Better.co.uk Mortages Customer Reviews

Is Tembo Money Any Good?

Tembo is a really slick app and service that can help those with affordability issues get on the property ladder sooner. As well as their online and personal mortgage brokerage service they also have to of the best savings accounts on the market.

The Tembo Lifetime ISA comes with excellent rates and the Government 25% top up and for when you have used up your £4,000 LISA allowance there is also a great paying Cash ISA.

When I spoke to Richard Dana the CEO and founder of Tembo for this review, he highlighted that the key benefit of Tembo’s serivce is that it is all in one place and they can manage the entire process of savings to buying your first home.

The savings accounts don’t have any withdrawal penalties, there are no cheeky intro rates and as an added bonus Tembo offer free mortgage advice for all savings account holders, which is a saving of up to £749.

Is Habito a good online mortgage broker?

Pricing: Habito’s mortgage advice is free for customers. Instead of charging borrowers, the company earns a commission from the lender when a mortgage completes. This is known as a procuration fee and is a standard business model used by most UK mortgage brokers. While you don’t pay Habito directly, you may still pay fees charged by the lender, such as arrangement, valuation or legal costs.

Platform & Apps: Instead of visiting a branch or speaking to multiple lenders, you can manage your entire mortgage journey online while still having access to expert support when you need it.

Market Access: Habito positions itself as a whole-of-market broker, meaning it searches across a wide range of lenders rather than recommending mortgages from a limited panel. Habito works with more than 99 lenders and reviews tens of thousands of mortgage products, giving customers access to a broad range of deals.

This is important because mortgage brokers often have access to rates that aren’t always available directly to borrowers.

Added Value: Habito Plus is an optional paid home-buying package designed to manage more of the property purchase process. It bundles mortgage advice with services such as conveyancing and property surveys, giving buyers a single point of contact for the entire transaction. The aim is to reduce admin, speed up the process and simplify communication between all the professionals involved.

Customer Service: Excellent, even though Habito is an online mortgage broker, it’s very convenient to speak to brokers via livechat or video call.

How does Habito work? 

1. The process starts with creating an account and completing an online fact-find about your finances, property plans and borrowing needs.

2. Once you’ve submitted your information, Habito searches thousands of mortgage deals from across the market to find suitable options.

3. You’re then matched with a dedicated mortgage adviser who reviews your situation and explains your choices. After you select a deal, Habito submits the application on your behalf and handles the paperwork and communication with the lender.

Throughout the process, you can track progress via your online dashboard until your mortgage completes.