Net mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK, a key indicator of future borrowing, rose to 58,200 in June 2026 from a revised 56,600 in May, exceeding market expectations of 57,100. Despite the increase, approvals remained near two-year lows and below the previous six-month average of around 61,400, reflecting the impact of elevated borrowing costs. Approvals for remortgaging with a different lender also edged higher to 34,200 from 33,800. Meanwhile, the effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages climbed to 4.35% in June from 4.22% in May, its highest level in more than a year. The average rate on the outstanding stock of mortgages also increased, reaching a record high of 3.96%.