Rightmove’s mortgage expert Matt Smith said: “Mortgage lenders had already factored in a bank rate rise in March. The fact that it was lower than the previous rise in February, along with the longer-term indication that inflation is still likely to fall sharply over the year, is giving lenders more confidence to start to edge down their rates.
“We’ve seen reductions of up to 0.05 per cent in average mortgage rates compared to this time last week, as lenders begin to respond to the Bank of England’s decision. Prices have reduced across all loan to value (LTV) ranges, for both two- and five-year fixed deals,” he said.
The average five-year fix at 85 per cent loan to value (LTV) nudged down to 4.62 per cent this week, from 4.65 per cent a week ago, but still a massive jump from 2.54 per cent a year ago. With a larger deposit, or 60 per cent LTV loan, the average five-year fix is 4.28 per cent, down from 4.30 per cent, but again, a hike from 2.19 per cent the previous year.
Two-year fixed rates higher than five-year deals
Two-year fixes remain more expensive than the five-year equivalent across all LTV bands, with the average two-year fix at 85 per cent LTV at 4.99 per cent, against 2.4 per cent a year ago. All products cited are offered with a £999 fee.
Lenders have been repricing quickly but the property firm said it expects to see more product rate cuts this week.
The Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report revealed last week that the average rates for two and five-year fixed mortgages have reached a six-month low after four months of consecutive declines.
There are currently 4,372 mortgages on the market, 466 fewer products than at the same time last year. However, options have markedly recovered since October 2022 just after the mini Budget, with only 2,258 mortgages available.
Numbers are also better than March 2021 with 3,532 mortgages available and mortgage options are slightly up on last month too with 4,341 products available.
High LTV mortgage choices have not recovered as quickly as low LTV counterparts, data showed.
