Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Rupert Jones

Santander offers 98% mortgage for first-time buyers – with strict rules

First-time buyers looking at the window of an estate agents.
The product excludes properties in Northern Ireland and is unavailable for people who are self-employed. Photograph: Clynt Garnham/Alamy

One of Britain’s biggest banks has launched a mortgage that lets first-time buyers borrow up to 98% of the property’s value – but experts said the “very strict” rules would exclude many people and property types.

Santander said this was the first time for years that a major high street bank had gone beyond the traditional 95% borrowing limit, and some mortgage brokers called it a “bold and significant” move that would help more first-time buyers achieve their home ownership dreams.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.