Buckinghamshire Building Society

Buckinghamshire Building Society is a UK building society offering mortgages and savings accounts, with its website at www.bucksbs.co.uk¹. It appears on the Bank of England's list of building societies incorporated in the UK².

It is one of the building societies that provides finance for self and custom build projects, alongside names such as Bath, Suffolk, Chorley, Ecology and Vernon³. Like other building societies, it is a mutual, which means it is owned by its members rather than by shareholders⁴.

This page covers what the society offers across savings and mortgages, who can apply, how to open an account or apply for a mortgage, how to complain, and how your money is protected. It does not carry rates for any named provider, because rates change often and the society publishes its current figures on its own site.

What Buckinghamshire Building Society offers

Buckinghamshire Building Society operates in two main areas: mortgages and savings. Its permissions cover entering into a regulated mortgage contract as lender and accepting deposits, which is the regulatory description of a building society that both lends and takes savings¹.

On the mortgage side, it is one of the building societies that provides finance for self and custom build projects³. Building societies as a group lend across the full range of mortgage types, including first time buyer, home mover and remortgage deals, and some also offer offset mortgages and porting⁵. The society's own website sets out which specific deals it currently has available.

On the savings side, building societies typically offer the account types below. The society's own savings pages list which of these it currently offers and on what terms⁶.

Building societies are a significant part of the UK savings and mortgage market. Building societies and mutual-owned banks hold 29% of the UK's outstanding mortgage balances and received 27% of all UK cash savings in the six months to September 2025⁵. The sector's total assets are almost £650 billion⁷.

If you are comparing savings accounts generally, the savings guide explains how the different account types work. For mortgages, the mortgages guide covers the process from start to finish.

Self-build and custom build mortgages at Buckinghamshire Building Society

Self build and custom build mortgages are the area where Buckinghamshire Building Society is best known. It is listed among the building societies that provide finance for self and custom build projects³.

A self build mortgage is designed to fund a range of home building plans, including self and custom build. It works differently from a standard mortgage because the money is released in stages as the build progresses, rather than as a single lump sum at completion⁸. That staged release matters because it means you draw down funds as you need them, and interest is typically charged on what has been drawn rather than on the full amount from day one.

Building societies that lend on self build tend to accept a range of project types. Suffolk Building Society, for example, covers new projects from scratch, conversions, renovations, knock down and rebuilds, and mid or partially built projects⁹. Some self build mortgages are offered through specialist brokers: Bath Building Society's self build options are available exclusively through BuildStore⁸, and Suffolk Building Society offers mortgages through Buildstore Mortgage Services¹⁰.

If you are considering a self build, the home buying guide covers the wider process, and the mortgages guide explains how lenders assess applications.

Savings accounts: how they work and what to check

Building societies offer a range of savings account types, and Buckinghamshire Building Society's savings pages set out which ones it currently has. Across the sector, the common types are instant access savers, limited access savers, regular saver accounts, notice accounts, cash ISAs, fixed-term bonds and children's savings⁶.

When you open a savings account, there are a few things worth checking before you commit. Chorley Building Society, for example, asks savers to read the application checklist, the summary box, the tariff of fees and charges, and the FSCS information sheet before applying¹¹.

Once an account is open, how you operate it depends on the account type. Coventry Building Society notes that the way its savings accounts work varies depending on the account type, with downloadable guides for managing each one¹². Online services typically let you check your balance and recent transactions, make a payment, update your details and open a new savings account¹³. Mobile apps go further: Newcastle Building Society's savings app lets you check balances and available funds, see recent transactions, view account details including interest frequency and method, create future dated transactions, withdraw funds where the account allows it, and transfer between accounts¹⁴.

If you have lost track of an old savings account, My Lost Account is a free tracing service run as a joint venture by UK Finance, the Building Societies Association and NS&I¹⁶. Age UK also explains how to trace lost money¹⁷.

Who can apply for a Buckinghamshire Building Society mortgage

Building societies as a group lend to a wide range of borrowers, and individual societies set their own criteria. Monmouthshire Building Society, for example, says it welcomes older borrowers, the self-employed, and those who do not have a big deposit¹⁸. Buckinghamshire Building Society's own lending criteria are set out on its website.

For self build specifically, the criteria tend to focus on the project as well as the borrower. Lenders look at the build type, the plot, the planned costs and the borrower's ability to service the mortgage during the build, when payments may be higher or the property may not yet be habitable.

On income multiples, some lenders will consider lending more than the standard four to four and a half times income. In 2018, five lenders including Cambridge Building Society and Ipswich Building Society were reported to offer five times annual income¹⁹. Lenders' criteria change, so check the current position with the society directly.

If you already have a mortgage with a building society and want to borrow more, many societies offer additional borrowing to existing customers²⁰. If you are moving home, some societies let you switch your existing mortgage to a new property²¹.

The Mortgage Charter, which sets out support for mortgage holders, applies to members who have a UK residential mortgage with the society, are up to date with their payments, and have more than 12 months left on their mortgage term²².

How to bank with Buckinghamshire Building Society

Buckinghamshire Building Society is a building society rather than a bank, and that shapes how you deal with it. Some societies are explicit about this: Monmouthshire Building Society says that because it is a building society and not a bank, it does not offer online "banking" as such, though its app lets customers view information about its mortgage and savings accounts online²³.

In practice, most building societies offer a mix of channels. Newcastle Building Society, for example, lets you open a savings account online, at a local branch, or by calling its customer contact centre²⁴. Suffolk Building Society lets some savings accounts be opened and managed online, with deposits, withdrawals to a nominated bank account and moves between society accounts handled online, depending on the product terms²⁵.

Payments into and out of building society accounts are usually made by electronic transfer. Cambridge Building Society accepts electronic transfers via Faster Payments, Standing Orders, CHAPS and BACS²⁶. Yorkshire Building Society requires all mortgage payments to be made from a UK bank or building society account²⁷.

If you are sending money from overseas, you will need the society's international payment details. Cambridge Building Society, for example, publishes its SWIFT/BIC code for international payments²⁸.

For day to day management, building society apps typically let you view accounts and transactions and make payments to a nominated bank account or another savings account you hold¹³.

Opening an account or applying for a mortgage

Opening a savings account or applying for a mortgage with a building society follows a similar pattern across the sector, and the society's own site sets out its specific process.

For savings accounts, you can usually apply online, in branch, or by phone. Newcastle Building Society, for example, lets you open online by following the steps on screen, at a local branch, or by calling its customer contact centre²⁴. If you apply in branch, you will need to take along your investment and proof of your identity and address²⁴.

Identity verification is a standard part of the process. Cambridge Building Society says it needs to verify your identity to proceed with an application when you open a savings account or apply for a mortgage, and it uses an electronic verification system for savings account applications²⁹.

If you want to manage your account online, you may need to register for online access first. Cambridge Building Society requires a mobile number and email address, and you can register via its customer contact centre or a branch³⁰.

For a mortgage, you can apply direct to a building society or use a regulated mortgage broker to help you³¹. If you apply direct, have your documents ready. Yorkshire Building Society asks for property details, your current mortgage or tenancy agreement, employment details, and bank details for setting up payments³².

Some societies offer cashback to certain borrowers. Yorkshire Building Society, for example, offers cashback for savings customers who take out a mortgage with them and have not previously had a mortgage with the society³³. Cashback deals work by paying a lump sum after completion, and the amount and the conditions attached vary by lender and product, so check the current terms with the society.

Complaints and where to get help

If something goes wrong with a building society, there is a clear route to follow. Start with the society's own complaints procedure. Building societies publish how to complain, and the society's website sets out its contact details.

If you are not happy with the society's final response, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to use. Yorkshire Building Society, for example, tells customers that if they are not happy with the decision, they can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service³⁴.

The Financial Ombudsman Service can look at complaints about a wide range of financial products and services, including savings accounts and mortgages. It is independent of the firms it investigates, and its decisions are binding on the firm if you accept them.

If you need extra support, building societies can usually help. Nottingham Building Society, for example, offers telephone support on 0344 481 4444 for customers who need more help³⁵.

If you are dealing with a power of attorney or helping someone else manage their money, building societies have processes for that too. Nottingham Building Society publishes a guide explaining what a power of attorney is³⁶.

For complaints about a firm that has failed or stopped trading, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme may be able to help, and the Financial Ombudsman Service can still look at complaints about firms that are no longer trading in some circumstances.

How your savings and mortgage are protected

Eligible savings held with UK building societies are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The scheme covers deposits up to a set limit per person, per firm. Nottingham Building Society, for example, states that eligible savings are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme³⁷.

The important detail is how the limit works when brands share a licence. If you hold savings with more than one brand that operates under the same banking licence, those balances count together towards one limit. Yorkshire Building Society, for example, explains that deposits linked to an offset mortgage through its subsidiary Accord Mortgages are held with Yorkshire Building Society³⁸. That means money in Yorkshire Building Society accounts and money in Accord Mortgages offset accounts counts together for compensation purposes.

Building societies are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority³⁹. That dual regulation is the standard framework for UK banks and building societies: the Prudential Regulation Authority supervises financial soundness, and the Financial Conduct Authority supervises conduct.

The Building Societies Association is the trade association representing mutual lenders and deposit takers, including all of the UK's building societies⁴⁰. It represents all 42 UK building societies, as well as two mutual-owned banks and 7 credit unions⁴¹.

If you have savings with a building society that has failed, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme steps in. The scheme's information sheet, which firms must provide, explains what is covered and what is not³⁸.

For more on how protection works across the sector, the consumer protection guide explains the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the Financial Ombudsman Service and Section 75. The savings guide covers how to spread your money across institutions to stay within the compensation limits.