I'm Jamie Alexander. I've worked in mortgages for 15 years and set up the firm in 2019. We work from NIX Business Centre on Park Court in Romsey. We have access to the whole market, but more importantly we know the patch. We know which Southampton flats make lenders nervous, how fast a decent three bed in Chandler's Ford goes under offer, and why a Winchester buyer often needs a bigger deposit than someone buying the same size house in Andover. Fill in the form and one of the team will get back to you.
Each of the main towns we work in has its own page: a local guide to property prices, the areas buyers ask us about and how mortgage advice works there. The averages on each card are July 2026 figures from the UK House Price Index for that council area.
Test Valley's biggest town and one of the more affordable places to buy in this part of the county. There are lots of newer estates around Augusta Park and Picket Twenty, which suit first time buyers with a 5% or 10% deposit.
The main working town in the north of the county, with the fastest trains reaching London Waterloo in about 42 minutes. You get everything from Victorian terraces to new builds at Chineham and Hatch Warren.
Sitting between Southampton and Winchester, the borough takes in Chandler's Ford, Hedge End and Bishopstoke. It is popular with families, and prices grew faster here over the year than in any other area on this list.
Lymington, Ringwood, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Totton. Period cottages, thatched roofs and homes inside the National Park can need a lender that is comfortable with them, and that is where we earn our keep.
An island city with a big naval community, rows of Victorian terraces in Southsea and Fratton and a busy buy to let market. Good value next to most of the south coast.
Our home town. A market town on the River Test, a short drive from Southampton but with a much quieter feel. If you would like to meet face to face, this is where we are.
The biggest city in the county, with the port, two universities and a major hospital driving demand. Plenty of flats and terraces for first time buyers and buy to let landlords, and the lowest average price of any area here.
The county town and the most expensive area we cover. Period homes, good schools and the fastest trains to London Waterloo of anywhere south of Basingstoke, at 56 minutes.
Not on the list? We also help buyers in Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Waterlooville, Petersfield, Alton, Fleet, Hook, Hartley Wintney, Stockbridge, Totton and the villages and rural areas in between. Just contact us.
These are the latest figures from the UK House Price Index, published by HM Land Registry and the ONS, for July 2026. One thing worth knowing: the index reports Southampton and Portsmouth separately from the Hampshire County Council area, so the county figure leaves the two cities out.
Detached homes averaged £624,115, semi detached £380,560, terraced £302,346 and flats and maisonettes £184,360. Flats were the only type to fall over the year, down 1.7%, while semi detached homes rose 2.1%.
On the county average of £364,336, a 5% deposit is about £18,200 and a 10% deposit about £36,400. Those numbers matter because lenders price every mortgage deal in loan to value bands, and each step down (95%, 90%, 85%, 75%, 60%) usually opens up a cheaper rate. If you are sitting just above a band, a few thousand pounds more deposit can make a real difference, and we will always show you where the cut off sits.
Take a couple buying a two bed property in Eastleigh for £310,000, roughly the borough average. With a 10% deposit of £31,000 they need to borrow £279,000. Many lenders work to around 4.5 times income, so they would typically need a joint income of somewhere between £62,000 and £70,000, although some lenders will stretch further for the right profile. As first time buyers they pay no stamp duty on the first £300,000 and 5% on the last £10,000, so £500. From there we compare the monthly repayments over 30 and 35 years and get an Agreement in Principle in place before they make an offer.
Source: UK House Price Index, HM Land Registry and Office for National Statistics, July 2026 data. These are averages and individual homes will vary.
North Hampshire and the London commute
If you work in London for part of the week, north Hampshire is where most of our buyers look. Trainline lists the fastest trains to London Waterloo at about 42 minutes from Basingstoke and 54 minutes from Hook. Fleet, Hook and Hartley Wintney appeal to people who want village life with the M3 close by, and prices reflect that. Many of these clients are selling a London flat, and that equity changes the whole conversation.
Winchester and the main line
Winchester's quickest trains reach Waterloo in 56 minutes, which, along with the schools, is a big part of why homes there cost what they do. Buyers who want a similar commute for less often look at Eastleigh, which sits on the same line.
The south coast cities
Southampton and Portsmouth have their own jobs markets, so lots of buyers there never commute to London at all. The port, the universities, the hospitals and the naval base employ thousands of people, which is why we see so many NHS staff, armed forces personnel and contractors in this part of the county. Lenders treat shift pay, allowances and day rates very differently, so the choice of lender really matters.
The New Forest and the Test Valley
For space and green views, the New Forest and the villages around Romsey and Stockbridge are hard to beat. The trade off is longer drives and, now and then, a property type that some lenders shy away from, such as thatch, timber frame or a house with land. Picking the right lender first time can save weeks.
You can get mortgage advice from anywhere now, and plenty of our clients never meet us in person. But being based here helps in ways that are easy to miss.
We know the property
Ex local authority flats in Southampton, leasehold blocks in Portsmouth, listed cottages in the New Forest. Some lenders are relaxed about these and some are not. We check before we apply, not after the valuer has been.
We know the people
We deal with estate agents, solicitors and surveyors across the county every week. When a purchase stalls, a call to someone you already know gets it moving again.
We are easy to reach
Phone, email, WhatsApp or a chat at the Romsey office. You keep the same adviser from the first call to the day you get your keys, and we get in touch again before your deal ends.
Honest advice on fees
Over 90% of our cases are fee free because the lender pays us. Mortgages under £100,000 carry a £299 fee, and complex or adverse credit cases can carry a fee of up to £995. You will know before you commit to anything.
Honest advice also means telling you when to wait. If three more months of clean bank statements or a slightly bigger deposit would get you a much better mortgage deal, we will say so, even if it means we get paid later. The quality of the first application matters more than its speed. You can read what clients say on our reviews page.
From working out what you can borrow to securing the offer, with every step of the mortgage journey explained in plain English.
Porting your current deal, borrowing more or starting again with a new lender. We work out which costs less overall.
For homeowners coming to the end of a deal, we start looking up to six months before the fixed rate ends and compare your existing lender's offer with the rest of the market.
For landlords investing in Southampton, Portsmouth or anywhere else in the county, including buy to let purchases through a limited company.
Sole traders, company directors and contractors. We know which lenders use your latest year and which want an average of two.
Missed payments, defaults or a CCJ do not always rule you out. We start by going through your credit file with you.
Help with tight new build deadlines, developer incentives and the extra checks lenders run on brand new homes.
Life cover, income protection and critical illness cover to protect your home and family if life takes a turn.
Written by Jamie Alexander, CeMAP qualified mortgage adviser and director of AS Mortgages
Jamie has 15 years' experience in mortgages and founded the firm in 2019. The team has submitted over 2,500 mortgages and has well over 20 years of combined experience, helping clients across Hampshire from the office in Romsey. Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference 1011890. Page reviewed October 2026. More about Jamie.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home.
From the first phone call to the day you complete, we manage the whole process and keep the estate agent and solicitor moving too.
A free, no obligation call or video chat about your plans, income, deposit and credit history, and the part of the county you want to buy in.
Your adviser compares mortgage deals from across the market and recommends the one that fits. You get an illustration (ESIS) showing the rate, fees and total cost over the term, so you can decide properly.
We can often arrange an Agreement in Principle the same day, which matters when good homes go under offer quickly.
We handle the paperwork, submit the application and stay on top of the lender and the valuation. You will not need to chase anyone.
We track the case through underwriting, chase the solicitors if needed and keep you updated through to exchange and completion. Then we diarise a review before your fixed rate ends, so you are not left on the lender's standard variable rate.
Speak to a mortgage adviser today for free, no obligation advice. We will work out what you could borrow, explain your options in plain English and help you move forward.
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No. Most of our clients live in Hampshire, but we arrange mortgages for clients across the UK by phone and video, and we have local pages for Salisbury, Bournemouth and the rest of Wiltshire and Dorset.
From application to mortgage offer is often two to four weeks, depending on the lender and the valuation. The whole purchase, from offer accepted to completion, often takes three to four months, and longer with leasehold flats or a long chain.
Sometimes the product transfer from your current lender is the best option and sometimes it is not. We compare both, check for any early repayment charge and line it up so you move straight onto the new deal.
Often, yes. It depends on what happened, how long ago and whether it has been settled. Start by checking your credit report so there are no surprises, then talk it through with us.
Yes. Our office is at NIX Business Centre, 2 Park Court, Romsey SO51 9DH. It is a shared office building, so please contact us to book an appointment rather than dropping in. Most clients are happy to do everything by phone, video and email.
