Mortgage Advice In Bristol

Introducing The Mortgage Store Bristol 

Paul McLean, Personal Mortgage Adviser at The Mortgage Store Bristol, discusses his role, company ethos and why Bristol is a great place to live and buy property.

What is a Mortgage Broker or a Personal Mortgage Adviser?

The key elements of these roles are exactly the same: to provide you with good advice and tailor mortgage solutions to meet your individual circumstances. As a personal mortgage adviser, my mantra is to keep things simple and stress-free.

Buying a property is one of the top three most stressful things we do during our lives. So the more stress I can remove from that, the better.

How does the process work?

The first step is to gain an in-depth understanding of your needs and circumstances. It might be a video chat or a phone call. At the end of that initial meeting, I’ll know what you want to achieve and what your short, medium and longer term goals are. I can then navigate the wider mortgage market to provide you with the right advice and solutions.

What is the difference between going to a Mortgage Adviser and going to your bank?

The question is, how can a bank have your best interests at heart with a ‘one size fits all’ strategy? When I started off in a bank in my early career, I often found that young couples coming in to see me would fail to meet the bank’s eligibility or affordability criteria.

When this is your first ever experience in trying to get a mortgage, it’s a very negative one. But as a Personal Mortgage and Protection Adviser at The Mortgage Store in Bristol, I have access to a much wider range of mortgage products and providers. So I’m able to marry up your best interests with a mortgage lender that suits your circumstances.

A bank is typically able to offer you a maximum of three, maybe four products, whereas I have access to hundreds. On top of that, I’ve got years of experience and have dealt with hundreds of different customer situations.

As a Personal Mortgage Adviser I’m here to guide you through the mortgage and house buying process and make sure you’re fully informed at every step.

What other features or products does a Mortgage Adviser offer?

Not only will I guide you through the mortgage world and tailor the solutions to meet your needs, I also look after you and your family, by protecting what’s important to you.

When you’re getting a mortgage, you need to insure the property – that’s mandatory and part of the mortgage offer. I can help you there, but we can also protect your contents as well – your personal belongings within the property.

Then we’ve got further protection products like life insurance. If you were to pass away whilst repaying a mortgage, a life insurance policy could pay off the mortgage so that your loved ones have got somewhere to stay and can avoid unnecessary financial pressure.

We can also look at critical illness cover, which pays you a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer or heart disease. Additionally, income protection will make sure that money doesn’t stop coming in if you can’t work due to an accident or illness.

Can you help with remortgaging?

I specialise in First Time Buyers and I’ve helped many people get onto the property market, often with schemes like Shared Ownership and Help to Buy.

But we also help with remortgages, when your initial deal is coming to an end or if you need to take out some additional borrowing for home improvements etc. We’ve also helped clients with Buy to Let, helping people become landlords. We support anyone that needs a good mortgage deal.

When should I see a Mortgage Broker or a Personal Mortgage Adviser?

As soon as you’ve decided it’s time to purchase a property, pick up the phone to me. I can help you decide on your aspirations and confirm how much you could borrow.

It’s important to know your budget before you put in an offer on a property. That way you can have a positive experience from day one.

Why is Bristol a popular location to buy property?

Bristol was voted the best place to live in Britain by the Sunday Times in 2017. It’s a city that has something for everybody. It’s steeped in culture and history and has great universities and attractions for all the family. We have museums, a zoo, a great aquarium, plus a vibrant food and drink culture, as well.

Bristol is great for nightclubs and live music events. People really love the architecture here, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which was a work of genius for its time. The SS Great Britain was the first ship in history to be built with an iron hull and was aptly called the ‘greatest experiment since creation’. Both of these are located in Bristol.

Cribbs Causeway just off the M5 is great for shopping, and Cabot Circus is the place to shop in the city centre.

When it comes to finding a property here, you’re spoilt for choice. You have the seafront properties, inner city apartments, rural homes, and in addition to all of this, you’ve got fantastic transport links to both London and Birmingham.

Tell us a bit more about The Mortgage Store Bristol

The Mortgage Store itself started up in Milton Keynes 20 years ago – so we have a lot of experience. I’m the first franchisee and have now started up a new branch in Bristol because it’s such a vibrant place for property.

I’ve personally been in financial services for ten years, having started off as an insurance consultant, and progressing to become a Personal Mortgage Adviser for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

I’ve been fully qualified for the last six years and have helped hundreds of clients achieve their home ownership dreams. It’s such a good feeling to tell someone that they’ve got a mortgage offer, and to be part of a really important moment in their life.

What does it cost to contact you?

An initial discussion or consultation is free of charge – this is where I’ll explore your circumstances and what you’re looking to achieve to set out a suitable path for you to meet your goals.

We do charge a fee at the point of arranging a mortgage for you, and we will keep you fully informed about how much this is and when it is payable.

Whatever your situation, just get in touch for an initial conversation however suits you best – phone, email, social media… I look forward to speaking to you!