Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
Skipton are currently not offering mortgages for properties that are new build, shared ownership, or valued over £1m (or £1.5m in London.)
- You can find out more of the latest updates and advice on our dedicated Which? coronavirus information hub.
Skipton mortgage customer ratings
The table below shows how Skipton performed in our latest mortgage satisfaction survey, from application process to value for money.
| Customer rating for: | Star Ratings |
|---|---|
| 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 2019 Which? survey of 3,574 members of the general public, in which 49 people told us they had their mortgage with Skipton Building Society. Where no rating is given the sample size was too small.
What kinds of mortgages does Skipton offer?
When we checked in September 2019, there were around 90 mortgages available from Skipton. The majority of these were fixed-rate deals lasting two, five, seven or 10 years, with some offering up to £1,000 cashback.
There were also a small number of two-year tracker deals available.
Skipton says that customers can choose more than one mortgage to suit their individual requirements.
Does Skipton offer interest-only mortgages?
Yes, and the most you could borrow is 70% of the property’s value. Your income will need to be at least £40,000 to be eligible.
If you’re applying for an interest-only mortgage with another person, the ‘main earner’ will need to have a gross income of at least £40,000. Alternatively, your joint earned income will need to be at least £60,000.
If you're a first-time buyer, you won't be able to get an interest-only mortgage from Skipton.
Does Skipton offer the best mortgage deals?
Which? analysis has found that Skipton Building Society offers more cheap mortgages than the average lender.
In order to work this out, our experts analysed thousands of mortgages over a four-week period in August 2019. They compiled a total of 208 ‘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 15, while Skipton featured an impressive 38 times. (Data source: Moneyfacts.)
Interest rates on Skipton mortgages
When we checked in September 2019, most mortgages from Skipton were fixed-rate deals, meaning your interest rate is guaranteed to stay the same for a set number of years. Fixed-rate mortgages were available for two, five, seven or 10 years.
The average interest rate of a two-year fixed-rate deal from Skipton was 2.41% in September 2019, compared with the industry average of 2.77%.
How much could I borrow from Skipton?
Below we’ve outlined how much you could borrow from Skipton, in relation to the percentage of the property’s value.
| Loan amount | Maximum loan-to-value |
|---|---|
| Up to £450,000 | 95% (only if you're purchasing a property) |
| £450,001 – £500,000 | 90% |
| £500,001 – £625,000 | 85% |
| £625,001 – £750,000 | 80% |
| More than £750,000 | 75% |
Skipton will lend up to 4.75 times your household income.
For a new-build property the most you could borrow is 90% of its value.
Can I make overpayments?
With most Skipton mortgages, you can make overpayments of up to 10% of the mortgage balance each year without having to pay an early repayment charge.
If you’ve had a Skipton mortgage for at least six months and make overpayments, you might be able to take a payment holiday of up to three months if:
- you’ve had no arrears;
- the holiday won’t take the loan-to-value of your mortgage over 95%; and
- you’ve made enough overpayments to cover the holiday.
How can I contact Skipton Building Society?
Skipton can be contacted on 0345 850 1711.
Its website is skipton.co.uk.
Skipton mortgage eligibility
First-time buyers
You'll be eligible for any offers available specifically to first-time buyers if you’ve never held a mortgage.
If you’re applying for a mortgage with another person, neither of you can have ever had a mortgage before for your application to be treated as a first-time buyer purchase.
Not all lenders have this rule, so it's worth talking to a mortgage broker who will be able to advise on the best lender for your situation.
Older borrowers
Skipton will consider mortgage applications from retired customers, as long as they won't be older than 80 by the time the mortgage is repaid.
It must also be a repayment mortgage, where you repay part of the amount you borrowed plus interest each month.
