First time buyers
We work out what lenders would offer and what you could comfortably repay, explain any deposit schemes your country runs, and stay with you until the keys are in your hand.
A mortgage you understand before you sign
Cornerstone helps first time buyers, home movers and landlords compare lenders, settle on a monthly payment that still feels comfortable, and get from application to the keys. The first consultation costs nothing, and our fee is agreed in writing before any work begins.
45 minfirst meeting, no charge
One adviserfrom start to finish
In writingadvice and fees
- Plain answers, no jargon
- Evening and Saturday appointments
- Fee agreed in writing first
- First homes, moves and lets
Who we help
Every client starts with the same first consultation. What happens after it depends on your situation, and this is what each one usually involves.
Moving home
Take your current mortgage with you, top it up or replace it. We compare the cost of each route, including any early repayment charge on the deal you have now.
Remortgaging
When a fixed or introductory rate is about to end, we review the market around six months ahead, so you switch on time instead of drifting onto the lender's standard rate.
Landlords and buy to let
Single lets, portfolios and purchases through a company, with the rental income tests each lender applies explained before you choose a property.
Self employed and contract income
Sole traders, company directors and contractors, with clear guidance on which accounts, tax returns or contracts different lenders accept as proof of income.
Protection alongside the mortgage
Life cover and income protection explained plainly, so repayments can carry on if illness or the worst happens. Always optional and never a condition of our advice.
From first call to the keys
First consultation
Forty five minutes by phone, video or at the office, about the home you want, your income and your plans. There is no charge for this meeting.
Budget and documents
We list what lenders will ask to see, usually identity, proof of income and recent bank statements, and agree a monthly payment you can live with.
Written recommendation
You receive the mortgage we suggest and why, the total cost over the deal period and our fee. Nothing goes ahead until you agree.
Application and offer
We prepare the application, answer the lender's questions and keep your lawyer and estate agent updated until the offer is issued.
Completion and after
Once the purchase completes we note when your deal ends and get in touch well before then to review it again.
What our advice costs
Brokers can be paid in different ways, and the rules on how they charge vary by country. Ours are set out below and confirmed in writing at the first meeting.
First consultation
the first meetingNo charge
A full conversation about your plans, what you could borrow and the next steps, with no obligation to continue.
- 45 minutes
- Phone, video or office
- A written summary afterwards
Home purchase or remortgage
a fixed fee of$495
Paid only once the mortgage offer is issued, so a declined application costs you nothing from us.
- Lenders compared for your situation
- Application handled through to offer
- Updates to your lawyer and agent
Landlords and complex income
a fixed fee of$795
For buy to let, company purchases, portfolios and self employed income with a short trading history.
- Rental income tests checked first
- Several lenders approached where needed
- Paid once the offer is issued
Some lenders also pay brokers a commission when a mortgage completes. If one applies to your mortgage, we tell you the amount in writing before you apply. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Costs of buying beyond the deposit
The deposit is the largest sum, but it is rarely the only one. Names and amounts differ between countries, so we go through the ones that apply to you at the first meeting.
| Cost | What it pays for | When it is usually paid |
|---|---|---|
| Lender arrangement fee | Setting up the mortgage. Some lenders let you add it to the loan, which means paying interest on it | On application or at completion |
| Valuation | The lender's own check that the home is worth the price | When the application goes in |
| Survey | Your own inspection of the condition of the home, separate from the valuation | Before you commit to buy |
| Legal fees | The lawyer or conveyancer who handles the contracts and the transfer | At completion |
| Property taxes and registration | Government charges on buying a home, which vary widely by country and region | At or soon after completion |
| Broker fee | Our advice and the application, as shown above | When the offer is issued |
| Moving costs | Removals, buildings insurance from the day you own the home, and connecting services | Around moving day |
Advice you can read back later
Every recommendation arrives in writing, with the reasons, the total cost over the deal period and what happens when the deal ends. If a lender with a slightly higher rate suits you better than the cheapest headline deal, the letter explains why.
We never promise a rate before we understand your circumstances, because lenders decide on income, credit history, the deposit and the property itself, and rates can change within days.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Meet in the office or on screen
Appointments run on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings as well as office hours, so nobody has to take a morning off work to talk about a mortgage.
Clients on Cornerstone (example reviews)
Our adviser showed why the second cheapest deal was the better one for us, and the letter set out the numbers. The offer arrived two weeks before the move.
Two years of accounts felt like a guaranteed refusal. Cornerstone knew which lenders would look at them properly, and the first application was accepted.
The review call came five months before the fixed rate ended, which left plenty of time to compare. Switching took one meeting and a signature.
Questions about mortgage advice
Can you quote a rate before we meet?
Not honestly. Lenders set the rate after looking at income, credit history, the deposit and the home itself, and rates move often. We show current examples at the first meeting and confirm the real figure once a lender has assessed the application.
How much deposit is needed?
Lenders set their own minimums, and these differ by country and by the type of home. A larger deposit usually opens up more lenders and lower rates, and buy to let mortgages normally ask for more than a home you live in.
Are you regulated?
Mortgage advice is regulated in most countries, although the regulator and the rules differ. We give you our registration number at the first meeting and in writing, so you can check it on the official public register.
Do you work with every lender?
We compare a wide panel of lenders and tell you at the first meeting which ones we can and cannot arrange. Some lenders only deal with customers directly, and we say so if one of them might suit you better.
What if the lender turns the application down?
We explain the reason where the lender gives one and look for lenders who may see it differently. Because our fee is paid when an offer is issued, a refusal costs you nothing from us.
What if repayments become hard to keep up?
Speak to your lender as early as possible, because most have options before arrears build up. Your home may be at risk if repayments are missed, and many countries have independent debt advice services that help at no cost.
Book a first consultation
Choose a day, a time and how you would like to meet. Should that slot be taken, an adviser rings or emails with the closest alternative before the next working day ends.
- No charge for the first consultation
- Fee agreed in writing before any work
- Evening and Saturday times available
Talk to an adviser
Call, email or send the form. Advisers return messages the same working day where they can.
Reach us
Office in the town centre, with appointments by phone and video anywhere in the country
Appointment hours
| Monday to Thursday | 09:00 to 20:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 to 17:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Regulation
Cornerstone is registered with the financial regulator for mortgage advice in its country, and the registration number is given in writing at the first meeting. Rules on mortgage advice and broker fees vary by country.