A step-by-step guide to applying for a mortgage

Use our mortgage calculator to see how much you could borrow for a house and understand what your monthly payments could be. Key factors include your:

• Income.
• Spending commitments.
• Credit score.
• Deposit amount.

Planning can help you to get an idea of how much your mortgage could cost before you apply. This process may help in the long term, especially if interest rates rise.

Once you've considered how much you can borrow, think about the type of mortgage that may suit your needs best. Options include fixed rate, tracker and interest only mortgages.

• Learn more about mortgage types
• Fixed rate mortgages
• Tracker mortgages
• Interest only mortgages

Define what matters

List the features your dream home should have. Explore must-haves and weigh up compromises.

For example, are these things important?

• Off-street parking.
• A large garden.
• Proximity to a city centre.
• Distance to schools.

Explore your options

• When you know what you want, register with estate agents and start looking on property websites.
• Sign up for email alerts to know when a new property that meets your criteria is listed online.
• Contact the estate agent and book a viewing.

Find out if you could get a mortgage on the property you've seen by getting an Agreement in Principle. It tells you how much we could lend you based on your income, property value, deposit amount and mortgage term.

Our Agreement in Principle:

Provides a personalised indication of how much we could lend you.

Will not impact your credit score as we use a soft credit check.

Takes less than 10 minutes and there is no commitment.

Plus, you can download a certificate to show your estate agent.

Get your Agreement in Principle, see the rates available to you and find out what your monthly payments could be before starting an application.

Tip: Consider organising a house survey to check the property when making an offer. This can help to minimise risk and ensure you're paying what it's worth. 

• Call (or go into) the estate agents' office and tell them how much you're willing to offer.
• Provide the estate agent with an indication of where the money will come from.
• Inform them how quickly you can proceed with the purchase.
• The agent will then let the seller know of your offer.
• They will notify you whether your offer is accepted or not. 

The seller may not accept your first offer, but when the seller accepts your offer on the house, it's time to start your mortgage application. 

To begin the mortgage application process, follow these steps:

1. Log in and retrieve your Agreement in Principle if you saved it.
2. Otherwise, start a new one before applying for your mortgage.
3. See the mortgage rates available to you. 
4. Select the mortgage that you want to see a personalised mortgage illustration for.
5. Start the application form.

Once you've completed the mortgage application, we'll hold your rate for 14 days whilst you upload your supporting documents such as bank statements and proof of identity. We'll confirm the documents you need to provide once you've completed the mortgage application form.

Once you've uploaded your supporting documents and completed all the tasks on your mortgage dashboard, your mortgage application will be submitted.

Remember, you only have 14 days to upload your documents on the mortgage dashboard.

If you are applying for a joint mortgage, then the 2nd applicant will receive an email with details on the documents that they will also need to upload onto their mortgage dashboard.

We'll then complete the normal affordability and credit checks before finalising your mortgage offer. 

When you've received your formal mortgage offer, your solicitor and estate agent will guide you through the final steps of the process for buying the property.

Once your solicitor has done their checks, they'll agree the date for exchanging contracts and completing the purchase with the seller's solicitor. Then, it's time to plan the big move! 

Read our home moving costs guide to start planning for the move.

Understanding whether you can obtain a mortgage will involve considering things like:

• Income.
• Size of your deposit.
• Your spending.
• Credit score.

Before you apply for a mortgage, you can use mortgage calculators and get an Agreement in Principle to understand whether you’re eligible.

To help you get approved for a mortgage, you’ll need to ensure you have or can improve your financial position. This work may include building or maintaining:

• A strong credit score.
• A deposit.
• A steady income.

Once you have established this foundation, research what you need to apply for a mortgage. Gather those documents before getting an Agreement in Principle.

A lender will review your financial health by looking at your:

• Income.
• Outgoings.
• Debts.
• Credit history.

A lender will then use the information they have found to confirm whether they’re comfortable offering you a mortgage, and how much they are happy to lend. 

Applying for a new mortgage? Use our Mortgage Rate Finder tool. From there, you can view the range of deals currently available.

Switching your current NatWest mortgage to a new deal? Log in to Manage your Mortgage and get a personalised quote.

To log in, you'll need your mortgage account number, surname, date of birth and the mortgaged property's postcode.

You can find your mortgage account number:

• on your most recent mortgage statement
• in the “account summary” section in online and mobile banking
• on your mortgage offer documentation.

You can add the product fee to your mortgage balance, rather than electing to pay it up front.

However, if you choose to add the product fee to your mortgage, you’ll increase the total amount repayable. This is because we charge interest on the product fee for the full duration of the mortgage term.

When you apply for a new NatWest mortgage, the offer of loan is valid for six months.

If your financial circumstances change after you've applied for a NatWest mortgage, tell us as soon as you can. We’ll talk you through the options and may be able to offer an alternative product.

You’ll get a formal mortgage offer when we’ve received and assessed all the information we need from you. Your property must also achieve a satisfactory valuation report.

Your mortgage funds will be released on the requested completion date, which your solicitor will inform us of.

As soon as your solicitor receives the mortgage funds, they'll be able to complete the purchase of your new property.