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Specialist Mortgage Guides

Guides Written for Complex Borrowers

If your income doesn't arrive in a neat PAYE payslip, these guides exist for you. Real criteria, real numbers, written by mortgage specialists — not content algorithms.

CIS contractor reviewing mortgage options
CIS Contractors
10 min read

CIS Contractor Mortgages

Why your SA302 undersells you, which lenders understand CIS income, and how to get the mortgage your gross contract rate actually supports.

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IR35 contractor reviewing mortgage paperwork
IR35
9 min read

IR35 Contractor Mortgages

Inside or outside IR35, umbrella or limited company — how each status changes the income lenders will recognise, and which lenders assess the gross contract rate.

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Company director reviewing retained profit figures
Directors
9 min read

Director Retained Profit Mortgages

Which lenders count net profit left in the company, how they evidence it, and how a modest salary-plus-dividends director can borrow on the full business picture.

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Foreign national reviewing UK mortgage options
Foreign Nationals
8 min read

Foreign National Mortgages

Visa types, minimum time in the UK, deposit requirements and the lenders that underwrite applicants without a full UK credit history.

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Portfolio landlord reviewing property finances
Landlords
10 min read

Portfolio Landlord Mortgages

Four or more mortgaged buy-to-lets: how lenders stress the whole portfolio, what a business plan needs to show, and using rental profit to support a residential purchase.

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Zero hours worker reviewing mortgage eligibility
Zero Hours
7 min read

Zero Hours Contract Mortgages

Averaging periods, minimum employment history and the shortlist of lenders that treat zero-hours income as real income rather than a decline reason.

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Self-employed applicant comparing mortgage brokers
Broker Selection
8 min read

Choosing a Contractor & Self-Employed Mortgage Broker

What "specialist" means in practice, tied advisers versus independent brokers, what to ask before instructing one, and how to compare firms in this space.

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Contractor reviewing mortgage documents
Contractors
12 min read

Contractor Mortgages: Day Rate Assessment

How specialist lenders annualise your day rate — and why a £500/day contractor could borrow £380,000 more than a high street bank would offer.

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Business owner reviewing mortgage options
Business Owners
9 min read

Business Owner Mortgages

Using retained profits to boost affordability. How limited company directors can access the full picture of their company's earnings.

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Overseas professional reviewing UK mortgage options
Foreign Income
8 min read

Overseas & Foreign Currency Income

No haircut assessment for foreign currency earnings. How private banks and specialist lenders remove the blanket currency penalty that costs expats thousands.

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Couple discussing mortgage with specialist adviser
Mixed Income
7 min read

Dual Income Households

When one partner is PAYE and the other is self-employed, high street banks penalise the weaker income. Here's how specialist lenders assess both correctly.

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Complex income mortgage guide overview
Complex Income
12 min read

The Complete Complex Income Mortgage Guide

The full picture: every income type, every lender approach, every income multiple. The definitive reference for anyone whose earnings don't fit a standard payslip.

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Not Sure Which Guide Applies to You?

Our free Logic Check identifies your income type and tells you how specialist lenders would assess your borrowing power — in about 60 seconds.

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