By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Sam covers personal finance topics, from the most affordable places to live to the reasons mortgage lenders say no. He enjoys crunching the numbers to help consumers get ahead.
Anna covers personal finance, helping readers make sense of savings, credit cards and insurance. Her insights are informed by experience in the financial services industry.
Find the right mortgage using the fee-free service provided by L&C Mortgages
Compare mortgagesIf you click on the link and complete a mortgage with L&C Mortgages, L&C is paid a commission by the lender and will share part of this fee with Which? Ltd helping fund our not-for-profit mission. We do not allow this relationship to affect our editorial independence. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
In this article
First Direct is part of the HSBC banking group and offers a range of mortgages for first-time buyers, home movers and those remortgaging.
Here, you can find out what real First Direct mortgage customers thought about its service, what our expert analysis uncovered about its range of deals and the best First Direct mortgage rates on the market right now.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of a provider before committing to any financial products.
Why you can trust our First Direct mortgage review
Real First Direct customer views
We've asked 116 First Direct mortgage customers about their experiences of the lender.
Expert mortgage rate analysis
We've analysed First Direct mortgages to work out if it's a lender that offers competitive deals.
First Direct performed well in our customer satisfaction survey, but really impressed in our mortgage deals analysis. Over our three-month analysis period, it was the cheapest mortgage lender, on average. This combination of excellent customer satisfaction and market-leading rates meant First Direct was named a Which? Recommended Provider.
74%
out of 21 mortgage lenders ranked on customer score (joint-6th)
To see how First Direct compares with other mortgage providers, head to our guide on the best mortgage lenders.
Anna McClean, Which? market analyst, says: 'We analysed thousands of mortgages, using Moneyfacts data, over three months in the summer/autumn of 2026. We created 28 mortgage scenarios, based on typical loan amounts, term lengths and mortgage products, to reveal the lenders that consistently offer the best deals. Ranking first means the provider offered, on average, the cheapest mortgage deals during our analysis period. First Direct was the cheapest lender overall in our analysis and came top across first-time buyer, home mover and remortgage deals.'
Here's how First Direct did in our analysis:
Find out more: check how other lenders did in our cheapest lender interest rate analysis.
The table shows the two-year fixed-rate mortgages First Direct is currently offering first-time buyers with an 80%, 90% or 95% loan-to-value (LTV).
To see how First Direct compares with other mortgage providers, see our guide to the best mortgage rates, updated daily.
| 80% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.24% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 80% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.38% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 90% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.35% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 90% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.48% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 95% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.74% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 95% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.74% | £0 | 6.24% |
Table notes: Data from Moneyfacts, updated daily. Customer score is based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the provider. The average customer score is 73%. The results are based on an online survey of 6,514 members of the public conducted in August and September 2026. Providers must have a minimum sample size of 40 to be included in the results. The sample size for First Direct was 116.
The table shows the two-year fixed-rate mortgages First Direct is currently offering to home movers with a 60%, 75%, or 85% loan-to-value (LTV).
To see how First Direct compares with other mortgage providers, see our guide to the best mortgage rates, updated daily.
| 60% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.04% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 60% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.18% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 75% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.13% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 75% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.28% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 85% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.24% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 85% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.38% | £0 | 6.24% |
Table notes: Data from Moneyfacts, updated daily. Customer score is based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the provider. The average customer score is 73%. The results are based on an online survey of 6,514 members of the public conducted in August and September 2026. Providers must have a minimum sample size of 40 to be included in the results. The sample size for First Direct was 116.
The table shows the two-year fixed-rate mortgages First Direct is currently offering to remortgage customers with a 60%, 75%, or 85% loan-to-value (LTV).
To see how First Direct compares with other mortgage providers, see our guide to the best mortgage rates, updated daily.
| 60% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.06% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 60% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.31% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 75% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.18% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 75% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.46% | £0 | 6.24% |
| 85% | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.33% | £490 | 6.24% |
| 85% fee free | RECOMMENDED PROVIDER First Direct | 74% | 5.61% | £0 | 6.24% |
Table notes: Data from Moneyfacts, updated daily. Customer score is based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the provider. The average customer score is 73%. The results are based on an online survey of 6,514 members of the public conducted in August and September 2026. Providers must have a minimum sample size of 40 to be included in the results. The sample size for First Direct was 116.
Find the right mortgage using the fee-free service provided by L&C Mortgages
Compare mortgagesIf you click on the link and complete a mortgage with L&C Mortgages, L&C is paid a commission by the lender and will share part of this fee with Which? Ltd helping fund our not-for-profit mission. We do not allow this relationship to affect our editorial independence. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
We asked First Direct mortgage customers about their experience with the lender.
Here's how customers rated First Direct in various areas of service:
| Category | Star rating |
|---|---|
| Overall customer service | |
| Keeping you well informed (for example, telling you about changes to interest rates) | |
| Clarity of mortgage statements | |
| Transparency of charges/penalties | |
| Flexibility of payments (for example, being able to overpay/underpay/take payment holidays) | |
| Online access (for example, being able to access your account online or via an app) |
Table notes: Star ratings are out of five. The results are based on an online survey of 5,016 members of the public conducted in August and September 2026. Providers must have a minimum sample size of 40 to be included in the results. The sample size for First Direct was 116.
Rates are great, customer service is great and the option to overpay a large sum without worrying about additional fees is great.
Along with star ratings and scores, we also collect feedback from real customers.
Respondents praised its customer service and the ability to make mortgage overpayments without incurring costs. One customer said the bank was 'very helpful', particularly when they needed a payment holiday.
Praise of First Direct's online access was a common theme. One respondent described First Direct's online portal as 'first class', and another said its app is 'easy to use'.
When we checked in September 2026, First Direct offered 75 mortgages. Most were fixed-rate deals, meaning your interest rate stays the same for a set initial period.
First Direct mortgages had initial periods of two, three or five years.
A smaller number of First Direct mortgages were tracker deals, with initial terms lasting two years before reverting to the First Direct standard variable rate.
First Direct allows you to borrow up to 4.75 times your income if you are a home mover and up to 5.5 times your income if you're buying your first home.
First Direct doesn't currently offer green mortgages.
All First Direct mortgages have a maximum term of 40 years.
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on your behalf, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence
Find the best mortgage for you, with expert help provided by L&C Mortgages
Get advice now