If you’ve recently become self-employed or your hours have reduced, you might be nervous about remortgaging.
It’s important to assess your financial commitments regularly, and you shouldn’t let being self-employed or having part-time hours impact that process.
The Topics Covered in this Article Are Listed Below:
- Can I Get a Remortgage While Self-Employed?
- Is It Hard to Get a Remortgage if You're Self-Employed?
- Is It Easier to Get a Self-Employed Remortgage with the Same Lender?
- Can I Get a Remortgage on Part-Time Hours?
- Can I Get a Remortgage with 2 Jobs?
- Can I Get a Remortgage Whether Self-Employed or Employed?
- Are Self-Employed Remortgage Deals More Expensive?
Can I Get a Remortgage While Self-Employed?
You can get a remortgage while self-employed but you’ll need to prove your income to demonstrate that you can afford the monthly payments. There used to be remortgage deals specifically for those who are self-employed, but now you should be able to access the same mortgages that an employed person can.
Lending money is always concerned with risk and being employed doesn’t necessarily make a person more or less risky. Risk is assessed based on many factors, and income is only one of those factors. For instance, a self-employed person who can afford payments and has a spotless credit history is less risky than an employed person who has a low credit score. Unfortunately, you’ll have to provide more evidence of income than an employed person. As a self-employed individual, you’ll need:
- 2-3 years’ certified accounts (differs with each bank)
- SA302 forms or a tax overview from HMRC
- Proof of new contracts yet to commence
- Proof of any dividend payments if you’re a company director
It’s common for lenders to favour accounts from an accountant, so it’s worth investing in one before you apply for your remortgage.
If you have less than one year of accounts, you might struggle to prove your average income level, but a remortgage adviser might be able to find a company who’ll consider your application.
Is It Hard to Get a Remortgage If You’re Self-Employed?
No, it’s not a harder to get a mortgage as a self-employed person than as an employed person, but you’ll be required to provide a little more information to prove your income. Evidence of your income is one of the ways that a remortgage lender understands whether you can afford the monthly repayments.
Is It Easier to Get a Self-Employed Remortgage with the Same Lender?
It can be easier to stay with the same lender, regardless of whether you're self-employed or employed, but it might not be beneficial over time. You wouldn't remortgage with the same lender, you'd get a product transfer - or a further advance if you wanted to borrow more money. Choosing whether to stay with an existing lender can be a difficult decision, especially when faced with cheap remortgage deals from other lenders.
Like all choices, there are pros and cons and your personal circumstances need to be considered. Your existing lender will already have a relationship with you, so they may be able to see that you’ve never missed a payment. They’re also more likely to take fewer years of accounts than a different lender who’s assessing you as a risk for the first time.
However, staying with your existing lender may be less competitive as an existing customer, making changing your remortgage an attractive option. Your existing lender might incentivise your loyalty by reducing or eliminating some of the fees for transferring you on to a new product. A remortgage adviser can take a look at all of the pros and cons with you and ensure that you understand the choices you have.
Can I Get a Remortgage on Part-Time Hours?
If you’re on part-time hours, as with all remortgages, your ability to obtain a remortgage will be based on whether you can afford the repayments. If you’re struggling to pay your current mortgage, then it might be a good time to discuss this with a remortgage adviser, as you still have a number of options.
Some of those options include extending the mortgage term, for instance, from 10 to 20 years. Your adviser will explain that this might reduce your monthly repayments, which can increase your chances of a successful application. However, increasing your term will mean that you pay more interest (cost borrowing) as you’re taking longer to pay the money back.
Can I Get a Remortgage with 2 Jobs?
Yes, whether you have 2 jobs or 4, it doesn’t matter when it comes to remortgaging.
The company lending you the money cares about the length of time you’ve worked with a company and what your total income is on a regular basis.
The ‘regular’ part is important because it gives the lender an idea of what your average monthly income is, and after allowing for other bills, what you can afford to pay each month for a mortgage. You’ll need to prove all income generated, which means payslips and submitting your bank statements.
Can I Get a Remortgage Self-Employed and Employed?
Yes, you can remortgage if you’re both self-employed and employed. As with any self-employed application, you’ll need to show that you’re registered with HMRC (unless your income is under their threshold for self-employment) and be able to provide evidence of income.
The sticking point with being both employed and self-employed is that you’ll need to provide two to three years of evidence of self-employment income and potentially only three months for your employed work. The good news is that you can also provide evidence of future contracts for your business that haven’t started yet, which will help you to obtain a mortgage.
Are Self-Employed Remortgage Deals More Expensive?
No, self-employed remortgages aren’t necessarily more expensive than any other type of mortgage. A remortgage is based on risk, and risk is based on a number of different factors, such as your credit score, how much of your house you own, and how much you earn each month.
If you need further information on this topic, or to speak to one of our expert advisers, give us a call on 0330 433 2927 or enquire online.
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There are many valid reasons to remortgage. If you’re considering remortgaging your home but need help finding the right option for you, contact John Charcol. Our team of experienced mortgage advisers can recommend a range of remortgage options to suit you. Request a call back or call us on 0330 433 2927 to get in touch.
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