Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question regarding Family Building Society services, products, criteria or processes? We may be able to answer your query here before you take your next steps with us.

If you need to ask a question not answered here or elsewhere on our site, contact your BDM.

Kids getting in the way? We can help

Our central USP is that we are committed to helping your client where others can't, with a variety of specialist criteria and products to suit different circumstances, including:

  • Lending into retirement (up to 95 years old)
  • Family products for first time buyers with additional security and offset options
  • Catering for self-employed, expats and many more

To find out more visit our criteria or download our Lender USPs.

We are completely compliant with the legislation that came into effect on 21 March 2016, including key changes such as for consumer Buy to Let, Sterling mortgages, binding offers and reflection periods.

We also offer Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor applications that enables family members to support borrowers and adult children to support their parents with affordability when applying for a mortgage. Up to two occupying owners can live in the property and up to two family member(s) can support the occupying owner(s).

We do not have any time consuming pre-registration processes.

If you would like to apply via our Mortgage Hub you will need to register first before you can use the system. This only takes a few minutes.

If you have not submitted business to us before and are submitting a paper application we will register you once we have received your full details in our application forms, enquiries, DIP or KFI requests.

We accept paper-based applications from intermediaries and these should be returned to:

The Family Building Society
Ebbisham House
30 Church Street
Epsom
Surrey
KT17 4NL

Please be aware that in order for us to begin processing your application we must receive a fully completed application form with wet ink signatures and the full processing fee.

Our Mortgage Hub also allows you to apply for your client and track applications online. 

We can consider properties for lending located anywhere throughout England and Wales.

However, we are unable to consider properties located in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

You can undertake an initial enquiry, calculation using one of our online tools, or request a DIP without any credit checks on your client at this stage of the process.

However, we will credit check your client as part of our manual underwriting process for full applications.

£120,000 is our minimum property value for our owner occupier and Buy to Let mortgages.

£45,000 is our minimum loan for our owner occupier and Buy to Let mortgages, with the exception of our Retirement Lifestyle Booster.

For Buy to Let Limited Company mortgages or Expat applications our minimum loan amount is £100,000.

For the Retirement Lifestyle Booster if your client is mortgage free the minimum loan amount is £60,000 which gives a monthly payment of £500 per month for 10 years. If your client is using the product to repay their existing mortgage the minimum loan amount is £45,000. The minimum amount that can be used for monthly advances is £30,000. This gives a monthly payment of £250 per month for 10 years.

To help us process your client's mortgage as quickly as possible, your client's solicitor must be registered with the Society's solicitor panel, LMS. They're able to apply online.
We can consider taking into account employed and self-employed income up until the age of 70. However, please be aware that where the mortgage term requested is taking an employed applicant to beyond the age of 65, we will seek written confirmation from their employer that they will be able to work beyond this age.

The application fee is required before we start processing an application. Please either confirm card details on the application form or attach a cheque if submitting by post. The cheque should be made payable to The Family Building Society.

The application fee to be paid includes a valuation fee, which is based on the greater of the purchase price or value of the property, and £175 to process the application. See our Intermediary Fees page for full details.

Where there is any element of interest-only borrowing or where the term applied for will take the applicants above the age of 65, then we will require interest-only and mortgage in retirement forms to be completed. You can find these forms and any additional forms you may need e.g. for guarantors on our Downloads & Checklists page.