By Tamseel Din, owner of J Scott & Co Solicitors — a conveyancing firm in Maidenhead
More than one and a half million households are about to have the same difficult conversation with their lender. According to UK Finance, around 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgage deals are due to expire during 2026 — up from roughly 1.6 million in 2025. Many were fixed back in 2020 and 2021, when a five-year deal could be secured below 2%. The average five-year fix sat at about 2.57% in May 2021; today it is closer to 5.7%. On a typical £250,000 mortgage over 25 years, Moneyfacts figures suggest that gap can mean paying in the region of £300 more a month.
There is no shortage of commentary on where rates go next. I am not going to add to it — that is a question for your mortgage broker, not your solicitor, and anyone in my profession who tells you otherwise should be treated with caution.
What I can tell you, after more than two decades helping homeowners across Maidenhead and the wider Berkshire area, is this: the part of remortgaging that most often causes stress and unnecessary cost is not the interest rate. It is the legal work that gets left until the last minute.
The legal work people forget when they remortgage
For a straightforward product transfer with the same lender, you may need no solicitor at all. But for property in England and Wales, a surprising number of remortgages involve legal work that has to be done properly, and on time:
- Transferring equity — adding a partner to the title, removing an ex-partner after a separation, or buying out a sibling on an inherited property. This is a legal transaction in its own right, separate from the mortgage, and depending on what changes hands it can carry Stamp Duty Land Tax implications.
- Changing lender on certain properties, particularly leasehold flats, where the new lender''s requirements around the lease, ground rent and service charges have to be checked before completion.
- Releasing equity or taking a further advance, where the lender instructs a solicitor to act.
- Moving home as your fixed rate ends — the busiest scenario of all, and the one where timing matters most.
None of this is exotic. It is everyday conveyancing. But it takes time, and it depends on third parties — lenders, managing agents, HM Land Registry — who do not move to your deadline.
Why leaving it late costs real money in 2026
Here is where the current market makes timing unforgiving. When a fixed rate ends and nothing is in place, the mortgage does not simply continue — it rolls onto the lender''s Standard Variable Rate. Average SVRs are currently around 7%, well above the best fixed deals, and the Bank of England base rate is being held at 3.75%. Every week of delay on the legal side can be a week spent on a far more expensive rate.
I have seen it happen: a remortgage that involves a transfer of equity, instructed three weeks before the fixed rate expires, with a lease that needs chasing and a managing agent who takes a fortnight to reply. The client does everything right on the mortgage — and still slips onto the SVR because the legal file could not complete in time.
People understandably focus on the rate. But the rate is only protected if the transaction actually completes on time — and that depends on the legal work being lined up early. My advice this year is simple: if your fixed deal ends in the next six months and there is any legal element to your remortgage, get a solicitor instructed now, not the week before.
A remortgage is also a good moment to check the things people put off
When a client comes to us to remortgage or move, we often find it is the first time in years they have looked closely at how their home is actually owned and protected. It is a natural moment to check three things most people never revisit:
- How you own the property — as joint tenants or tenants in common, the two forms of co-ownership in England and Wales. This matters enormously for what happens if one owner dies, and it is easy and inexpensive to correct while the file is already open.
- Whether your will reflects your current situation — particularly after a separation, a new relationship, or a change in who is on the title.
- Whether you have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place — so that decisions about your home and finances can be managed if you ever cannot manage them yourself.
Handling these alongside the remortgage saves clients a second set of costs and a second round of paperwork later. Read more about our wills, probate and LPA work on our site.
Talk to a remortgage solicitor in Maidenhead — early
Our approach at J Scott & Co has not changed in over 20 years, even as the tools have: be clear about fees up front, keep clients informed rather than chasing us for updates, and spot problems early rather than explaining them after the fact. Our conveyancing clients rate their experience 5.0 on ReviewSolicitors, and we still believe a trusted local firm on the High Street has a real advantage over a faceless online conveyancing factory when something in a transaction goes wrong. See how our remortgage and transfer of equity team works, or explore our full conveyancing services.
The homeowners who come through 2026 with the least stress are the ones who treated the legal side as part of the plan, not an afterthought. If your fixed rate is ending, talk to a solicitor early — even if it turns out you don''t need us, you''ll know where you stand.
If your fixed-rate deal ends in 2026 and you would like to understand the legal side before you commit, we offer a free initial conversation, plus a fixed-fee quote once you''re ready to instruct us.
Call J Scott & Co Solicitors on 01628 777233 or get in touch.
J Scott & Co Solicitors is an SRA-regulated law firm based at 47 High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1JT, established in 2003. The firm specialises in residential conveyancing alongside wills, probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and related private-client work, serving clients across England and Wales. CQS Accredited.
