How to Plan & What to Expect
If you are considering buying a house, don’t be spontaneous. Taking out a mortgage requires careful planning and preparation over a long period.
That said, you will be surprised at the number of people we deal with regularly, who are more accustomed to their buying behaviour and have therefore neglected to prepare for a mortgage in advance.
Many reasons why a first time buyer in Sheffield like yourself jump into such a significant financial commitment on a whim. Some of the most common including;
- I am buying from a family member who is now moving home.
- My landlord decided to sell their property but offering me the first refusal.
- I saw a for sale sign outside a house and am currently interested in buying.
The Drawbacks with not Planning for a Mortgage
Disadvantages include leaving buyers open to various potential issues with their mortgage. Some common mortgage hurdles we have faced with customers include:
- Not having any savings or not having enough for the deposit (an easy solution could be a Gifted Deposit!)
- Having a low credit score that went unchecked (I had no reason to check it at the time.)
- Inconsistent bank accounting and overdrawn/late payments.
- Being self employed in Sheffield and having poor recent accounts.
Saving for a Deposits
Savings can be pretty tricky. Especially if you are renting at the moment, balancing a constant income and significant outgoings and essential purchases each month limit what you can save in-between.
The good news is that family members can help via the use of a Gifted Deposit. Some first time buyers in Sheffield ask family members to try and help whenever they can. If a family member is looking to help. We recommend it’s best to give them as much notice as possible to get their finances in order!
Credit Rating
Getting an up to date credit report is not an incredibly difficult task. You may have seen TV adverts for various credit reference agencies, but we recommend Check My File, as they can collate the data from these sources into one for you to compare.
Once you have downloaded your credit report, you can send it across to a mortgage advisor in Sheffield, who will look at this for you. We see these reports daily, and we know what sort of things the lenders like to see and what they do not want to see.
Try it FREE for 30 days, then £14.99 a month – cancel online anytime.
Bank Accounts
When a lender looks at your bank statements, lenders would rather not see lots of unnecessary bank charges or gambling transactions on your bank statements. You will need to provide the lender with a reasonable explanation as to what has been happening on your account and how you plan to resolve this going forward if any issues arise.
Self Employed
For customers who are self employed in Sheffield, we understand that Accountants try to minimise the tax liability for their customers. That said, if your year-end has come around, then there is nothing to stop you from submitting another set of accounts earlier than you might typically do.
Especially if you think your business has grown in the last 12 months. Some lenders consider ignoring previous years’ figures if the latest ones are favourable.
No matter your circumstances! If you are still facing one of the problems above, it’s possible that we may be able to help you get in touch. Our team of expert mortgage advisors in Sheffield are here to try and help.
Date Last Edited: November 10, 2023
