MORTGAGES
Self Employed Mortgage
- You'll experience an unrivalled customer service
- We offer a comprehensive range of products from across the market but not deals that you can only obtain by going direct to a lender.
- You can contact us 24/7, we're always available to help
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
What is a Self-Employed Mortgage?
There is no ‘Self-Employed Mortgage’ and actually, most standard mortgage products are available to Self-Employed applicants.
There is, however, a difference in the mortgage application process, with Self-Employed applicants often having to satisfy additional lender criteria compared to employed applicants. It can also be more difficult to prove your income than it is for those on employed salaries.
How will your Self-Employed application be assessed?
Your mortgage application is assessed predominantly in terms of affordability, you will also need to have a good credit history and be able to provide evidence of your earnings.
Most lenders will require at least two years of accounts (these will need to be certified by an accountant if you do your own taxes), as well as a tax return (SA302) in some cases. Lenders also sometimes have minimum trading period requirements for Self-Employed applicants of two years, on average. However it may be possible to obtain a mortgage with just one years accounts.
What type of business you operate will influence the amount and type of evidence you will need to supply, as per the below:
Sole Trader
Lenders use an average of your declared total net income for a period of two to three years in order to establish an amount to base your loan calculation on. You will need to provide copies of your SA302 forms for those years. Some lenders will take an average whereas others may utilise most recent year if the figures are increasing year on year.
Partnership
As a partner, the size of your share will determine whether you can be classed as Self-Employed for mortgage application purposes. Providing you own at least a 25% share, your application will be considered, using your share of the net business profits to calculate the loan amount. This will then be assessed as above, usually on an average on the last two or three years figures.
Ltd company
Those operating as a limited company should be aware that only personal income is usually taken into consideration for the purposes of the loan calculation. Directors may sometimes submit the business’ net profits in addition to this, however, only specialist lenders will be willing to consider this. Lenders when assessing a limited company director or shareholder of over 25% would often utilise the Salary and Dividend payments as per their last 2 or 3 years tax returns. However some lenders can also consider the applicants share of retained net profit in the business.
How much can I borrow?
Being Self-Employed will not impact how much you’re able to borrow in any other way than how much of your income will be considered by the lender. The loan amount will be based predominantly on your total income amount and affordability and your credit rating.
Ordinarily, a multiple of four and half times your income will be used, although this can vary massively from lender to lender depending on a few factors. Some professions, especially those with higher incomes, can borrow higher multiples of their calculated income. Your credit score can also both positively or negatively affect what multiple of your income the lender is willing to use for their calculation, alongside the size of deposit and Loan to Value ratio.
What deposit will you need?
Lenders tend to be slightly more cautious with applications from Self-Employed lenders and therefore it will benefit you to offer the highest deposit you can comfortably afford.
Whilst there is no minimum deposit requirement for Self-Employed applicants, a minimum of 10% deposit is usually expected from any applicant. If you are able to offer more, it’s useful to know that lenders generally decrease their mortgage interest rates in steps when 10%, 15%, 25% and 40% are offered.
How do you improve your chances of being accepted by a Lender?
Increase your income
Whilst prioritising retaining profits within the business is often standard practice, taking a higher percentage of dividends for a period of time prior to your application, may improve your chances.
As well as increasing your overall usable income, it may give you the chance to save a higher deposit, which can also improve your chance of acceptance.
Delay major business changes
Lenders prefer stable businesses, so if you are planning a restructure, it would be best to delay this until after your mortgage application.
Financial preparation
Ensuring all of your accounts are up to date and signed off by a certified accountant and all tax returns submitted prior to your mortgage application is likely to improve your chances of acceptance. As well as giving a more professional appearance, it will save you time and preparation in the long run.
Taking steps to improve your credit rating as in advance of your mortgage application can also help avoid the disappointment of being refused for a low credit score. Your score can easily be improved through careful spending, staying within existing credit limits and prompt repayment of your accounts.
What help is available?
As specialists with experience in advising Self-Employed mortgage applicants we will anticipate any potential acceptance issues you may have. This allows us to direct you to lenders whose acceptance criteria most closely matches your circumstances. We have access to a range of specialist mortgage lenders, who can often offer more competitive deals than high street lenders.
Applying for a mortgage can be time-consuming, especially for business owners. Another benefit of using Mortgage Matchmakers is that we can reduce the administrative burden of your mortgage application, saving you both time and stress throughout the process.
Your home/property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Some Buy-To-Let Mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What fees are involved with buying a home?
Arrangement Fees
Most mortgage lenders charge an administrative fee for the arrangement of the mortgage. This will vary from lender to lender. You may even find that some specialist lenders offer no arrangement fees for those in certain jobs.
Valuation Fees
You will need to have your chosen property independently valued, again, these fees will vary depending on the lender chosen.
Legal Fees
The mortgage application process requires the appointment of a solicitor, who will arrange conveyancing and local authority searches, usually payable directly to the solicitor.
Stamp Duty
Under normal circumstances, Stamp duty is due on the purchase of all properties and is based upon the value of your home, amongst other things. First Time Buyers currently benefit from an exemption on Stamp Duty on purchases up to £300,000.
How can Mortgage Matchmakers help First Time Buyers?
Buying your first home can be intimidating.
From trying to establish which type of mortgage is best suited to you, through to finding a lender offering competitive mortgage rates to First Time Buyers. Qualified and experienced Mortgage Brokers can be comforting and reassuring throughout the process of making life-altering decisions.
Even the most confident buyer, however, can benefit hugely from Mortgage Brokers’ advice. We have a wide market view, which gives us access to mortgage deals that you won’t find on the high street. This means that we can not only find you the most suitable mortgage deals available but are able to divert your efforts towards those lenders most likely to accept your application.
Your home/property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Some Buy-To-Let Mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Happy Clients
Jyoti Bains2026-04-02I’ve known Mohit for past so many years, and in that time I’ve seen firsthand just how dedicated, honest, and knowledgeable he is, both professionally and personally. As a mortgage advisor, Mohit goes above and beyond. He takes the time to really understand your situation, explains everything clearly (no jargon or pressure), and make what can feel like a stressful process so much smoother and more manageable. What really stands out is his integrity, you genuinely feel he has your best interests at heart. It’s rare to find someone who combines expertise with such a personal touch. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or remortgaging, you’re in very safe hands. Highly recommend to anyone looking for trustworthy, reliable mortgage advice!
Dripesh Chauhan2026-03-26I would like to thank you Mortgage Matchmakers in helping out the mortgage for our second home. Specially I would like to thank you Bhavna for her dedication and professionalism during the process. I will highly recommend Bhavna of Mortgage Matchmakers Limited for anyone looking for a mortgage. Dripesh & Reena
Jaya Bhardwaj2026-03-17Our experience with Bhavna from mortgage matchmakers has been absolutely fantastic. We have been using her for a while now to get mortgages on several of our properties, including buy to let properties purchased through our limited company and she has always managed to find fantastic deals for us. What particularly stands out is her communication, prompt responses to any queries and her efficiency. Even after the mortgage is approved, she constantly keeps looking to see if any better deals arrive on the market and lets you know if this is the case. She manages everything for you and we have never had any issues with any of the mortgage deals she has sorted for us. Doing business with her is a great pleasure and I would highly recommend Bhavna at Mortgage matchmakers for all of your mortgage needs.
Avanish Tantry2026-03-17I have used Mortgage Matchmakers for several mortgages now and am very happy with their service. Bhavna Grover, who has been our mortgage advisor, is excellent and I can’t recommend her enough. She is professional, very hard working, extremely prompt with her responses and gets things done in super quick time. She has always managed to find really competitive deals for me, including limited company but to let mortgages, and keeps looking out for better deals right till the end. I couldn’t ask for anything more and she completely takes the stress and hassle out of obtaining mortgages. If you are looking for a mortgage advisor and company, look no further than Bhavna and Mortgage Matchmakers.
Richard Smith2026-03-11Mohit was very professional and clearly has a good knowledge of the mortgage market. He was able to secure us a rate ahead of the increase that came in 8 hours later! Would highly recommend for all mortgage related enquiries.
Michael Wheller2026-03-04Excellent service and useful advice all the way through the process of setting up the new mortgage.
Julianaa Raghu2026-02-18I had an exceptional experience working with Mohit Mehra. As a first-time buyer, I was nervous about the process, but Mohit made everything feel straightforward and stress-free. He was incredibly responsive, patient and always answering my questions quickly and explaining complex terms in plain language. The communication was exceptional. I felt they truly had my best interests at heart and went above and beyond to ensure a smooth closing. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a reliable and professional mortgage broker!
Hameed Wahedi2026-02-01I was dealing with Ankur for my remortgage and I am highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or remortgage their property. Thanks
Sope Famo2025-11-21Mohit from Mortgage Matchmakers was a pleasure to work with, making the process as simple as it could have ever been and was always on call to answer any questions. He was super helpful and impressively quick, which is rare when it comes to securing a property/mortgage. Thanks to Mohit we've had our mortgage approved and can move on to the next steps. I would highly recommend Mohit due to reliability and speed along but also his friendliness! Thanks a lot Mohit!!
Angela Kibia2025-11-20We had an excellent experience working with Mohit Mehra at Mortgage Matchmakers. From the beginning he was professional and very supportive. He made the whole process smooth as his communication was amazing. He was always quick to respond and provided updates. Thanks to Mohit we received a successful mortgage offer! We highly recommend Mohit to anyone looking for a reliable mortgage broker.