Help with mortgages

Use our handy mortgage terms explained guide to help you understand the mortgage terms you're unsure of, it includes all the common terms that'll come up.

With a Decision in Principle, you can find out if we may be able to lend to you and how much that would be. It's free and there’s no obligation to take out a mortgage with us afterwards. It’s also known as an Approval in Principle, Agreement in Principle or Mortgage Promise.

Using your income and outgoings, it gives you a good idea of the type of property you may be able to afford. It's also something estate agents sometimes ask for to show you're serious about buying.

Will getting a Decision in Principle affect my credit score?

No, you’re agreeing to a soft credit search. This won't affect your credit score or leave a visible record on your credit report.

How long is a Decision in Principle valid for?

A Decision in Principle is valid for 90 days. If your Decision in Principle has expired, you’ll need to start again.

To find out if we'll lend to you and how much that might be, start with our helpful Borrowing Calculator. If you're looking for advice on the best mortgage for you, call our mortgage enquiry number on 03450 50 50 75 to arrange a telephone appointment. If you’d prefer, you can also get a slot using our appointment booking tool.

It depends how you apply, if you apply online we accept up to two applicants. If you want to apply with up to four applicants, you can book a telephone appointment or call us on 03450 50 50 75.

If you apply online for a residential mortgage, you won't receive advice from us. You'll need to make your own choice about which mortgage is suitable for you. This means we won't assess the suitability of the mortgage to your needs and circumstances.

If you’d prefer to get some advice, you can book a telephone appointment or call us on 03450 50 50 75. They’ll advise you on which mortgage is suitable for you based on your needs and circumstances.

What documents do I need to progress my application?

We'll let you know which documents you need and when.

To get an idea of what sort of documents we might ask for, you can look at our Application Requirement Guide.

Who can certify my documents?

Only certain documents need to be certified. We'll let you know which ones need ceritification.

These can be certified by:

• Independent Financial Advisers
• Accountants
• Bank/Building Society Managers
• Leeds Building Society colleague in a branch
• Post Office staff (certification service only)
• Commissioners for Oaths
• General Practitioner / Doctor
• Justice of the Peace
• Practicing Solicitor
• A certified document needs to include:
• An official stamp (if applicable)
• A signed name in full
• The certifying person’s profession
• Their company Address
• A phone Number
• The date of certification.

Where do I send the documents you need for my mortgage application?

There are three options for sending your documents:

• Email them to MLDcustomer@leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk (including your reference number in the email subject line)
• Post them to Leeds Building Society, 26 Sovereign Street, Leeds, LS1 4BJ
• Visit your local branch, we’ll take copies of your documents

Please include your application reference number.

Just to make you aware, we won’t review your document(s) until the full application has been submitted.

Monthly payments

The easiest way to pay is by direct debit. If you haven’t set a direct debit up yet, all you have to do is give us a call on 03450 50 50 75 and we’ll set it up for you. Or if you want some other ways to pay, you can also choose from these options:

• Standing Order
• Regular bank transfer - e.g. faster payment
• Regular card payments – you can do this in branch or over the phone
• Regular cash payment – you can only do this in a branch
• Regular cheque payment – you can only do this in a branch

Paying fees

The simplest way is to pay by card during the application. We do sometimes accept payments by bank transfer, depending on the circumstance.

Overpayments

If you’re making an overpayment above your monthly mortgage repayment, remember to check your terms and conditions as there may be fees included. You can choose from these payment options:

• Bank transfers - e.g. faster payment
• Card payments – you can do this in branch or over the phone
• Cash – you can only do this in a branch
• Cheque – you can only do this in a branch

If you’re paying over the phone

You can make a mortgage payment over the phone by ringing our secure automated payment line on 03300 081 604. Lines are open 24 hours a day.

Make sure you have your 10-digit mortgage account number, the postcode of the account you are making a payment for, and your debit card to hand.

If you’re paying online

Here are the details you'll need:

Name: The name you enter should match the name on your account with us.

Sort code: 40-64-38

Account number: The first 8 numbers of your existing 10-digit mortgage account number

You can find your mortgage account number in your annual statement or by logging into your account online. If you’ve had letters from us recently, it could also be in there.

Reference: You can choose your own reference.

Payments into your account will show in your balance on the next working day.

It’s important that you contact us as soon as possible if you think you might not be able to meet your mortgage repayments now or in the future. We’ve got friendly, trained staff able to talk you through different options.

Find out more about dealing with money worries.

What's a product fee?

This is the fee you pay for some mortgage products. You'd usually pay this at application or you might be able to add it to the mortgage. We'll refund the fee if the mortgage application isn't successful or you choose not to continue.

What payment methods do you accept for the product fee?

Product fees need to be paid by card during the application. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro.

We now use Confirmation of Payee (CoP) which means your details will go through a name checking service when you send money to a Leeds Building Society account.

This helps prevent misdirected payments and potential fraud, which means you’re more protected when making payments.

Find out more about Confirmation of Payee.

The information you give will be held by Leeds Building Society. We’ll use your information to process your application and help manage your account(s) and any services you use. We also use this information to improve our online tools and the customer experience. For example, some calls may be recorded for quality and monitoring purposes. For more detail on how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.

You can call our Mortgage Service Desk on 03458 48 00 62 to get an update from our friendly colleagues.

If you’d like to get some advice, you can book a telephone appointment or call us on 03450 50 50 75. They’ll advise you on which mortgage is suitable for you based on your needs and circumstances.

We can send information in braille, large print or audio formats. To get correspondence in one of the formats on offer, just contact Mortgage Service Desk on 03458 48 00 62.

Leeds Building Society will only cover the costs of a standard remortgage. You’d need to pay for any extra work needed, such as adding or removing an owner from the property or any additional searches. To see what this could include, we've written out a list of possible additional fees to read through, too.

A mortgage valuation is how we check how suitable a property is to lend against. It’s free and only for our benefit, so you’d need to arrange your own valuation or survey to check the property.

There are three types of mortgage valuation. The types are an AVM, a desktop valuation, and a physical evaluation.

1. AVM

An AVM, or Automated Valuation Model, gives us an estimated value on a property and tells us whether the property meets our standards.

2. Desktop Valuation

A desktop valuation is where a surveyor will research the property and complete a valuation report. This is all done without the surveyor visiting the property.

3. Physical Evaluation

A physical evaluation is where a surveyor comes to your property to assess it in person. They’ll have also already done some research, too.