Equity Release Advice in March
Equity release lets homeowners aged 55 and over in March access some of the money tied up in their home, without selling or moving. Whether you want to top up your retirement income, help family, or clear a mortgage, this plain-English local guide shows how it works and the risks that genuinely matter.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to.
For many homeowners in March, most of their wealth is tied up in their property. Equity release is one way to access some of it in later life, but it is a significant, lifelong decision, and it is not right for everyone. Here is the honest local picture.
The equity release picture in March
March has the amenities of a proper market town, a market square and its markets, a town-centre shopping area and retail provision, schools, parks, a museum and a real sense of history in St Wendreda’s church and the railway heritage.
Local property values matter here, because how much you can release depends on your home's value, your age and the product.
Downsizing in March, the alternative worth weighing first
Before releasing equity from your home, it is worth looking at downsizing, moving to a smaller or less expensive property frees up cash without taking on a lifetime mortgage or any interest roll-up. Roughly speaking, the difference between what your current home is worth and one of the options below is what a move could release in March.
| Budget in March | What it typically buys |
|---|---|
| Around £160,000–£210,000 | A terrace or a starter home, the more accessible way into the town, popular with first-time buyers and investors. |
| Around £220,000–£320,000 | A semi, a bungalow or a modern family house, a classic, affordable March family home. |
| £320,000 and above | A larger detached or period house, or a newer executive home, the top of the local market. |
Downsizing is not right for everyone. Moving costs, stamp duty, and leaving a home full of memories all matter. But for some it releases more than equity release would, with no debt. A good later-life adviser will compare both routes with you.
Where March is
Retiring in March
The big everyday pluses are value for money and, unusually for a fen town, a railway station on the doorstep, with Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge all reachable by train. March has GP surgeries, dentists and pharmacies across the town; for emergencies, the nearest 24-hour A&E departments are at Peterborough City Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, both a drive away, a genuine point to weigh, with Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge the major regional teaching hospital.
For many, equity release is about staying in the March home and community they love while freeing up some of its value, which is exactly why weighing the alternatives, and taking regulated advice, matters.
Retiring in March: the honest view
- Its own railway station (Peterborough–Ely–Cambridge line)
- Affordable prices for Cambridgeshire
- Genuine character (St Wendreda’s angel roof, railway heritage)
- A real market-town centre and everyday amenities
- Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge reachable by train
- The wide Fens, the Nene and WWT Welney nearby
- Nearest full A&E is a drive away (Peterborough or Hinchingbrooke)
- Low-lying fen and the River Nene, material flood risk to check
- Peat/silt fen soils can raise subsidence and drainage questions
- Main secondary (Neale-Wade) judged to require significant improvement (2026), weigh honestly
- Older and non-standard fen homes can need survey and lender care
- A working fen town, research different areas
A little about March
How equity release works
Talk it through
A free, no-obligation chat about your home, your plans and whether equity release could suit you.
Meet a specialist adviser
We introduce you to a carefully selected, FCA-regulated equity-release adviser.
Get a personalised illustration
They set out exactly what you could release, the interest, the fees and the alternatives, in writing.
Decide in your own time
Independent legal advice is required, and you are never under any pressure to proceed.
The risks, please read this first
Equity release is well protected today, but it is a lifelong commitment with real trade-offs.
The interest rolls up. Unless you pay it
Choose to make no payments and the interest compounds, so the debt grows. At an interest rate of 6.5% a year it roughly doubles in about 11 years. But many modern plans let you pay some or all of the interest, or make voluntary repayments, to slow or stop the roll-up and leave more in your estate.
It reduces your estate
There is less to leave behind.
Means-tested benefits
Releasing cash can affect entitlement to benefits like Pension Credit. This must be checked before you proceed.
Early repayment charges
Repaying the plan early, including if you move home sooner than expected, can trigger an early repayment charge. Ask what yours would be before you sign.
Who it suits, and who it doesn’t
- Asset-rich but income-tight in retirement
- Wanting to stay in your home, not downsize
- Helping family or clearing a mortgage in later life
- Leaving a full inheritance is a priority
- You would be happy to downsize instead
- You rely on means-tested benefits
Life in March, the home you want to stay in
A quick sense of March, the place equity release could help you go on enjoying.
St Wendreda’s angel roof
The medieval church of St Wendreda is famous for its double hammer-beam roof carved with around a hundred and twenty angels, one of the finest angel roofs in England, described by John Betjeman as “worth cycling forty miles into a headwind to see”.
The railway heritage & Whitemoor
March was one of the great railway towns of England, and its Whitemoor Yard was once among the largest marshalling yards in Europe, a heritage told at the March & District Museum.
The market square & the River Nene
A traditional market square and town centre, with the River Nene (old course) running close by, giving riverside walks and open water through the town.
West End Park
A well-used town park giving green space, play areas and events close to the centre, a focus of community life in March.
The wider Fens & wildlife
Beyond the town, the Ouse Washes and WWT Welney offer spectacular winter wildfowl and wide fen skies, classic Fenland days out.
Nearby days out
Ely with its cathedral, Cambridge, Wisbech’s Georgian Brinks and the Norfolk coast are all within reach for days out from March.
Check broadband before you make an offer in March
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in March, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
Check broadband at an address (Ofcom)
Want all your bills in one?
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Common questions
Will I still own my home?
Is equity release safe?
Does it affect my benefits or tax?
Should I downsize in March instead?
Do you charge for the introduction?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in March?
We are an introducer, not an equity-release adviser.
Related guides
Planning your later-life finances in March? These may also help.
More money guides for March: Mortgage advice in March · Equity release explained · Contact us
Short reads that work through the local numbers. No sales pitch.