Oxfordshire house hunters invited to engage with mortgage experts

The event, hosted by housebuilder David Wilson Homes and Mortgage Brain, will take place online on Thursday, September 18, from 6:30pm to 7:15pm.

Attendees have the opportunity to receive expert mortgage guidance and explore available properties. The David Wilson Homes representatives will be on hand to offer advice on how to secure one of the brand-new homes at The Pavilions development in a comfortable and more affordable move.

With the support of Mortgage Brain, David Wilson Homes will shed light on the range of mortgage products that could be available to help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder, and second steppers achieve their dream home.

Mortgage Bureau reports that there may now be greater affordability for first-time buyers seeking a mortgage. In March, the Bank of England updated its guidance on mortgage stress testing, which is the process lenders use to check whether borrowers could still afford repayments if interest rates were to rise.

Following this shift in policy, several major banks and building societies have now adjusted their own stress test criteria to align with the new guidance.

A few key examples are Lloyd Banking Group (April 2025) revising its criteria to potentially boost the average household’s borrowing power by as much as 13%. Similarly, HSBC (April 2025) estimates that its changes could help an additional 20,000 customers secure a mortgage, increasing the average first-time buyer’s loan potential by around £39,000.

Santander (April 2025) could allow customers to borrow between £10,000 and £35,000 more, depending on their financial profile, whilst Nationwide could enable buyers to borrow up to £28,000 more – including those applying through its first-time buyer-focused Helping Hand scheme.

For many first-time buyers, it’s not just the deposit that’s the barrier; it’s the gap between what they earn and what lenders will let them borrow. These changes could give buyers access to homes that were previously just out of reach.

By relaxing the national interest rates used in affordability assessments, lenders are now able to offer higher maximum loan amounts, which is a welcome development for those struggling to get on the property ladder.

Steve Barton, Senior Sales Manager at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are delighted to invite prospective buyers to this online session. We, alongside Mortgage Brain, aim to provide helpful mortgage guidance to those taking their first or next step on the property ladder.

“This event presents a valuable opportunity to discover a wide variety of mortgage products available to suit different needs. With a selection of offers and moving schemes currently in place on local Oxfordshire developments such as The Pavilions, it is an ideal time for buyers to consider how to proceed with their homebuying journey.”

Those interested in joining the Mortgage Brain webinar on the September 18 can book in their spot on their website.