Borrowers will face higher fees this year, as the average fee charged on fixed deals has risen since 2020, according to analysis by Moneyfactscompare.co.uk which reveals the changing landscape of costs and incentives across the fixed mortgage market.

At £1,129, the average fee currently charged on a fixed rate mortgage deal (not including no-fee products) has risen by £89 since March 2020. While this average fee has fallen by £11 since March 2024, it has been above £1,000 since July 2017.

The proportion of the market offering fixed rate mortgage deals that offer a free or refunded valuation incentive has risen to 73%, from 72% at the start of March 2020.

However, the proportion of the market offering fixed rate mortgage deals that offer a free or refunded legal fees incentive has fallen to 42%, from 49% at the start of March 2020.

And the proportion of the market offering cashback has dropped by 9% since March 2020

Commenting on the findings Moneyfacts finance expert Rachel Springall  said:

“Borrowers who locked into a cheap fixed rate in 2020 and are looking to refinance will find mortgage fees have been on the rise. Outside of headline-grabbing low rates, borrowers need to check the overall cost of any mortgage, which includes any fees or cost-saving incentives.

The best deal depends on someone’s circumstances and how much they need to borrow; someone with a larger debt would typically chase a lower rate, whereas those looking to avoid upfront costs would consider fee-free deals and incentives. The lowest fixed mortgages on the market typically charge upfront fees of around £1,000, or even up to £2,000, so a mortgage with a slightly higher initial fixed rate and lower product fee could be a better choice.”

Springall added that one incentive in continuous decline has been the proportion of deals that pay cashback, as there are now less than a third of deals with this sweetener attached, across all fixed mortgages.

“Borrowers coming off a fixed deal may have to face higher mortgage rates this year, but they can still find an abundance of deals with cost-saving incentives, and it’s still cheaper to refinance onto a fixed rate than reverting onto a Standard Variable Rate (SVR).

“More often than not, borrowers can find a deal with a free or refunded valuation incentive, and just under half of all fixed deals will cover legal fees. Those looking to remortgage will likely want to keep costs down and refinance without too much effort, so mortgage bundles are a great choice to avoid the worries of covering upfront fees.”