We’re Lois and Harry, a mother-and-son team of mortgage and protection advisers on the Suffolk–Essex border. We search the whole mortgage market, explain every step in plain English, and stay with you until the keys are in your hand.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
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Great choice
How would you like to start? It’s free and there’s no obligation.
Lois or Harry will call you back soon. Keep your phone handy – we’re looking forward to speaking with you.
How we help
From your first viewing to your retirement plans, we compare lenders across the market and find the mortgage that genuinely fits you, not just the one with the eye-catching headline rate.
First-time buyers
How much can you borrow? How big a deposit do you need? Could a scheme help? We’ll answer all of it, as many times as you need. There’s no such thing as a silly question.
Remortgage
We’ll start looking three to six months before your fixed rate ends, so you don’t roll onto your lender’s standard variable rate.
Moving home
Port your current mortgage or start afresh? We’ll compare both and keep your side of the chain moving.
Buy-to-let
Personal or limited company, first-time landlord or growing portfolio. We find lenders whose criteria fit your plans.
Later-life lending
Lifetime mortgages and equity release, explained patiently, including what they mean for your estate and your family.
Complex cases
Self-employed, past credit problems, divorce or separation. Lenders aren’t all the same, and real life is rarely simple. No judgement, just options.
Bridging finance
Short-term finance for broken chains, auctions and renovations, with a clear exit plan from day one.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Not all buy-to-let mortgages or bridging loans are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Why Keyholder
Our name isn’t just a clever play on words. Holder is our family name. Lois has been helping people with their finances since 1990. She founded Keyholder in 2022, and in 2025 her son Harry joined her. When your family name is on the door, you look after people properly.
We search the whole market for the mortgage that suits you, not the one a lender wants to sell.
No jargon and no hard sell. If something isn’t clear, we’ll explain it again, as many times as it takes.
Lenders, solicitors and estate agents. We keep it all moving and keep you updated, so you’re never left wondering.
From first enquiry to completion day and beyond. We’ll be in touch when it’s time to review your deal or your cover.
How it works
Four simple steps, with the same friendly faces by your side for every one of them.
Book 30 minutes with Lois or Harry. Tell us where you are and where you’d like to be. No forms, no pressure.
We compare lenders, then explain your best options in plain English, including the full costs, not just the rate.
Application, valuation, solicitors and lender queries. We chase it all and update you at every stage.
Completion day. Then we help protect your new home and check in well before your deal ends.
Protection
In 2013, Lois was diagnosed with cancer. Her critical illness cover paid out, which meant her husband could stop working to care for her and their young children without worrying about the bills.
“Without it, our financial situation would have been very different. That experience shaped how I advise clients today.”
That’s why we never treat protection as an afterthought. We’ll help you find cover that fits your budget, with no jargon and no pressure.
Pays off your mortgage or provides for your family if the worst happens.
A lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a specified serious illness, such as cancer, a heart attack or a stroke.
Replaces part of your income if illness or injury stops you working, so the mortgage and bills still get paid.
Meet your advisers
Lois and Harry are both listed on the FCA’s Financial Services Register under Cutting Edge Mortgages Ltd (FRN 922009).
Founder & Mortgage Adviser
Lois began her career at Abbey National (now Santander) in 1990, supporting clients across London, Essex and Suffolk. After a break to raise her family she returned to advice in 2017, then founded Keyholder in 2022 to offer the personal, caring service she’d always believed in.
“Lois is everything you could ask for in a mortgage advisor.” Charlene L.
Mortgage Adviser · CeMAP qualified
Harry joined his mum at Keyholder in 2025 after gaining his CeMAP qualification. Clients know him for quick replies, patient explanations and finding a way when others couldn’t, especially for first-time buyers, landlords and trickier cases.
“Achieved what nobody else could when getting me a mortgage.” Graham G.
Reviews
First-time buyers
“Harry has been amazing helping us through our mortgage process. As first time buyers there were things we need guidance on, and Harry was so helpful. Nothing was a silly question or too much of an ask.”
Speed
“Lois has been fantastic. Very knowledgeable and experienced. Also fitted me in for appointments last minute and from application to mortgage offer was only one week.”
Complex case
“Harry Mansell… achieved what nobody else could when getting me a mortgage. Very patient, kept me up to date. Nothing was too much trouble.”
Mortgage & protection
“As first time buyers in London we were pretty overwhelmed, but she made everything feel so much clearer… She also helped us sort our life insurance, mortgage protection and critical illness cover.”
Repeat client
“We’ve used Keyholder Mortgages for multiple mortgages now, plus life insurance, and Lois and her team have been brilliant every time.”
Buy-to-let
“Harry has been fantastic from start to finish – Highly recommend for Resi, BTL and Limited Company mortgages.”
Reviews are from genuine clients on Google. Everyone’s circumstances are different, so timescales and outcomes will vary.
Mortgage calculator
A quick, no-strings estimate. For your real figure, based on your circumstances and lenders’ actual criteria, book a free call.
This is a rough guide based on typical income multiples of 4 to 4.5 times. It isn’t a quote, a mortgage offer or advice, and some lenders may lend more or less. What you can actually borrow depends on lenders’ criteria, your credit history and an affordability assessment.
You could borrow around
£180,000 – £202,500
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
FAQs
Can’t see yours? Ask us. That’s exactly what the free call is for.
Ask us anythingYour first conversation is always free, with no obligation. In many cases we’re paid a commission by the lender, and sometimes there’s a broker fee too. Either way, we’ll explain exactly what you’ll pay, in writing, before you go ahead.
Most first-time buyers need at least 5–10% of the purchase price. On a £250,000 home that’s £12,500–£25,000. A bigger deposit usually unlocks better rates, and we’ll check whether any schemes could help you too.
Most lenders lend around 4 to 4.5 times your annual income, and some go higher depending on your income, profession and commitments. Try our calculator for a rough idea, then we’ll work out a personalised figure.
Ideally three to six months before your current deal ends. That gives us time to secure a new rate so you don’t roll onto your lender’s standard variable rate, which is usually higher.
Very often, yes. Every lender has different criteria, and some specialise in self-employed income, CCJs, defaults or missed payments. We’ll be honest about your options and approach the lenders most likely to say yes.
Typically two to six weeks once your application and documents are in. We’ll tell you exactly what we need up front and keep things moving with the lender.
It should only ever be arranged through a qualified, regulated adviser. We’ll explain how it works, what it means for your estate and inheritance, and the alternatives, and we’ll only recommend it if it’s genuinely right for you.
Not at all. We’re based on the Suffolk–Essex border near Sudbury and love meeting local clients face to face, but we advise clients right across the UK by phone and online.
Book your free call
Choose Lois or Harry and pick a time that suits you. Thirty minutes is all it takes to find out where you stand.
Prefer not to pick a time?
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