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Harpenden Building Society: Mortgages reviews

2.66
Based on 18 reviews, last reviewed 14th Jan 2026
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Latest highest rating:

5

Amazing for Selfbuild Very quick & very understanding when you own your own business Reviewed on: 7th July 2025
michelle m's avatar
michelle m

Latest lowest rating:

2

Lack of SVR reduction Despite having to consider various factors you lifted the bar quickly in response to the base rate, however in 2025 the base rate reduced by 1 % but y... Read more Reviewed on: 14th January 2026
Craig S's avatar
Craig S

About this product

Harpenden Building Society was founded in 1953 and offers a variety of mortgage and savings products. Before applying for a mortgage, make sure that you’re confident with the terms, conditions and interest rate of the product. Always consult the lender or an independent advisor if you need help understanding the options available to you.

At Smart Money People, we collect Harpenden Building Society mortgage reviews. This valuable insight can help you decide if this lender is right for what could be your biggest financial purchase.

Learn more about what you can expect as a mortgage customer of the Society by reading our reviews. Find out whether other people with similar circumstances were accepted for a mortgage. Read about other customer service experiences. Learn more about the benefits of being a member of the Society. All of this and more can be found in our Harpenden Building Society mortgage reviews.

Did Harpenden Building Society help you buy your dream home? Share your experience with our Smart Money People community. Why did you choose Harpenden Building Society as your mortgage provider and which mortgage deal did you choose? Share your experience with the application process - did the Society support you? Have you been satisfied throughout the term of your mortgage so far? Whether good or bad, write an honest Harpenden Building Society mortgage review today. Together, we can help people like you make better financial decisions.

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Harpenden Building Society Mortgages reviews (18)

Very impressed with the way, they took the time to u...

5
Very impressed with the way, they took the time to understand my circumstances and tailor an offer around them. My mortgage broker had regular calls with his Harpenden contact. Reviewed on: 5th February 2024
Reply from Harpenden Building Society Hi Nick, Thank you for your feedback. This is great to read and i'll make sure that this is shared with the broker team here! Kind regards, Jon Sweeting Commercial Manager Response date: 7th February 2024
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Harpenden Building Society

Harpenden Building Society Branch Review

1
You took a very long time to approve our mortgage with a drip-drip of further questions and requests for more documents. Our solicitor charged extra due to the drawn out process and we paid for 2 months at the high default rate. Reviewed on: 19th January 2024
Reply from Harpenden Building Society Thank you for providing this feedback, if you would like to speak to us further regarding your experience with the Society please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Regards, Andrew Foster Commercial Manager Response date: 7th February 2024
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Harpenden Building Society

I need to know what your intention is with regard to...

3
I need to know what your intention is with regard to your mortgage rates Reviewed on: 6th January 2024

Harpenden Building Society Branch Review

5
Nothing to improve - you're great!. Reviewed on: 29th November 2023
Reply from Harpenden Building Society Wow. Can you write my end of year review please? This is really great to read and thank you for your feedback! Jon Sweeting Commercial Manager Response date: 4th December 2023
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Harpenden Building Society

Harpenden Building Society Branch Review

1
Every little thing took 5 working days to resolve. This was made worse because there were mistakes in the offer. Reviewed on: 29th November 2023
Reply from Harpenden Building Society Thank you for your feedback, and i'm sorry that on this occasion we have not delivered a standard of service that you, or I, would expect. If you would like to email me at [email protected] we will open an investigation on what happened and try to rectify any outstanding issues. Jon Sweeting Commercial Manager Response date: 4th December 2023
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Harpenden Building Society

TIMEWASTERS!

1
Our Broker recommended this Building Society as they seemed to fit the bill for our needs. HOW WRONG HE WAS! Three months down the line and about to have our rental property we lived in put on the market due to how long they took to scrutinise our bank accounts etc, they declined us. Why? Because we paid a COMPANY business debt off A MONTH EARLY!!! To say we were gobsmacked was to say the least. We had rented the property for 11 years with no issues about paying the rent. Landlords urgently needed the property sold (we had first refusal to purchase and at BMV) so the pressure was on. I had to detail miniscule payments out of my personal bank account. One to my Son for £40! The other to a seller on Markketplace for a mere £80. We then applied to Santander and it all flew through. So save yourself A LOT OF TIME AND STRESS apply to them in the first instance. It completed within 2 months of application. How this Building Society gets any mortgage clients is beyond me. They rank something like 41. I can now see why!!! Reviewed on: 12th July 2022

Worst Customer Experience Ever

1
If you want to purchase a house using Harpenden I suggest starting 12 month in advance and you will still more than likely be disappointed. Their SLA's are a joke in the modern world, saying everything is done in person is a massive cop out and doesn't ring true. They will miss most SLA's then ghost you and ignore all communication attempts and not return calls. Avoid like the plague! Reviewed on: 11th May 2022

Not passing on Bank of England base rate reduction

1
The Bank of England have announced a 0.5% drop in the base rate to support the economy and Harpenden have decided not to reflect this in the SVR and therefore discounted mortgages where as the majority of the market has moved - i would recommend avoid getting a mortgage through them. Reviewed on: 13th March 2020

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