First-time buyer mortgages
Deposits, agreements in principle, what a lender actually checks, and how long each stage takes — before you view a single property.
Standen Mortgages & LifeEst. St Albans
No two mortgages are the same.
I work for you — searching the whole market for the mortgage that fits your life, and I'm here long after the keys are in your hand.
— Miriam Standen
CeMAPQualified mortgage & protection adviser
Whole of marketIndependent — not tied to any lender
FreeInitial 30-minute consultation, no obligation
FCA 1057254Verify me on the Financial Services Register
One adviser. The whole market. And someone who's still there when your deal ends three years from now.
The situations
Start from where you
actually are.
Every mortgage I arrange begins with who you are and where you're heading — not with a product. Find the one that fits your circumstances.
Standen Mortgages & Life
Every mortgage begins with who you are.
The adviser
One adviser.
Your whole journey.
I've spent my career helping people reach the result they were after — first in sales and recruitment, now in mortgages and protection. The work has never really changed: listen properly, search thoroughly, and make the complicated parts feel simple.
"My time with you doesn't end once you've secured your mortgage. I'm here for what happens next — and beyond."
When you work with me, you work with me. I'm the person who finds out your circumstances at the start, and the same person who calls you before your rate expires years later — here and ready to support you whenever life changes.
Miriam Standen
CeMAP · FCA 1057254
On fees
Your initial consultation is free. If you choose to engage me, there's a fee — always agreed with you in writing first.
Step 01Initial consultationThirty minutes on your situation and what's genuinely possible — no charge, no obligation.£0
Step 02Engaging my servicesIf you decide to go ahead, a fee applies. The exact amount depends on your circumstances and is confirmed to you in writing before you commit.In writing, first
Research, recommendation and application are then managed through to completion.
The instrument
See the numbers before
you speak to anyone.
Move the sliders. No email, no sign-up, nothing captured — arrive at our first call already informed.
£450,000
£67,500 · 15%
4.60%
30 years
Estimated monthly payment
£1,961
Capital & interest over 30 years at 4.60%
Capital repaid Interest paid
- Loan amount
- £382,500
- Loan to value
- 85%
- Total interest
- £323,411
- Total repaid
- £705,911
Illustrative only — not a mortgage offer, quotation or advice. Actual rates depend on your circumstances, credit profile and the lender's assessment.
Direct, or advised
One lender only ever sees
one version of you.
A lender can only offer their own products, assessed against their own criteria. Independent advice widens both — working within your needs.
Going direct to one lender
- You see one lender's range of products.
- You're assessed against one set of criteria.
- A decline is the end of the conversation.
- Nobody reviews it when your deal ends.
Working with an independent adviser
- I search the majority of the market for you.
- I know which lenders suit which circumstances.
- If one says no, another often says yes.
- When your rate expires, I'm ready to support you again.
How we work together
Four stages — and I'm with
you through all of them.
01
A free initial conversation
We work out what's possible.
Thirty minutes, no charge, no obligation. We discuss what your needs are, I advise on what's possible — and together we reach the right conclusion.
02
Your full picture
The whole story, not a snapshot.
Income, outgoings, credit and your plans for the next five years. Bespoke advice needs the whole story — and the whole story is often what makes a case work.
03
The search & recommendation
I bring you the right one.
I search across the majority of lenders and insurers on the market, then explain what I'm recommending and why — including what I ruled out for you.
04
Beyond completion
Here whenever you need me.
When your deal is ending or your circumstances change, I'm here and ready to support you again.
Access across the market
Names you know — and specialists you don't.
HalifaxBarclaysNatWestSantander
HSBCNationwideSkiptonAccord
CoventryVirgin MoneyLeeds BSPrecise
…plus protection insurers including Aviva · Legal & General · Vitality · Zurich · LV= · Royal London · Aegon · Guardian. Names shown to illustrate breadth of access, not as endorsements; availability depends on your circumstances and each provider's criteria.
On the record
- What it costs
- Your initial consultation is free of charge. A fee applies if you choose to engage my services — and I'll tell you exactly what it is, in writing, before you commit.
- Whole of market
- An independent adviser with access to the majority of lenders and protection insurers available. Not tied to any lender's products.
- Who regulates me
- Miriam Standen is an appointed representative of Ingard Financial Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 450731).
- My FCA number
- 1057254 — searchable on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk.
Based in St Albans · covering Harpenden, Radlett, Welwyn, Hatfield, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford & Potters Bar — and, because most of the process happens by phone, video and WhatsApp, anywhere in the UK.
Let's find out
what's possible.
Thirty minutes, free, and entirely without obligation. Bring your questions — including the ones you think are silly.
- Free 30-minute call
- No obligation, no pressure
- Evenings & weekends by arrangement
- FCA-regulated advice
Home / Mortgages
Mortgage advice
Whatever stage you're at, the work is the same: understand your circumstances properly, then search the market for the lender that fits them.
Home movers
Port your existing deal, borrow more, or start fresh — timed so your finance never holds up the chain.
Remortgages
Deal ending, releasing equity, funding an extension or consolidating. Best started around six months out.
Buy-to-let & portfolio landlords
Rental stress tests, personal name versus limited company — from a first investment to a growing portfolio.
Self-employed & contractor mortgages
Sole trader, director, partnership or day-rate contractor — I'll find a mortgage deal that fits your finances.
Not sure where to start?
Start with the numbers.
Run the calculators, then book a free call. You'll get more from the conversation if you've already seen the shape of it.
Home / Protection
Protection & insurance
Securing the mortgage is half the job. Making sure your family can stay in the home if something happens to you is the other half.
Cover I arrange
Advice, not a
policy list.
What matters isn't the premium alone — it's the definitions, the exclusions, and whether the cover would actually pay out in your situation.
Life insurance
Level term, decreasing term or whole of life. Written in trust where appropriate, so the payout reaches the right people without waiting for probate.
Critical illness cover
A lump sum on diagnosis of a defined condition. Insurers define those conditions very differently — comparing wordings is the actual work.
Income protection
Replaces part of your income if illness or injury stops you working. Statutory sick pay rarely covers a mortgage.
Family protection
Cover sized around dependants, childcare and school years — not just the mortgage balance.
Mortgage protection
Decreasing cover that tracks down alongside a repayment mortgage, so you're never paying for more than you need.
Buildings insurance
A condition of nearly every mortgage offer — arranged and in force before completion, not scrambled afterwards.
Contents insurance
Sensible cover for what's inside, including accidental damage and away-from-home items where relevant.
A mortgage secures the house. Protection is what keeps your family in it.
Miriam Standen, CeMAP
Home / Calculators
Mortgage calculators
Two tools, no sign-up, nothing captured. What a mortgage might cost each month — and roughly what a lender might be prepared to lend you.
Calculator one
Monthly repayment
£450,000
£67,500 · 15%
4.60%
30 years
Estimated monthly payment
£1,961
Capital & interest over 30 years at 4.60%
Capital repaid Interest paid
- Loan amount
- £382,500
- Loan to value
- 85%
- Total interest
- £323,411
- Total repaid
- £705,911
Illustrative only. Not a mortgage offer, quotation or advice.
Calculator two
How much could I borrow?
Loans, credit cards, car finance, childcare — not household bills.
Your rough answer, in a sentence
You could borrow around £234,000 — a property budget of roughly £294,000 with your deposit.
- Typical lender range
- £208,000 – £260,000
- Deposit as % of budget
- 20%
- Combined income used
- £55,000
- Commitments deducted
- £3,000
A very rough guide based on typical income multiples of 4.0–5.0×, reduced by declared commitments. Real decisions depend on affordability modelling, credit history, deposit source and the individual lender — some lend considerably more, some less. That's what the conversation is for.
Home / About
Miriam Standen
Mortgage & protection adviser · CeMAP qualified · St Albans, Hertfordshire
Making the mortgage journey work for you.
I've always thrived on helping people achieve their goals. Throughout my career in sales and recruitment I worked hard to make sure my clients got the best results — and that the process was as hassle-free as possible. Mortgage and protection advice was the natural next step.
I understand that no two circumstances are the same. What works for one client won't necessarily work for another. That's why I offer a bespoke service: your mortgage and your protection built around your situation, not slotted into a template.
Whether you're a first-time buyer or moving to your forever home, I'll make sure you understand the process at every stage — what's happening, what's next, and what it means. And my time with you doesn't end once you've secured your mortgage. I'm here to support you well beyond completion.
I have access to the majority of lenders and life protection insurers on the market, so I can look genuinely broadly on your behalf. If you're investing in buy-to-let, I can search for the right products whether it's your first property or you're building a portfolio.
And if you're unsure how much you can borrow — or you suspect you can't borrow what you need — get in touch. In most instances, there's something out there.
What I stand for
Professional. Friendly. Independent.
Bespoke
No two clients get the same answer, because no two clients have the same life.
Independent
The majority of lenders and insurers on the market. Not tied, not steered, not a panel of three.
Available
Daytime, evenings or weekends by arrangement. Big decisions deserve unhurried time.
Still here after
Support doesn't stop at completion. Reviews at renewal, and a person to call when life changes.
Home / Contact
Get in touch
Call, message or send a note — whichever suits. I aim to reply the same working day.
Send me a message
Home / Book a call
Book a free 30-minute call
No charge, no obligation. If evenings or weekends work better, message me and we'll find a time.
Calendar not loading? Open it in a new tab or message on WhatsApp.
Home / Privacy policy
Privacy policy
Draft template — to be reviewed and approved before the site goes live.
Who we are
Standen Mortgages and Life is the trading name of Miriam Standen, an appointed representative of Ingard Financial Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 450731). Miriam Standen's FCA number is 1057254.
What we collect
When you contact us through this website we collect the name, email address, phone number and enquiry details you choose to provide. If you become a client, we collect the further financial and personal information needed to give you regulated mortgage and protection advice.
Why we collect it
To respond to your enquiry, to provide regulated advice, and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. Our lawful bases are your consent, the performance of a contract, and compliance with legal obligations.
Who we share it with
Where necessary to progress your case: our principal firm Ingard Financial Limited, lenders and insurers, and providers of the technology we use to run the practice. We never sell your data.
How long we keep it
For as long as required by FCA rules and applicable law, and no longer than necessary.
Your rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, and you may object to or restrict certain processing. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Contact
Email hello@standenmortgages.com or call +44 7973 162930.