I LOVE Nice Guy, Guy Stuttard – Sphere Financial Services Cheadle Hulme

28 Jul 2020

Meetings with Guy always seem to coincide with a time of financial turmoil. This time, it’s as we navigate the return to a new normal, post-Covid lockdown. An earlier meeting was in the midst of Brexit uncertainty. Another time, another reason for media naysayers to predict crashing house prices or unattainable mortgages. Refreshingly, no matter what the crisis, Guy remains cool and unflappable. He’s also reassuring yet sensibly positive. Add this to his genuine nice guy Guy reputation, along with his immense products and market knowledge, then factor in total trustworthiness. It’s abundantly clear why Sphere is the mortgage go-to guy for many.

Tough Times Don’t Last

The first couple of months of the COVID 19 crisis were, even Guy admits, tough. “March and April were flat”, he says, although demand for re-mortgages remained steady. However, by May, with the first relaxation of the lockdown rules, the market sprang to life. Houses are selling well and in turn that inspires more people to take the plunge and put theirs on the market. For those not selling, lockdown has perhaps highlighted a need for more space or home improvements, and Guy can help there, too.

Guy moved to Cheadle Hulme in 1988. He didn’t need to move far – only from a neighbouring SK8 enclave, Heald Green. He’s been a financial services professional almost twenty years now and has the experience, the qualifications and the credentials to match his dependability and expertise. He set up Sphere with two colleagues eight years ago and they now boast six advisers and two admin support staff.

Guy’s dog Bobby

Local Experts, National Expertise

Sphere advisers are based throughout Cheshire – although work nationally and even internationally, and Guy comes highly recommended:

“5 star. I cannot speak highly enough of Guy Stuttard, I would recommend him to anyone looking for a mortgage. What Guy does is not only find you the best product that will suit your circumstances, but he will come to your house and go through everything in detail. Also, he was at the end of the phone anytime we any worries or question while the whole process was going through. What is also great is that he is really friendly, and you don’t feel you’re putting him out even if you do contact him while he’s sat in a cinema waiting for his film to start! 10 out of 10 from start to finish.” Chris Steinberg.

Recommend a Friend

Those recommendations mean the world, and Sphere recognises the value of happy customers. Referrals are rewarded – your friend receives a £100 discounted fee for mortgage advice, you receive a £50 voucher when your friend’s mortgage starts.

Guy – and Sphere Cheadle Hulme – specialise in:

*Residential Purchases
*Residential Re-mortgages
*Buy-to-Let Purchases
*Buy-to-Let Re-mortgages
*Insurance
*Commercial mortgaging
*Lifetime Mortgages/Equity Release

Lifetime Mortgages are also known as Equity Release Mortgages

Guy is now authorised as a Lifetime Mortgages Adviser, and this is a great new string to his bow. Available to clients over the age of 55, Lifetime Mortgages were once known as Equity Release Mortgages. Back in the day, they didn’t enjoy a good press. That’s no longer the case. Lifetime Mortgages can be a game-changer – even a life changer – for those who need an income in later life but really don’t want to sell their home.

*Supplement retirement income
*Home improvements
*Holiday of a lifetime
*Helping family financially
*Gifting money to children & grandchildren to fund their deposits for purchasing property

Lifetime Mortgages are now far better regulated than in the past, some working on a cumulative interest basis. Lenders who subscribe to the Equity Release Council’s rules work in their clients’ favour; interest rates are good and there’s no risk of negative equity as used to be the case. A client will never owe more than the house is worth. As Guy says, for many of his clients, “the figures stack up.”

Take Care of Yourself

Guy always stresses just how important insurance is. And not just any insurance, the right insurance. He explains that the right insurance makes a massive difference if things go wrong. Sphere are committed to making sure their customers understand this impact. Guy won’t scare you with horror stories, or make you pay too much. It is important, he says, to know you have all-round peace-of-mind AND within your budget.

Sphere can advise on:

– Life Insurance
– Critical Illness Cover
– Income Protection
– Buildings and Contents Insurance
– Business Protection

Guy will help you decide which product is right for you, then work with your budget to get you the best quality cover possible.

Sphere - Guy Stuttard

The Right Advice

Sphere, and Guy, will always go the extra mile. With mortgages, it’s critical to get advice from specialists who can access a comprehensive range of products – AND lenders. Guy and Sphere work with as many as 50 lenders. Lenders get most of their business from mortgage intermediaries such as Guy. The personal service, tailored to the client’s needs, just makes sense with something so important. Personal service is what sets Sphere apart. Clients are treated like family and advised accordingly. They often stay in touch – and come back to Guy every time life changes.

Sphere can often help in the least bog-standard of cases. Self-employed borrower or highly unusual property, Guy will liaise with lenders first to maximise the chances of agreement. He will also scrutinise and application beforehand, to ascertain if it will be attractive to lenders. Failed mortgage applications can affect credit rating and thus the ability to borrow in future. The initial meeting with Guy is FREE although of course, with any mortgage, there are fees. Those fees are only due once an application is successful and with Guy, most ARE successful.

Happy New Home Loan

Guy has a plethora of happy-ending case studies and glowing reviews. One recent such success story was a couple with a high-interest mortgage. They came to Guy concerned that the exit charges would be prohibitive. Guy was able to secure a new rate, and even taking the exit charge into account, his clients SAVED hundreds of pounds.

As we all know, houses in Cheadle Hulme sell like hotcakes and prices remain strong. Buying – even for the first time – isn’t impossible, if you get the right advice. Your home is probably the most expensive thing you will ever buy. Seek proper, tailored, expert advice and access to a range of lenders – don’t assume borrowing from your high street bank is the way forward. Guy has even been able to arrange mortgages for people in their twenties with a 5% deposit and for newly self-employed people with no accounts.

Sphere - Guy Stuttard

Get it Right First Time

Nowadays, it’s crucial to give yourself the best chance to be approved for your mortgage. This is perhaps even more important for first-time buyers.

Guy’s advice would include:

*Check your credit reference file and sort out any problems.
*Pay off any unsecured debt and close unused accounts
*Get on the electoral roll and update your address with credit reference agencies
*Save the biggest deposit you can.

Covid-19 Update

Since the Covid-19 pandemic started to affect the UK, lenders have gradually tightened criteria for all sectors, those buying for the first or next time and in particular those who are currently furloughed from their employment or the self-employed whose businesses have been affected. Now more than ever, you will need to seek advice from a mortgage professional who knows the market, is up to date with lender criteria and who can have those conversations with the bank before any application is made.

YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

Guy, like all the advisers at Sphere, will look after you in the same way as he’d look after family. He will take time to find the right product for you and your family and build a solid relationship based on trust.

There may be a fee for mortgage advice, the precise amount will depend on circumstances, but Sphere estimates it to be £399.

Sphere Financial Services Ltd is an Appointed Representative of PRIMIS Mortgage Network. PRIMIS Mortgage Network is a trading name of Advance Mortgage Funding Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for mortgages, protection insurance and general insurance products for mortgage and non-investment insurance advice. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate some forms of Buy to Let.