Published by Paul Waterfall on August 23, 2024

Streamlining Our Pricing

Changing pricing always comes with risks, as well as opportunities, and in some ways is where what you believe is most obviously translated into reality – if we really believe in putting people and the planet before profits, this should be obvious from our pricing! 

As we continue to grow and evolve (and prompted by the launch of a new website), we wanted to check that our pricing structure still reflected these values while also being as clear and straightforward as possible. So set against a constantly changing financial landscape we’ve taken the time to review and refine our pricing to make sure it remains fit for purpose as we continue to grow. 

As part of this review, we’re delighted to reaffirm our commitment to giving back and rewarding client loyalty. This comes in several forms; making charitable donations on your behalf, providing discounts for existing clients and offering referral rewards when you recommend us.

Why We’ve Updated Our Pricing

Our aim is to balance a fair, transparent approach with the need to cater to a diverse range of clients—whether you’re a first-time buyer, a self-employed professional, or dealing with more complex financial circumstances.

As a result, we’ve streamlined our pricing structure from four levels down to three, making it easier for you to understand what you’re paying and why. Our new pricing is designed to treat everyone equally, encourage long-term partnerships, and maintain our commitment to ethical business practices.

Our New Pricing Structure

Here’s how our simplified pricing breaks down:

  1. £0 for Like-for-Like Remortgages
    We understand that a straightforward remortgage should remain simple and cost-effective. That’s why we’re still fee free like-for-like remortgages.
  2. £245 for Standard Applications – £195 for existing clients
    This category covers about 80% of our clients. Whether you’re self-employed, on a fixed-term contract, or have a straightforward mortgage application, our fee is now £245. We’ve expanded this category to include more clients, making our pricing fairer and more inclusive.
  3. £445 for Complex Cases – £395 for existing clients
    For those with more intricate needs—such as Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgages, very complex credit histories, or complicated buy-to-let arrangements—we’ve set a fee of £445. These cases require more time and expertise, and this fee reflects the extra care we take to get everything just right. It’s hard to cover every scenario this applies to – we’ll let you know if it’s you.

You can find more details on our updated pricing on our Honest Pricing page.

Cashback Levels for First-Time Buyers

To ensure that we’re doing everything we can to support those entering the housing market for the first time, we’ve updated our cashback levels  for first-time buyers. Here’s how the new structure works:

This structure is aimed at balancing the amount we earn regardless of the mortgage size – which aligns with our mission to help more people achieve their homeownership dreams.

Mortgage Value Application Fee Cashback on Completion Total Cost
Under £150k £245 £50 £195
£150k – £250k £245 £150 £95
 £250k + £245 £250 We pay you £5

Our Ongoing Commitment to Giving Back and Rewarding Loyalty

In addition to our revised pricing and cashback offerings, we continue to provide:

  • £50 Discount on application fees for all existing customers (as detailed in the above pricing).
  • £50 Referral Bonus when someone you refer to us completes a mortgage through WR Ethical.
  • Increased Charitable Donations: We’ve upped our contribution to charity with each application to £50. Plus, if you choose to “Twin your Toilet”, that donation increases to £60.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward into the second half of 2024 and beyond, we hope these changes will help us better serve you and stay true to our core values. For your interest, we’ve modelled the pricing changes and think that this should lead to a small increase in our revenue per application – but it’s a below – inflation rise since the last review 18 months ago.

Thank you for being part of the WR Ethical community. If you have any questions about our new pricing or how it might affect your mortgage journey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always here to help.