The first step of dealing with your mortgage debts is to establish what exactly your situation is – knowing this will be fundamental to figuring out what advice you should consider following.

In order to establish your situation, you should ask yourself some basic questions, such as:

• are you on top of your payments or worried about falling behind;
• are arrears already accruing and, if so, how much;
• can you sort the situation out easily and reach an agreement with your lender, or
• has the lender taken any action and brought things to court.

Getting the right advice that is suitable to your particular circumstances may save you time and money in the long run, not to mention your home, so make sure you read up on things or get face-to-face advice before you take any action. Advice is available from Housing Rights Service, the leading housing advice specialist in Northern Ireland.

You can navigate through the information sections of this advice site by using the menu to the left of this article.

Find out the steps you can take to prevent repossession of your home. Download the Mortgage Debt Advice Service Tips & Contact leaflet on dealing with mortgage arrears.