The Mortgage Free Roll Of Honour

ShALLaX

This is my second time through this journey, so here goes:

a. The date you decided to become a MFW
The day I started the mortgage payments - 21st August 2018

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest
£165,118

c. Mortgage-Free Date
6th June 2025

d. Your pearls of wisdom.
Pick a long fix over the lowest rate. I’d pick predictability and certainty over a few saved pounds (especially if you’re paying your mortgage off rapidly). 

Overpay monthly as much as you can without triggering early repayment fees. 

Overpay an annual lump sum as big as you can without triggering early repayment fees. To do this, have a separate savings account that you pay into monthly. Pretend that money is spent - do not touch it unless you have an emergency. 

e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you
Didn’t use any, but I did use a mortgage tracking spreadsheet that I heavily modified to help me figure out how much I should be saving each month in order to do a lump sum overpayment each year. 

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it.
Didn’t maintain one. 

designingalife

a. The date you decided to become a MFW

April 2021

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest

£155k

c. Mortgage-Free Date

April 2025

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.

Don't give up there will be ups and downs but small amounts count.

e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you

Reading the Diaries of other kept me motivated.

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it.

I didn’t, I had a debt free diary but not maintained since 2021.

Archerychick

Hurrah! Paid down the mortgage today!

a. The date you decided to become a MFW
This was always the plan!

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest
£95k

c. Mortgage-Free Date
06/10/2025

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Make sensible decisions and don’t be afraid to end a fixed deal early if you’re going to be better off - do your calculations!

If you’re able to make overpayments, only do this if your mortgage rate is higher than you can get in a normal savings account. This is how we paid down the final £22k, in one chunk at the end of our fix because we earnt more in savings than we could have by over paying.



e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you
The MSE mortgage guides really helped us when we bought the house to understand them, pros and cons of each type.

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6495672/roll-on-october-2025#latest

Sarsibob1

As of 7am this morning I am joining the mortgage free roll of honour

a. The date you decided to become a MFW - april 2007. The day I bought my first house
b. Mortgage Debt at its highest - 325k combined over 2 houses in 2014
c. Mortgage-Free Date - house 1 2020 (kept my first home when I bought with my husband and rented it out) house 2 11/10/2025
d. Your one perl of wisdom. In the words of Dory 'just keep swimming'

Jessy103

I am mortgage free! 🎉

a. The date you decided to become a MFW

I've been around for a long time but this particular journey started June 2019.

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest

£72,000

c. Mortgage-Free Date

Tuesday 4th November 2025

d. Your one perl of wisdom.

Just keep going, you will get there and even the smallest amount makes a huge difference.

e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you

There are so many lovely people that helped and motivated me along the way. To pick a few that I'm especially grateful to are @South_coast @themadvix @hettyhound @Cheery_Daff @newgirly @beanielou

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6000770/starting-afresh-back-home#latest

soapy50

I am officially mortgage free today! Can't believe I'm finally typing this and finally made it onto the Mortgage free roll of honour! 🥳

a.The date you decided to become a MFW
Not sure exactly but at least for the last 5 years.

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest
£101,000

c. Mortgage-Free Date
Today! 7/1/2026

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Just to keep going and be consistent. It's probably been said a million times but it's true!

e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you
Forever grateful to @julicorn for running the mortgage free wannabe thread, it was so motivational and kept me on track.

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it.
Sorry didn't have one but I did enjoy reading other peoples diaries.

BridgetTheCat

It’s done! A 20-year mortgage paid off in 9 years and 10 months, despite losing my job 2 years in, retraining, a serious illness, covid, Liz Truss and eventually taking another job at a much reduced salary.

a. The date you decided to become a MFW

When I bought the house in June 2016 after 15 years of renting.

b. Mortgage Debt at its highest

£123500

c. Mortgage-Free Date

Today! 23rd March 2026

d. Your one perl of wisdom.

Keep plugging away at it, no matter what happens.

e. The MSE Mortgage guides and others that helped you

The thing I used most was the overpayments vs savings calculator, to make sure I put what money I had to the best use.

f. And if you had a mortgage freedom diary on MFW, a link to it.

I don’t really do diaries.

Off to work out what to do with my enlarged disposable income 😁

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933543#Comment_81933543

Well done.

RND79

I have looked at this thread so many times for inspiration and today I get to post on it!!!

A) Decided to really go for it in August of 2022 when my mortgage was around £130,000

B) Highest Debt £148,000

C) mortgage free Today🎉

D) wisdom wise, there will be times when you want to give it up when you make sacrifice after sacrifice, but keep going. When I used up my overpayment reserve I reduced the term instead to avoid additional fees and to keep me on track those days, weeks or even months I wanted to give it up.
In all, it has taken just under 4 years, had we not started when we did, we would still be paying for another 12 years. The freedom of being mortgage free is beyond words and I’m looking forward to some grand holidays having not been abroad in those 4 years and not having any money worries ever again!

f0xh0les

Congratulations @RND79 It is an amazing feeling every month that the money stays in the account instead of flying off to pay that mortgage payment. Enjoy it.