Is Your Fixed Rate Ending Soon? You Could Lock In a New Rate Up to 12 Months Before It Expires

Most homeowners know they need to do something when their fixed rate ends. What most don't know is just how early they can start.

The assumption is that remortgaging is something you deal with in the final weeks before your deal expires. In reality, you could be securing your next rate right now, even if your current deal has almost a year left to run.

That's not a loophole. It's simply how the mortgage market works  and knowing about it could save you a significant amount of money.

What Happens When Your Fixed Rate Ends

When a fixed rate mortgage deal comes to an end, your lender doesn't pause your payments while you decide what to do next. They move you automatically onto their Standard Variable Rate - a higher rate, set at their discretion, that can change at any time.

Right now, the average SVR in the UK sits at around 7.13%. The average two or five year fixed rate available on the market is considerably lower than that. On a typical mortgage, that gap translates into hundreds of pounds a month in extra payments, money that serves no purpose other than reflecting the fact that nothing was put in place in time.

The good news is that this is one of the most avoidable situations in personal finance. You just need to act early enough.

How Early Can You Actually Act?

This is where most people are surprised.

Under the Mortgage Charter, most UK lenders will allow you to lock in a new rate up to six months before your current deal ends. But some lenders go further, offering mortgage deals with offer periods valid for up to 12 months, meaning you could secure your next rate almost a year before you need it.

That's a significant window. And it's one that most homeowners simply don't know exists.

Locking in a rate early doesn't change anything about your current deal. Your existing fixed rate continues exactly as it is until it expires. What changes is that your next rate is already agreed and waiting, so the moment your deal ends, you move straight onto something competitive rather than drifting onto the SVR by default.

But What If Rates Fall Before My Deal Starts?

It's the most common question and it's a fair one.

The reassuring answer is that locking in a rate early doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck with it if something better comes along. In many cases, if rates improve between now and the start of your new deal, it's possible to review your options and switch to a more competitive product before completion. Your broker can keep an eye on this for you, so you're not having to watch the market yourself.

What you're protected against is rates going the other way. If the market moves upward between now and your completion date, the rate you locked in is the rate you keep. Either way, having something secured puts you in a far stronger position than waiting and hoping.

Why 2026 Is a Particularly Important Year to Act

Around 1.8 million fixed rate mortgages are due to expire in the UK this year alone. Many of those were taken out when rates were considerably lower, meaning the jump to a new deal, or worse, onto an SVR, represents a meaningful change in monthly outgoings.

At the same time, the rate environment in 2026 has been anything but predictable. Rates have moved up and down as inflation, global events, and Bank of England decisions have created genuine uncertainty in the market. In that kind of environment, the case for securing something early, rather than waiting and hoping the market moves in your favour, which is stronger than usual.

Waiting for the perfect moment to remortgage is a strategy that rarely works. Securing a competitive rate now, and keeping it under review until completion, is the approach that consistently produces better outcomes.

What About Your Property Value?

Here's something else worth factoring in before you approach a remortgage.

If your property has increased in value since you last took out your mortgage, your loan-to-value ratio may have improved. That matters because the rate you're offered is directly linked to how much of the property's value you're borrowing against. A better loan-to-value can unlock better rates and it's worth understanding where you sit before you start comparing products.

A broker can help you establish this quickly and factor it into which lenders and products make the most sense for your situation.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

It's worth spelling this out clearly, because the numbers are real.

On a £200,000 mortgage, the difference between sitting on an SVR at around 7.13% and moving onto a competitive fixed rate deal can be in the region of £300 to £345 every month. That's over £4,000 a year. And unlike almost every other financial decision, none of that money can be recovered after the fact. Every month on the SVR is a month that cost more than it needed to, and there's no going back to claim it.

The earlier you act, the more of that money stays where it belongs.

How Endurance Mortgages Can Help

At Endurance Mortgages, we keep track of our clients' mortgage end dates so nothing catches them off guard. When the right window opens, we search across the market, including lenders who offer longer offer periods, to find the most competitive deal available for your specific circumstances.

We'll show you clearly what your options look like, what the monthly difference would be, and whether locking something in now makes sense for you. If a better deal becomes available before your new one starts, we'll let you know and review your options accordingly.

You don't need to wait for a letter from your lender. You don't need to spend time comparing rates yourself. And you certainly don't need to drift onto an SVR when the window to avoid it has been open for months.

If your fixed rate is ending in the next six to twelve months, speak to Endurance Mortgages today, securing your rate early could be one of the simplest and most valuable decisions you make this year.

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Your Home (or property) may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debts secured on it. A fee may be charged for mortgage advice. The exact amount will depend on your circumstances.

Endurance Mortgages Ltd is an Appointed Representative of BrokerSync Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (1031981). Registered in England and Wales no. 15060351. Registered Address: Worting House, Church Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG23 8PX.