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The best and worst mortgage lenders revealed
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Antonia Di LorenzoTwo of the top three lenders are building societies, but which mutual took top spot?
Principality Building Society has been ranked the best mortgage lender, with First Direct and Nationwide coming in joint second place, a satisfaction survey has found.
Principality achieved a customer score of 80%, with nine in 10 customers saying they did not experience any problems with their mortgage, according to the latest survey by campaign group Which?.
The building society gains five stars for flexibility of payments on its mortgage, and nearly all customers said they were satisfied with their mortgage.
First Direct and Nationwide Building Society both scored 77% to come in joint second. Virgin Money came fourth with a score of 76%, Coventry Building Society claimed fifth place with 75% and Skipton Building Society received a score of 73% to come sixth.
Worst performers
Kensington was bottom with a customer satisfaction score of just 56%. According to the survey, the lender received two stars on value for money and two-thirds of customers have paid the standard variable rate on their mortgage.
However, Which? highlighted that Kensington specialised in lending to people with bad credit ratings or complex circumstances, so its rates are higher due to the increased level of risk it takes on.
Accord Mortgages received the second-worst customer score of 61%, with one in seven of its customers being dissatisfied with their mortgage.
The survey of more than 3,500 mortgage customers looked at customer service, the mortgage application process and value for money.