London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

‘Should I add my fiancé to my mortgage before we get married?’

‘Should I add my fiancé to my mortgage before we get married?’

Adding another party to a mortgage is logical for many but it can be a tricky arrangement with stamp duty to consider.

Francesca Baker, 36, works in PR and marketing (andsoshethinks.co.uk). In 2021, she bought a two-bedroom flat in Old Street for £405,000 with a £200,000 deposit. She now lives there with her fiancé, who she is due to marry in July.

“He has another property which he is in the process of adding me to the mortgage of. I want to add him to mine so that both houses are both of ours.”

That said, Francesca doesn’t want to remortgage because she has such a low fixed rate.

“If I remortgage now, I wouldn’t get a 1.3 per cent rate.” She might also be liable for early repayment charges. “My question is: can I add him without losing my low rate and should I do this before or after we get married?”


The details


*  Property bought in 2021 for £405,000

*  Current fixed rate: 1.3 per cent

*  Fixed rate expiry date: October 2026

The advice

Jane King, mortgage adviser at Ash Ridge, says:

Adding a party to a mortgage should be straightforward but there is a process. Firstly, mortgage lenders must agree to it and Francesca’s fiancé must be on the deeds to the property as well as the mortgage. They may do background and credit checks and, if there is any adverse credit, they are likely to decline.

If they are agreeable to adding Francesca’s fiancé then the lenders will issue a new mortgage offer in joint names — they usually let borrowers keep the same rate and term so she will not have to pay any early repayment charges.

This is now just a conveyancing matter. Francesca should instruct a firm of solicitors who will note the joint ownership at the Land Registry. In addition, as there will be a transfer of equity, there may be a stamp duty issue as HMRC will deem her fiancé’s share to be 50 per cent of the value of the property. It will also be treated as her fiancé’s “second home” and an additional three per cent stamp duty may be payable. The solicitors can advise further on this.

Francesca needs to bear in mind that, on completion of this transaction, they will become joint owners, so in the event of her death the property will revert to her fiancé. Bearing in mind the significant deposit she has put down, it would make sense to protect this by way of a deed of trust/pre-nuptial agreement, just in case they do decide to separate.

Alternatively, there is a strong argument for waiting until they buy a new property together. The stamp duty issue alone would be a potential cost difficult to justify.


Mark Humphrey, director at MHC Mortgages, says:

This is actually a bit of a complex puzzle and I’d recommend Francesca and her partner seek tax planning advice from an independent financial adviser. Adding themselves onto each other’s mortgages could mean having to pay stamp duty, and at the additional rate.

However, there are potential inheritance and capital gains tax considerations further down the line if they don’t proceed. Understanding the most tax-efficient way now could save them thousands of pounds in the long run.

If they decide to add her partner to the mortgage, Francesca would need to contact her existing lender and follow the process for adding a borrower, which may be via a phone/video call or an online application. The lender will assess whether it is happy to add him after reviewing his credit file, some information about him and possibly some documentation, eg a payslip or bank statement.

Assuming the lender approves the request, the 1.3 per cent fixed rate would then remain in place unaffected until it is due to expire in October 2026.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
×