MOVA / Self-Employed Mortgages
Mortgages for the self-employed
Sole trader, company director, contractor or CIS worker? Understand how your income may be assessed and what evidence to prepare.
30-minute initial phone call · No cost · No pressure to proceed
- Understand how you earn
- Identify the relevant documents
- Review suitable lender criteria
Mortgage lenders on our panel
- Halifax Intermediaries
- Nationwide for Intermediaries
- NatWest
- Barclays
- Santander
- HSBC
- Coventry
- Leeds Building Society
- Virgin Money
- Accord Mortgages
- Skipton Intermediaries
- TSB
- Bank of Ireland
- Aldermore Mortgages
- Kensington
- Pepper Money
- Bluestone Mortgages
- Foundation Homeloans
- The Mortgage Lender
- Vida Home Loans
- United Trust Bank
- West One
- Together
- Metro Bank
- MPowered Mortgages
- Gen H
- April Mortgages
- Afin Bank
- Bath Building Society
- Beverley Building Society
- Buckinghamshire Building Society
- Cambridge Building Society
- Chorley Building Society
- Clydesdale Bank
- Coutts
- Darlington Building Society
- Dudley Building Society
- Earl Shilton Building Society
- Ecology Building Society
- Family Building Society
- Furness Building Society
- Hanley Building Society
- Harpenden Building Society
- Hinckley & Rugby Building Society
- Hodge
- Leek Building Society
- Loughborough Building Society
- Mansfield Building Society
- Market Harborough
- Marsden Building Society
- Melton Building Society
- Newbury Building Society
- Newcastle Building Society
- Nottingham for Intermediaries
- Penrith Building Society
- Perenna Bank
- Post Office
- Principality Building Society
- Progressive Building Society
- Saffron for Intermediaries
- Scottish Building Society
- Scottish Widows Bank
- Stafford Building Society
- Suffolk Building Society
- Swansea Building Society
- Tandem Bank
- Teachers for Intermediaries
- The Co-Operative Bank for Intermediaries
- Tipton & Coseley Building Society
- Vernon Building Society
- West Brom Building Society
Make your income easier to assess
Different ways of working. A clear evidence plan.
Steven will establish how you earn, how long you have been trading and which documents are relevant before an application.
| Your work | Evidence to discuss | What MOVA reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Sole traders & partnerships | Tax calculations and matching tax year overviews; accounts or an accountant’s certificate where requested. | Trading history, profit trend and your share of the income. |
| Limited-company directors | Company accounts, salary and dividend evidence, plus the shareholding and current trading position. | How each lender treats salary, dividends and retained profit. |
| Contractors & freelancers | Current contract, previous contracts or trading evidence, and relevant bank statements. | Contract length, continuity, gaps and how income is paid. |
| CIS workers | CIS payment and deduction statements, bank statements and tax records where requested. | Your work history and whether a lender assesses CIS receipts or self-employed profit. |
Recently self-employed or changed your company structure? Tell us when the change happened. You can start the conversation before gathering every document.
Talk it through →Sole traders and partnerships.
Tell Steven how long you have been trading, how income has changed and what completed accounts or tax records you have. The lender’s requirements determine which documents and periods it needs. There is no universal rule that every lender assesses every business in the same way.
Limited-company directors.
Start with your shareholding, salary, dividends and the company’s trading position. Retained profit is not automatically personal income available for mortgage purposes. Steven will establish what a relevant lender can consider and what evidence is required. Your accountant may be able to help explain the figures.
Contractors and freelancers.
Bring an outline of your working arrangement, contract history, current contract and any gaps. Explain whether you work through a company, an umbrella arrangement or as a sole trader. The way a lender assesses income can depend on these details; a headline day rate alone does not confirm borrowing capacity.
Recently self-employed or changing direction?
You can start a conversation before you have a perfect paperwork pack. Be clear about what is available and what has changed. Steven can help identify the next information needed, but cannot promise acceptance or that a particular level of trading history will be enough.
Your questions, answered
Your questions, answered
Have a question that is specific to you?
Can a company director use all business profit?
Do not assume so. Lenders have their own rules for company income, including salary, dividends and retained profit.
Do I need to upload accounts in the enquiry form?
No. Use the first enquiry to describe your situation. Steven will explain the appropriate way to provide documents if they are needed.
What if my income varies?
Explain the pattern, the reasons and any recent changes. The lender will decide how it assesses the evidence.
A practical next step
Talk through your income and mortgage plans.
Share your business structure, recent accounts or tax documents, and your home-buying plans. You can get in touch while you are still gathering the paperwork.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The amount will depend on your circumstances and will be explained and agreed before you choose to proceed.
