First-time buyers
From deposit questions through to completion day: a clear plan, an agreement in principle, and someone to translate the jargon at every step.
Mortgage advice · Southport
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A little about me
Chris Gallagher
Mortgage and Protection Consultant
Southport's a different pace to the city, but the job's identical wherever you're buying: find the right mortgage, explain it in plain English, and pick up the phone when it matters.
I've advised buyers, movers and landlords across Southport and Merseyside for more than fifteen years, from seafront apartments on the Southport prom to family homes in Liverpool's Woolton, Allerton and Crosby, plus the buy-to-let and HMO market the whole region is known for. That experience means I usually know which lender will say yes before we apply.
I handle the search, the paperwork and the chasing, and keep you updated at every stage. You deal with me directly throughout, in person around the city, by phone or by video, including evenings, and the final decision is always yours.
CeMAP qualified
Whole of market
Buy-to-let & HMO
Why Southport homebuyers choose me
You don’t have to take my word for it. Here’s what local buyers and homeowners say about working with me.
★★★★★5.0 rating on Google Reviews
“Chris knew the local rental market inside out and helped us structure the purchase the right way for a buy-to-let.”
“Landlord with four properties, and Chris is the only broker who's never once been stumped by a complicated case.”
“Friendly, quick to reply, and genuinely seemed to want the best outcome for us rather than just closing the deal.”
Areas we cover
Rooted in Southport, serving Merseyside and beyond
Select an area to see how I help buyers and owners there, in person locally, or by phone and video anywhere.
Home patch
Southport
My home patch. From the seafront and Lord Street out to Birkdale and Ainsdale, this is where I live and work, and where most of my clients buy.
How I can help
Whatever your situation, I can help
First home, next move, remortgage or something the banks call complicated: it all starts with a straightforward conversation about what’s genuinely possible for you.
Home movers
Porting, upsizing or relocating across Merseyside, advice that times your mortgage around the chain, not the other way round.
Remortgaging
Your current deal ending isn't a deadline to panic about. Start six months out, lock a rate, and switch again if the market improves.
Buy-to-let
Portfolio or first rental, personal name or limited company, stress-test the numbers across specialist and mainstream lenders.
Self-employed & contractors
Day rates, retained profits or a short trading history: the right lender for your accounts makes all the difference, and I know which ones to approach.
Protection & insurance
Life cover, critical illness and income protection, arranged alongside your mortgage so your home and family stay protected if life changes.
The full journey
From the first chat to your new front door, handled for you
Buying or remortgaging involves a lot of moving parts. The difference is, you won’t be chasing any of them. I handle the lender, solicitor, survey and paperwork and keep everyone moving, so there are no nasty surprises and no needless delays.
STEP 1
First conversation
We talk through your plans, budget and timescales. No cost, and no obligation to go ahead.
STEP 2
Decision in principle
I confirm what you can realistically borrow, so you can offer on the right home with confidence.
STEP 3
Solicitors & survey
I help get your solicitor instructed and the survey booked early, setting everything up so the rest of the process runs smoother, not stalled on paperwork later.
STEP 4
The right deal
I compare over 90 lenders and recommend the mortgage that genuinely fits your circumstances, not just the first one offered.
STEP 5
Protection in place
Life, critical illness and income cover arranged to match, so your home is safe if life changes.
STEP 6
Completion & beyond
Keys in hand, then a rate review before your deal ends so you never slip onto a higher rate.
More lenders, better odds
Ask one bank and you get one answer. Ask me and you get the market.
A bank's mortgage adviser can only sell you what's on that bank's own list. I'm not on anyone's payroll but yours, so I search across 90+ lenders and put forward whichever one actually says yes on the best terms.
With City Mortgage Solutions
Whole of market- Deals compared across 90+ lenders, including broker-only rates
- Advice on which lender suits your income, deposit and credit profile
- Agreement in principle arranged before you offer, so you can move fast on the right home
- Application managed end-to-end: paperwork, chasing, solicitor liaison
- Protection reviewed alongside the mortgage, not as an afterthought
Going direct to one bank
- Only that bank's own products, however the market compares
- You self-select the lender before knowing if their criteria fit you
- Appointment lead times set by branch and call-centre availability
- Progress-chasing across bank, valuer and solicitor sits with you
- A declined application can leave a mark before you try elsewhere
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Southport's market, seafront to suburbs
Why use a mortgage broker in Southport?
From seafront apartments and Victorian villas to Merseyside's affordable suburbs and, twenty minutes down the road, one of the UK's busiest rental markets in Liverpool, buyers here do best when they know their options. Genuine value keeps competition for the right homes brisk.
With City Mortgage Solutions Limited behind me I compare more than 90 lenders on every case, so whether it's your first flat or your fifth rental, the advice you get isn't the best one bank can do, it's the best the market can.
Lenders compared
90+
Whole of market
Google rating
5.0
From local clients
Initial consultation
Free
Honest, jargon-free advice
Years advising
15+
Mortgage & protection
Access to over 90 lenders, including
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Halifax
Nationwide
NatWest
Santander
HSBC
Barclays
Skipton
Accord
+ 80 more
Common questions
Mortgage questions, answered straight
You can go directly to a bank, but a whole-of-market broker compares deals from 90+ lenders rather than one, and manages the application end-to-end. Across Southport and Merseyside, where the best-value homes and investment stock move fast and lenders vary widely on flats, HMOs and renovation projects, knowing who lends on what saves weeks.
Your first conversation is free and without obligation. If a fee applies to your case, it's explained clearly and in writing before you commit to anything.
Most lenders offer between 4 and 4.5 times income, though affordability rules, deposit size and credit history all play a part. Property prices vary hugely across Merseyside, the same budget can buy a city-centre flat or a family semi in the suburbs, so I'll give you an accurate borrowing figure and an agreement in principle before you start viewing.
Yes. Self-employed and contractor cases are a big part of my work. Lenders treat retained profits, day rates and short trading histories very differently, and knowing which one suits your accounts is exactly where whole-of-market advice earns its keep.
Yes, it's a speciality. Merseyside, and Liverpool in particular, is one of the UK's busiest rental markets, and whether it's a first buy-to-let in your own name, a limited-company purchase or a licensed HMO, I know which lenders actually want that business and on what terms.
Around six months before your current deal ends. Offers typically last six months, so starting early secures a rate now and keeps the option to switch if the market improves before completion.
We'll find a time that suits you, in person across Southport and Merseyside, or by phone and video call, including evenings.
Book your appointment
Ready to talk? Let’s have a proper chat.
Book a free, no-obligation chat and we’ll talk through your plans, what’s realistic, and the right next step. No scripts and no hard sell. Prefer to talk now? Call me on 020 7481 3736. Evenings and video calls are no problem.
Thanks, your request is in.
I'll call you back within one working day.