed. Even if you have been paying your current mortgage nicely for years. After all, your financial situation can change

Switching to a different type of mortgage

It is also possible with most lenders to transfer your mortgage to another mortgage form. Perhaps your personal situation has changed since you took out your previous mortgage, so that a different form of mortgage now suits you better. Suppose you now have a (partially) repayment-free mortgage, but you now have more financial room to repay your mortgage. Then it may pay off to convert to another form of mortgage. Always get proper advice from a mortgage advisor.

Penalty interest when switching mortgages

When you take out a mortgage, you fix the interest rate for a certain number of years, often 10, 20 or 30 years. We call this the fixed-interest period. If you switch your mortgage within the fixed-interest period because you want to take advantage of the lower interest rate, the mortgage lender unexpectedly misses out on that interest rate. That's why they ask for a fee. This fee is also known as penalty interest.

The amount of penalty interest depends on the remaining term of your fixed-rate period, the amount of your current interest rate and the amount of the current interest rate. However, you may repay a percentage each year, usually between 10% and 20%, penalty-free. This amount is deducted from the penalty interest. The penalty interest is also tax deductible.