Taking out a mortgage is an expensive business and there are many hidden costs that a lot of first time buyers will not be aware of. A mortgage calculator UK can show you how much you could borrow and with a repayment mortgage calculator you will be able to see what your monthly repayments will be depending on how much you take out and how long you want the repayment terms to be (you can find a free mortgage calculator on comparison websites or on the lender’s website direct).
But before you think of taking out a mortgage you should look at all the extras you may need to pay out on to get a more accurate view of what you will be paying for monthly.
One such extra which could prove helpful and, although optional, will protect your family should you pass away during the mortgage term is mortgage life assurance.
Mortgage life assurance is basically a life insurance policy which will pay off the rest of your mortgage if you die. The amount in the policy will decrease as the debt on your mortgage does although the payments on the plan will not. It will also be cheaper for people who are younger and in better health than older people.
You do not have to take out a life assurance policy, although many lenders will encourage it and you may get a better deal on your mortgage if you decide to take one out. It will also mean that should you die before the mortgage is paid off you run less risk of your home being repossessed, causing more stress to your family and anyone who lives with you in the property. You can tie in your mortgage life assurance with any existing life insurance policy, which may make the payments cheaper (although payments on these policies tend to be less that £10 per month).
If you live on your own and don’t have any children, it may not be worth spending the extra money on a life assurance policy. If you then pass away having your home repossessed will not cause financial hardship to anyone else. But if you do have dependents, making sure the home will remain in the family could give you all peace of mind in the event that they are not able to pay off the rest of the mortgage if you do passaway.