Together has updated its criteria to allow more automatic property valuations to reduce costs and speed up mortgage applications.

The specialist lender estimates that the rule changes will mean more than half of its new personal finance cases can now be funded by using the HomeTrack digital platform – removing the need for physical property valuations.

It says this will make it easier for applications to progress, particularly during lockdown, and could benefit customers looking to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday by moving before the scheme ends in March.

Sundeep Patel, the lender head of intermediary sales, comments: “We estimate that changes to our rules mean we will be able to use Hometrack’s automated valuation model (AVM) in more than 50% of personal finance applications, up from about a third of cases in 2019.”

“It’s an incredibly useful tool, particularly under the current Covid-related lockdown restrictions, and could reduce costs for intermediaries submitting cases to us, while speeding up the application process by removing the time it takes for physical valuations of properties.”

He adds: “We have brought in these rule changes to streamline the process at a time when hundreds of thousands of home buyers are looking to complete transactions ahead of the stamp duty holiday deadline at the end of March.”

The enhanced AVM rules apply across all Together’s personal finance products, with a maximum LTV of 70% (65% for regulated bridging applications), to a maximum loan size of £250,000.

Previously, Together allowed digital valuations for its mortgages on properties worth up to £500,000. The lender will now accept automatic valuations for regulated bridging as well as first charge loans, with no maximum property value.

The maximum property value for second charge loans has been increased to £750,000.