NatWest mortgages customer ratings
The table below shows how NatWest performed in our latest mortgage satisfaction survey, from application process to value for money.
| Customer rating for: | Star rating |
|---|---|
| Customer service | |
| Application process | |
| Value for money | |
| Keeping you well informed | |
| Clarity of statements | |
| Transparency of charges | |
| Query and complaint handling | |
| Ability to overpay or underpay mortgage | |
| Online access | |
Star ratings based on a June 2018 Which? survey of 3,560 members of the general public, in which 297 people told us they had their mortgage with NatWest.
What kinds of mortgages does NatWest offer?
When we checked in July 2018, there were around 290 mortgages available from NatWest.
Most of these were fixed-rate mortgages, meaning your interest rate is guaranteed to stay the same for a set number of years. Fixed-rate deals from NatWest were available for two or five years.
There were also a number of two-year tracker mortgages available.
NatWest began offering ‘paperless’ mortgages last year, where customers can apply for a mortgage by sharing and verifying documents online. With this paperless system, NatWest says it can now make mortgage offers within 11 days, compared with 23 days previously.
Does NatWest offer interest-only mortgages?
Yes, and the most you could borrow is 75% of the property’s value.
However, you must have at least £75,000 in gross income a year to be eligible for an interest-only mortgage from NatWest. If you’re applying for an interest-only mortgage with another person, at least one of you must meet this income requirement.
If you plan on selling your property to repay the capital at the end of the interest-only mortgage, you must own at least £200,000 of equity in the property when the mortgage comes to an end.
You also won’t be able to borrow more than 50% of the property’s value on an interest-only basis if you plan on selling to repay the capital. If, in total, you want to borrow 75% of the property’s value, the remaining 25% of the mortgage would have to be repaid on a capital and interest basis (also known as a repayment mortgage).
Does NatWest offer the best mortgage deals?
Which? analysis has found that NatWest offers far fewer cheap mortgages than the average lender.
In order to work this out, our experts analysed thousands of mortgages over a four-week period in June and July 2018. They compiled a total of 108 ‘top-10 cheapest deal’ tables based on a variety of borrowing scenarios, and counted how many times each lender featured in a table.
The average number of times a lender made it into a table was 14, but NatWest didn’t feature at all. (Data source: Moneyfacts.)
Interest rates on NatWest mortgages
When we checked in July 2018, most mortgages from NatWest were fixed-rate deals lasting two or five years. The average interest rate of a two-year fixed-rate mortgage from NatWest was 2.41%, compared to the industry average of 2.81%.
And when we asked NatWest mortgage customers in June 2018 about the interest rate they were paying, one in five told us they were currently paying between 3% and 3.99%.
How much could I borrow from NatWest?
Below we’ve outlined how much you could borrow from NatWest, in relation to the percentage of the property’s value.
| Loan size | Loan-to-value |
|---|---|
| Up to £570,000 | 95% (subject to criteria) |
| Less than £550,000 | 90% |
| £550,001 - £1,000,000 | 85% |
| More than £1,000,000 | 75% |
95% mortgages are only available to customers purchasing a property, and aren’t available for new-builds.
Can I make overpayments?
Yes, but depending on your mortgage you may have to pay an early repayment charge if you overpay more than 10% of the outstanding balance in a year.
If you’re paying the standard variable rate of interest on a NatWest mortgage, there’s no restrictions on how much you can overpay.
How can I contact NatWest?
Customers who already have a mortgage with NatWest can contact 0800 092 9585.
New customers can call 0800 096 9527.
Its website is natwest.com.
NatWest mortgage eligibility
NatWest says that every mortgage application is reviewed by an individual, so that each case is assessed on its merits.
Leasehold properties
If you’re looking for a mortgage for a leasehold property, there must be at least 30 years left on the lease at the end of the mortgage term.
But there is some flexibility for properties in prime locations in central London, in which case there should be at least 10 years left on the lease at the end of the mortgage.
Buy-to-let mortgages
Your total annual income must be at least £25,000 to apply for a buy-to-let mortgage. You’ll also need a deposit of at least 25% of the property’s value, or 35% for a new-build property.
First-time buyers are also eligible to apply for a buy-to-let mortgage from NatWest.
