Sale of Northern Rock mortgages.

Chancellor George Osborne has authorised a record-breaking £13 billion sale of mortgages acquired from the Northern Rock by the government during the financial crisis, this is the largest ever financial asset sale by a government in Europe.

The mortgages, which were originally owned by Northern Rock are being sold by UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) to Cerberus. The proceeds from the sale will be used to pay down the national debt.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne reportedly said: “Today marks another major milestone in clearing up the mess left by the financial crisis, with the sale of former Northern Rock mortgages.

“The sale, which raises £13 billion for the British taxpayer, is the largest ever sale of financial assets by a British government, and we are now clear that taxpayers will get back more money from Northern Rock than they were forced to put in during the financial crisis.

“The highly competitive process, unprecedented scale, and the fact that these mortgages have been sold for almost £300 million more than their book value demonstrates the confidence investors have in the UK, which has only been made possible by the success of our long term plan.

“A key consideration for UKAR in selecting the successful bidder was the treatment of customers. There will be no changes to the terms and conditions of the mortgages sold. Customers do not need to take any action.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

5 Practical Examples: This is How AI is Changing Real Estate

There does not appear to be a single industry that is likely to be immune from the impact of AI. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that seismic changes are happening in the world of real estate, thanks to the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. From using the technology to identify ways to save…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

Overheating moves up the housing agenda

441,000 rental homes fail thermal comfort standards The latest analysis from Inventory Base has found that an estimated 441,000 private rented homes in England failed thermal comfort standards in 2024, accounting for 40.3% of all non-decent private rental properties, as major reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) came into force on…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth slows in June

The latest Nationwide House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices fell by -0.0% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased to 2.2% in June 2026, up from 1.7% in May 2026. The average UK house price for June 2026 now stands at £277,484, down slightly from £278,024 in…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide House Price Index May 2026

UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March House prices were up 0.4% month on month Headlines Apr-26 Mar-26 Monthly Index* 554.8 552.7 Monthly Change* 0.4% 0.9% Annual Change 3.0% 2.2% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £278,880 £277,186 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 30/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   8% of commercial real estate investors and owners have started AI pilots – the reasons why most fail Only 5% of CRE operators achieve most of their AI program goals According to JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey of more than 1,500 senior…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

What the average asking price buys across Great Britain

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals what buyers can get for the current average asking price of a home, at approximately £378,000 The analysis shows that in some areas, buyers can find five-bedroom homes for around the national average asking price, whereas in other areas it is only a flat or studio that buyers can afford There are clear…
Read More