The Tipton and Coseley Building Society has reported a buoyant start to the year with its mortgage completions between January and May totalling £28.41m, 64 per cent up on last year’s figure of £17.28m.

Home loan applications for the same period are also up on last year with the building society having processed applications worth a collective £47.65m, up nearly 50 per cent on 2015’s figure, when applications totalled £31.85m. The Tipton believes that its ethos of providing competitive rates and a sensible approach to lending have contributed to these figures.

It is a successful independent Building Society founded in 1901 in the offices of a local solicitor that now has four branches in the West Midlands, with its head office in Tipton. The building society concentrates on core business activities and offers keenly priced mortgage and savings products, treating its customers as individuals.

Richard Newton, the Tipton’s chief executive, said: “We’ve invested heavily in our mortgage operations; we’ve recruited new staff and have launched a number of competitive products, including the 100 per cent loan to value Family Assist mortgage, which have contributed to these figures. However, what continues to set us apart is how we process mortgage applications. Unlike bigger names in the industry we don’t credit score applicants – one size doesn’t fit all which is why we assess everyone on a case-by-case basis.”

The Tipton has helped many of its customers get onto the property ladder as a result of its competitive mortgages.