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Should I start to overpay on mortgage?

Have two mortgages, both recently started and am wondering if I should be overpaying on either or both?

I have a buy to let M with balance of roughly £150k. On repayment £733 where rental income is £1550 (minus £300 pcm expenses).

I have residential mortgage on main property balance £340k. On 24yr (5yr fixed) repayment £1400 pcm.

I can afford to overpay. Pay into private pension 500pcm & this could also be reduced to overpay both,  should it sound more sensible to pay off money borrowed first?

thoughts welcomed.

Comments

  • powerspowers
    powerspowers Posts: 1,347 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Pension over mortgage is a tricky one and you will get different answers! I go for a balance as have fairly good pension provision and like the surety of seeing the mortgage balance go down. 

    Questions that might help you decide- do you have a good LTV, how secure is your employment, what if the tenant stops paying, do you have any life changes on the horizon, do you want to work for the next 25 years. You don’t need to answer here but things to consider that will give an idea of your attitude to risk and the future to help you decide. 
    MFW 2021 #76 £5,145
    MFW 2022 #27 £5,300 
    MFW 2023 #27 £2,000
    MFW 2024 #27 £6,055
    MFW 2025 #27 £2,850/£5,000


  • powerspowers
    powerspowers Posts: 1,347 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Also pension may be more tax efficient 
    MFW 2021 #76 £5,145
    MFW 2022 #27 £5,300 
    MFW 2023 #27 £2,000
    MFW 2024 #27 £6,055
    MFW 2025 #27 £2,850/£5,000


  • CDB199
    CDB199 Posts: 67 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thanks - all fair points to consider.

    I guess what you are saying (possibly) Is there is no hard mathematical answer? Just depends on circumstances & what one is working towards. 
  • CDB199
    CDB199 Posts: 67 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Reducing pension payments was only a suggestion. I think I could continue payment into pension to take max tax benefits here.

    it’s more a question of is overpaying on mortgage advisable today? When Loan is fixed long term on low rates. I’m keen to reduce loan & see it starting to be paid off asap - but if numbers don’t fit, this may not be best answer for me.

  • Confused63
    Confused63 Posts: 21 Forumite
    10 Posts
    What % do you pay into your pension at the moment? I started to overpay my mortgage recently as I want to try to be mortgage free before retirement age so hopefully I dont need to have so much pension each month. 
  • Confused63
    Confused63 Posts: 21 Forumite
    10 Posts
    I do try to increase payments by 1% every few years as I get older, my thought being if I increase it show and my the smallest amount I hopefully notice it less when it comes out of my salary each month. The tax benefits of paying into a pension seem to make this a good choice.  
  • CDB199
    CDB199 Posts: 67 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    I do try to increase payments by 1% every few years as I get older, my thought being if I increase it show and my the smallest amount I hopefully notice it less when it comes out of my salary each month. The tax benefits of paying into a pension seem to make this a good choice.  
    Roughly 10% of my take home salary. With a further 9% taken at source in work based salary (for tax efficiency again as gets company top up).

    so feel like I am contributing nicely for l/t retirement.  Just want to get mortgage free similarly 
  • Ramouth
    Ramouth Posts: 672 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    We were planning to overpay our new mortgage but there are now savings accounts with higher rates than our mortgage so it makes more sense to save for the duration of our fix and then pay it off when we remortgage.  The tricky bit is not spending it!
  • savingholmes
    savingholmes Posts: 29,034 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    CDB199 said:
    Have two mortgages, both recently started and am wondering if I should be overpaying on either or both?

    I have a buy to let M with balance of roughly £150k. On repayment £733 where rental income is £1550 (minus £300 pcm expenses).

    I have residential mortgage on main property balance £340k. On 24yr (5yr fixed) repayment £1400 pcm.

    I can afford to overpay. Pay into private pension 500pcm & this could also be reduced to overpay both,  should it sound more sensible to pay off money borrowed first?

    thoughts welcomed.
    I think you haven't given anywhere near enough info to answer the question. Regardless of what you post on here - if I were in your position I would work out - what free cash I have and how I'd like to use it to meet my long term financial goals.

    So what's your income without the rental? How does that compare with your annual outgoings?
    How long would you survive financially without the rental income or if there was a big bill on the property?
    Do you have separate personal and business (landlord) emergency funds?
    How big is your existing pension provision?
    What age are you?
    When are you hoping to retire?
    Do the online pension calculator's reckon you are paying enough to your pension to meet your goals?
    Are you due to get full state pension when you retire?
    Are you planning to carry on being a landlord when you retire or do you expect to sell the property?

    I am not a financial advisor - these questions should hopefully help you answer your own question. You could also post it on the pensions board.
    Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
    1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £172.5K Equity 36.11%
    2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
    3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.6K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.4/£127.5K target 24.6% 1/9/25
    (If took bigger lump sum = 53.3K or 41.8%)
    4) FI Age 60 income target £17.1/30K 57% (if mortgage and debts repaid - need more otherwise)
    (If bigger lump sum £15.8/30K 52.67%)
    5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/25
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