Mortgages by Profession, Made Simple

You don’t have to use one, but it makes life a lot easier. High-street lenders often rely on rigid calculators built around a single, steady salary – so bonus payments, day rates, dividends, or overtime can get discounted or ignored altogether, even when they’re a normal, reliable part of what you earn. A specialist broker knows which lenders will actually count that income properly, and which underwriters understand your line of work, so you’re not starting from a ‘no’ before you’ve even applied.

We start by understanding how you’re paid – contract, dividends, day rate, shift allowances, commission, whatever the mix looks like – and how long you’ve been earning it. From there, we use our knowledge of the specialist lender panel to shortlist lenders whose criteria genuinely fit your circumstances, rather than sending your application out to whoever happens to be cheapest that week. It’s about finding a lender who’ll say yes on sensible terms, not just ticking a box.

Yes, absolutely – it’s one of the most common things we help with. Some lenders will work from just one year’s accounts rather than the usual two or three, and many contractor-friendly lenders will use your day rate multiplied by a set number of weeks a year, rather than digging through SA302s at all. The key is knowing which lenders offer this before you apply, so you’re not rejected for something a different lender wouldn’t have blinked at.

Often more, once your income is assessed properly. Standard affordability calculators can undervalue variable or complex earnings, but specialist lenders – and specialist criteria within mainstream lenders – are built to reflect your actual earning capacity, sometimes using higher income multiples for professions like doctors or high net worth clients. We’ll talk you through realistic borrowing figures based on how each lender treats your specific income type.

It varies by profession and lender, but typically includes things like SA302s and tax year overviews, accountant’s certificates, recent payslips or day rate contracts, brand or sponsorship agreements, or evidence of overtime and allowances. We’ll tell you exactly what’s needed for your situation upfront and help you gather it in the right format, so there are no delays or surprises further down the line.

Not necessarily – and it can work out cheaper overall. We have whole-of-market access, so we’re comparing the same specialist lenders you’d struggle to find (or even know about) on your own. Any advice fee is explained clearly before we do anything, and it’s often outweighed by getting a better rate, a higher loan amount, or simply avoiding a rejection that would have cost you time and a mark on your credit file.

That’s a very common starting point, not a dead end. A decline from one lender usually just means your income didn’t fit that particular lender’s box – it doesn’t mean no lender will accept it. We regularly help clients who’ve been turned down elsewhere, because we’re looking across a much wider panel and can match you to lenders whose criteria were built with your kind of income in mind.

Don’t worry if your job title isn’t an exact match – what matters is the shape of your income, not the label on your business card. If you’re paid through dividends, day rates, commission, shift allowances, or a mix of sources, get in touch anyway. We’ll talk through how you’re actually paid and point you towards the right guidance and the right lenders, even if it doesn’t fit neatly into one of the categories below.