Should you overpay your mortgage?
Overpaying your mortgage could save you thousands of euro in interest, and help pay off your balance years earlier. Here’s how to overpay and how much you could save.
What is a mortgage overpayment?
It’s when you arrange to pay more than the agreed monthly repayment due on your mortgage.
There are two types of overpayment:
- Regular monthly overpayment: This is where you pay a set amount extra each month on top of your usual mortgage repayment.
- Lump sum: This is where you pay an amount as a once-off, or on an ad-hoc basis.
You can combine regular and lump sum overpayments as long as they don’t exceed the maximum amount per year that your mortgage product allows.
Why overpay on your mortgage?
Regularly overpaying, or paying a lump sum could help you:
You could also save more in interest than you’d earn if you put the funds in a savings account long-term, if your mortgage interest rate is higher.
So, should you overpay on your mortgage?
If you’ve checked the terms of your mortgage and it’s safe to overpay, it’s definitely worth considering.
Consider:
- Financial goals: Your long-term goals and how much you can afford to pay, to work out what’s right for you.
- Affordability: If you can afford the monthly overpayment, or lump sum, and not stretch yourself too far in case an unforeseen expense arises.
- Penalties/fees: Whether you can overpay penalty free. Check with your lender before going ahead.
Recent Central Bank data shows that Irish households have a combined €153bn in savings, most of which is earning little to no interest.
As the cost of living remains sky-high and households are under financial strain, overpaying your mortgage as opposed to putting money in a savings account could save you thousands of euro over the long term.
How much can you overpay?
If you have a fixed rate mortgage or tracker mortgage, most lenders let you overpay 10% of the mortgage balance each year, but some may let you pay more, so check.
If your current mortgage deal has ended and you’ve switched to the lender’s standard variable rate (SVR), you’re usually free to overpay as much as you like.
Staying on a SVR is very expensive, so you could make a lump sum overpayment and switch to a better mortgage deal.
If you overpay more than you’re allowed, you’ll face a hefty early repayment charge (ERC).
How do you want the overpayment used?
One of the first steps is deciding how you want the overpayment to impact your mortgage. For example, are you aiming to cut your mortgage term or pay a lump sum to reduce your monthly payments?
You should let your lender know how you want your overpayments to be used. Here are some of the options:
How much could you save?
Different factors affect how much you could save; for example it depends on things like you interest rate, mortgage balance and remaining term.
It also depends on whether you make a lump sum or monthly overpayment.
The best way of seeing how overpaying can impact your mortgage balance and term is to use an overpayment calculator.
Simply fill out a few details about your mortgage and overpayment, and you’ll get an instant result that shows how much interest you’ll save and the number of years/months your term will reduce by.
The calculator makes some assumptions about your mortgage and should only be used as a guide.
Lump sum vs monthly repayment
In the examples below, the same mortgage balance, remaining term, interest rate, and total overpayment amount have been used. This is to fairly compare the impact of paying a lump sum vs regular overpayments.
Lump sum overpayment example
| Mortgage balance | €200,000 |
| Interest rate | 3% |
| Remaining mortgage term | 20 years |
| Lump sum payment | €20,000 |
| Amount saved in interest | €15,041.47 |
| Mortgage term reduced by | 2 years 7 months |
Regular monthly overpayment example
| Mortgage balance | €200,000 |
| Interest rate | 3% |
| Remaining mortgage term | 20 years |
| Regular monthly overpayment | €83.33 |
| Amount saved in interest | €6,635.73 |
| Mortgage term reduced by | 1 year 10 months |
For the regular overpayment, the sum of €83.33 is equal to €20,000 over 20 years.
You can see that paying off a lump sum upfront has a much bigger effect on the amount of interest saved (more than double) and reduces the term by an extra 9 months.
How to overpay on your mortgage
Firstly, you should either check your documents or speak to your lender to double-check the terms of your mortgage. Make sure that:
Ways to overpay
Go to your lender’s website to see what options there are for the overpayment.
To set up a regular overpayment you may have the option to:
- Set up a standing order for the extra amount you want to pay
- Increase your monthly mortgage repayment to include the overpayment
To make a lump sum payment you may have the choice to:
- Make an online payment
- Set up a BACS payment
- Complete an overpayment request form for your lender to process
When should you avoid overpaying?
Although overpaying can have clear benefits, it isn’t always the right thing to do, for example:
The budgeting tool on the MABS website, can help you work out your current outgoings, and see if you can afford to overpay on your mortgage.
Overpaying your mortgage FAQs
Can I borrow the money back when I overpay my mortgage?
You can’t usually get the money back, which is why it’s so important to only overpay what you can afford and keep a contingency for emergencies.
If you have a flexible mortgage, check the terms to see if you have the option to borrow back your overpayments.
Can I reduce my mortgage balance by overpaying on an interest only mortgage?
When you make monthly repayments on an interest only mortgage, it’s only the interest that’s being paid off.
You should speak to your lender to see if there are any options to overpay and reduce your mortgage balance, rather than the interest.
Does overpaying my mortgage reduce my monthly repayments?
You can opt to use your overpayments to reduce your repayments if you wish. It won’t necessarily happen automatically, so check with the lender.
Reducing your monthly repayments will mean your mortgage term stays the same, so if you want to reduce your term, you should maintain your payments.
Should I overpay my mortgage or save the money?
If your mortgage rate is higher than any savings accounts available, it’s worth considering overpaying as it could save you more in interest than you’d earn.
If you can invest in the long term, there may be more options open to you that a financial advisor can advise you on.
What is an early repayment charge?
Also known as an ERC, it’s a penalty you must pay the lender if you overpay too much of your mortgage at the wrong time, for example in the introductory period.
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