Is there a fee free mortgage broker in Manchester?

Yes. Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services provides whole of market mortgage advice to buyers across Manchester and Greater Manchester. Our mortgage advisers don't charge broker fees for standard residential and buy to let mortgages; the lender pays us when your mortgage completes. Where a case is complex enough to need a fee, we agree it with you in writing first.

How much deposit do I need in Manchester?

Most lenders want at least 5%. With first time buyers in Manchester paying around £236,000 on average, that's under £12,000, and a 10% deposit opens up better mortgage deals and more lenders. Family gifts are fine with almost every lender as long as the giver confirms it isn't a loan, and 95% mortgages are widely available for first homes.

Can I get a mortgage if I work for myself?

Yes. Lenders generally want two years of accounts or SA302s, and some accept one year. They differ on whether they use your latest year or an average, and whether they count retained profit for company directors, which changes what you can borrow by a lot. Our mortgage advisers place sole trader, contractor and company director cases every week.

What is an agreement in principle?

An agreement in principle (AIP), sometimes called a decision in principle, is a lender's written indication of how much it would lend you, based on a soft credit check and your declared earnings. Most Manchester estate agents want to see one before they'll put your offer forward. Our mortgage advisers can usually arrange one within a few hours.

How much can I borrow in Manchester?

Most lenders lend around 4.5 times your salary, and several go to 5 or 5.5 times for applicants with steady earnings and clean credit. At Manchester prices that means a couple on average salaries can usually afford a decent first home without stretching. The exact figure depends on your outgoings, credit commitments and the lender's stress test, which is why two lenders can give the same person figures tens of thousands apart.

Can I get a mortgage on a Manchester city centre flat?

Usually, yes. Lenders look at the lease length, the service charge, whether the block has its cladding paperwork in order, and how many flats in the building are already rented out. A few lenders won't touch investor heavy blocks or flats above commercial units; most will with the right paperwork. Our mortgage advisers check the building before you pay for a survey.

Do you cover all of Greater Manchester?

All of it. Our mortgage advisers work with customers in Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Wigan, and in the Cheshire and Lancashire towns around them. Because we work by phone and video, where you live doesn't change the service or the mortgage advice you get.

Mortgage broker or mortgage adviser?

In practice, nothing. Mortgage brokers and mortgage advisers are both regulated by the FCA to provide mortgage advice, and most firms use the two words interchangeably. What matters is whether the firm is whole of market or tied, and whether it charges you a fee. We're whole of market and fee free for most customers.

Mortgage Adviser in Manchester | Fee Free Brokers

‍No broker fee for most customers

‍FCA Authorised (No. 1011890)

‍Whole of market, 1,000+ products

One adviser from first call to completion

Rated 5/5 by our customers

Mortgage Advisers and Brokers for Manchester Buyers

Manchester is one of the few big cities where a first home is still within reach on a normal salary, which is exactly why it moves quickly. Good terraces in Chorlton, Levenshulme or Sale go in days, city centre flats come with leases and service charges to check, and lenders don't all treat a converted mill or a new build tower the same way. A good mortgage broker sorts that out before it costs you a property, and our Manchester mortgage advice helps you understand what you can borrow and find the deal that suits your circumstances.

We're based in Romsey, Hampshire, and our mortgage advisers work with Manchester customers by phone, video and WhatsApp, which is how most people prefer it. You get the same adviser throughout, you send documents from your phone, and you don't pay us a broker fee for a standard residential mortgage, remortgage or buy to let mortgage. The lender pays us when the deal completes.

Jamie Alexander, CeMAP qualified mortgage adviser and director at Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services

Written by Jamie Alexander, CeMAP, Director and Mortgage and Protection Adviser. Reviewed September 2026.

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Alexander Southwell

Why choose Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services?

We're independent, whole of market mortgage brokers and advisers helping Manchester mortgage customers. We recommend from across the mortgage market, including high street banks, building societies and specialist lenders, and we're not tied to any lender or panel. The only mortgage deals we can't place are the ones a lender keeps for customers who go direct, and we'll tell you if one of those beats what we can find. We also handle the parts nobody enjoys: the application, the valuation, and keeping your solicitor and estate agent moving.

A team of qualified mortgage advisers and brokers. One of them is yours from first call to completion.

Independent and whole of market. We compare lenders, we don't sell one bank's products.

Fee free for most customers. The lender pays us when your mortgage completes.

Mortgage application paperwork prepared by our fee free Manchester mortgage advisers

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Fee free for standard residential and buy to let cases. If a case is complex enough to need a fee, we tell you the amount in writing before you decide anything.

Mortgage Broker Manchester Quick Summary

Fee structure:

No broker fee for most customers. The lender pays our mortgage advisers commission when your mortgage completes. Fees apply only to complex or specialist cases and are always agreed in writing first.

Where we cover:

All ten boroughs of Greater Manchester: Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Wigan, plus the Cheshire and Lancashire commuter towns around them. Mortgage advice by phone, video and WhatsApp from our team in Romsey, Hampshire.

Who we help:

First time buyers, home movers, remortgages, buy to let landlords, contractors and company directors, and people whose own bank has said no. Whatever your circumstances, our advisers will help you find the mortgage deal that suits.

How quickly:

An AIP within hours in most cases. Evening and weekend appointments with a mortgage adviser if that's when you're free, and mortgage advice explained in plain English.

Whole of Market Mortgage Advisers Working With Manchester Buyers

Our mortgage advisers have over 20 years' experience in residential and buy to let lending, and Manchester cases come across our desks every month: first time buyers using a gifted deposit for a first terrace, families moving out to Stockport or Trafford for schools, landlords refinancing city centre flats, and business owners whose accounts don't fit a bank's tick boxes. We also provide advice on life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection, so the home you've worked for stays yours if something goes wrong. If you're weighing up whether to use mortgage brokers at all, our guide to going direct vs using a broker sets out the trade offs plainly.

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How we work

How Our Manchester Mortgage Service Works

From the first call to the day you complete, our mortgage advisers run the whole process. We speak to the lender, the valuer, your solicitor and the estate agent so that you don't have to chase anyone. Here's how the mortgage application process works with us.

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Step 1: Initial consultation

A free, no obligation call or video appointment with a mortgage adviser about your goals, deposit, earnings, credit record and where in Greater Manchester you're looking. Twenty to thirty minutes gives us everything we need to start searching the mortgage market for you.

Step 2: Research and recommendation

Your mortgage adviser compares mortgage products across suitable lenders and comes back with a recommendation and the reasons behind it. You get an ESIS illustration showing the interest rate, the fees and the total cost over the term, so you understand the whole deal before you commit.

Step 3: Agreement in principle

Usually the same day. In popular areas like Didsbury, Chorlton and Ancoats you'll need an AIP before an estate agent takes your offer seriously, and with most lenders it only leaves a soft footprint on your credit record.

Step 4: Full application and valuation

We submit the mortgage application, upload your documents, answer the underwriter's questions and arrange the valuation. If the lender wants something extra, our mortgage advisers deal with it, so most of the process happens without you lifting a finger.

Step 5: Offer to completion

We track the mortgage application through to offer, keep your solicitor and the agent updated and stay on it until you complete. Before your fixed rate ends we'll be in touch about a remortgage so you're never left paying a standard variable rate.

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Being prepared with the right paperwork
Documents You’ll Need

Proof of earnings: Last three months' payslips if you're employed, or two years' accounts and SA302s if you're self employed, plus Companies House accounts if you're a limited company director

Deposit evidence: Savings statements, a gifted deposit letter, or the memorandum of sale if you're using proceeds from another property

Additional documents: Complex cases may need extra paperwork, for example buy to let portfolio schedules, evidence of foreign earnings or explanations for recent credit issues

Bank statements: Last three months' current account statements showing your salary going in and your regular commitments

Proof of ID and address: Passport or driving licence, plus a utility bill or council tax bill dated within the last 3 months

What's Different About Getting a Mortgage in Manchester

The average Manchester home sold for about £251,000 in June 2026, against £292,000 across England and £545,000 in London, and first time buyers here paid around £236,000. That changes the maths in your favour: smaller deposits, no stamp duty on most first homes, and borrowing that doesn't have to stretch as far. Here's what still needs a careful mortgage adviser.

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Prices and borrowing:

On a typical Manchester first home you're borrowing 4 to 4.5 times a couple's salary rather than the 5 to 6 times London buyers need, so more lenders are in play and the mortgage deals are better. Prices have risen faster here than the national average over the last year, so an AIP that's a few months old may need refreshing.

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City centre flats and new builds:

Most flats in the centre, Ancoats and Salford Quays are leasehold with service charges and ground rent that lenders deduct from what you can borrow. Some towers still have cladding paperwork to clear, and a few lenders cap how many flats they'll lend on in one block. New builds usually want exchange within 28 days of reservation, so the mortgage has to be lined up before you reserve.

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Deposits and schemes:

First time buyers pay no stamp duty up to £300,000, which covers most first homes in Greater Manchester. A 5% deposit on a £236,000 flat is under £12,000, and 95% lending is available through the mortgage guarantee scheme. Gifted deposits, shared ownership and First Homes all work here too.

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Terraces, ex council homes and older stock:

Much of Greater Manchester's housing is pre war terraces, ex local authority homes and the occasional non standard construction. Lenders vary on all three, from flat refusals to no problem at all, so our mortgage advisers check the property type against lender criteria before you book a survey.

Services

Mortgage Services We Offer in Manchester

Manchester homes our mortgage brokers help first time buyers, movers and landlords finance

How Much Can You Borrow?

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This is an estimate only. Actual lending is subject to your credit profile, outgoings, deposit and lender criteria. Speak to one of our mortgage advisers for a personalised assessment.

Choosing an adviser

Choosing a Mortgage Adviser in Manchester: What to Look For

Search for mortgage advisors in Manchester and you'll get hundreds of results: high street banks, online brokers, estate agents' in house advisers and independent firms like us. They're not all the same, and the wrong choice costs real money whether you're a first time buyer, moving home or remortgaging. Here's what matters.

Whole of market vs tied advisers

Some mortgage advisers are tied to one lender. Multi tied advisers recommend from a small panel. Whole of market mortgage brokers compare deals from high street banks, building societies and specialist lenders alike, which is the only way to know you've got a good deal rather than the best deal one company happens to sell. We're whole of market, so the mortgage deal we recommend comes from across the market, not from whoever pays the most commission.

Independent advice vs your own bank

Your bank can only offer its own products, and it has no duty to tell you that another lender would lend you more or charge you less. Independent mortgage advice looks at every lender's criteria against your circumstances. On a typical Manchester mortgage the difference between two lenders' rates is still hundreds of pounds a year, and the gap between their affordability calculators can be the difference between the house you want and the one you settle for.

The estate agent's adviser

Many Manchester agents have an in house mortgage adviser and will suggest you use them. You don't have to, and an agent can't make your offer conditional on it. Their adviser may be tied to a panel and will usually charge a fee. Get a second opinion from a whole of market broker before you sign anything.

How do fee free mortgage advisers make money?

Like every mortgage broker, we receive a procuration fee from the lender when your mortgage completes. Many Manchester mortgage brokers charge you a broker fee on top, commonly £300 to £700 in the North West. We don't. The lender's payment doesn't change your rate, and because we're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, our recommendation has to be the most suitable mortgage for you, not the one that pays us most.

What makes a good mortgage adviser?

In our view, the best mortgage advisors offer whole of market access, no broker fees, plain English answers, and someone who picks up the phone when an estate agent wants proof you can proceed. Read the firm's reviews, check the FCA register, and ask how many lenders they can actually recommend. If a Manchester mortgage broker can only name one panel, keep looking.

Questions to ask before you choose

Are you whole of market or tied? Will I pay a fee, and how much? Who handles my application day to day? How fast can you get me an agreement in principle? Do you advise on protection as well? We're happy to answer all of them on a free initial consultation, with no obligation to go ahead.

Want a recommendation you can trust? Speak to our team on 03300 432 428.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

FAQ

Manchester Mortgage FAQs

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Mortgage Adviserin Manchester