As travel and industrial activity slowed amid lockdown, we heard how nature was flourishing as a result of less pollution. Whether or not this was true, it won’t have been enough to make a dent in climate change. You don’t need to be Greta Thunberg to know that environmental issues are one of the biggest challenges of this generation.
While it may seem that separating your recycling and choosing to walk or cycle rather than drive are all you can do to help the planet, every individual, business and industry has a bigger role to play, including the mortgage sector. But which approaches stand a chance of making any significant change to this critical matter?
Older, energy-inefficient properties contribute more to greenhouse gases than one might expect, and some lenders are now offering special products that incentivise borrowers to improve the efficiency of their homes, or lower interest rates to purchase already environmentally friendly properties. There are more than 100 ‘green’ products on the market but only a handful of lenders offering them. However, each day another deal seems to appear.
In our cover feature, we examine the popularity of these products, whether they offer good value to borrowers, and if more lenders are expected to get on board or if the deals could be just a fad.
There are more than 100 ‘green’ products on the market but only a handful of lenders offering them
Our second feature looks at why brokers are best placed to assist borrowers who face extra restrictions from lenders, post-Covid. Meanwhile, in this month’s Head to Head, rather than seeking opposing views on a topic we asked two brokers what was really at the crux of their business relationship with lenders.
This is our last edition of Mortgage Strategy before we take a little break for the summer, with the magazine back in September. But, as always, you can still catch all of our news, features and commentary on our website, updated daily.
Wishing you all an enjoyable summer and, hopefully, a return to a restriction-free world come the autumn.
