Fixed mortgage rates are at a six-month high, according to finance website Moneyfacts.co.uk

It says that swap rates are continuing to rise. At the end of November, the two-year swap rate stood at 1.35%, today it stands at 1.98% – 47% higher.

Michelle Slade, spokesperson for Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: “The majority of lenders have increased rates since the start of the year