Becoming self-employed, setting up your own business and working for a variety of employers on short or longer-term contracts, may give you more flexibility but can also make it trickier to get a mortgage. This is particularly true if your business has only been established a short while.

Contractors, often working in IT, finance and construction, can find it difficult to get a big enough mortgage as not all lenders will take all of their contract income into account. New IR35 rules mean HMRC looks at each individual’s contract to determine whether they are inside or outside IR35, making it more important than ever to use a broker who is a contractor specialist, such as AWS Private Finance. We know how to review income and which lenders to approach for more favorable terms. We arrange many mortgages for contractors and will find you the right deal for your circumstances at a competitive rate.

Many borrowers come under the self-employed umbrella, including freelancers, sole traders, directors of limited companies or partners in a partnership, or those who own shares in a company which forms their main income. Lenders will consider your application based on your business type so you will need to provide a fair amount of evidence of your income, whether this is from dividends, vested stock, large bonuses etc., both in the past, current and in the future.

Lenders will want to see your self-assessment return (SA302) showing your earnings and tax paid, as well as salary and dividend payments. They will also want to see how your income has fluctuated from year-to-year so that they can ascertain how steady your income is and whether you will be able to meet your monthly mortgage payments. Most lenders will want to see at least two years of accounts, although some may want more or will settle for less. If you are relatively new to self-employment it can be harder to get a mortgage although if you have evidence of strong future earnings potential this may help convince a lender that you are a good risk.

Many self-employed borrowers choose to retain profits in their company, as well as taking a salary for income. At AWS Private Finance, we can take these into accounting order to boost the size of mortgage you can obtain, useful when you have only withdrawn a small amount in dividends in the past as you haven’t needed to take the higher amounts which were available to you.

If you require a large mortgage of £1million-plus, you may be able to get this from a high-street lender but many have a cut-off point around £2m. For larger-value mortgages, the private banks usually provide the answer.

The private banks have more sophisticated underwriting, often tailoring product and rate to fit the individual. They usually want to establish a relationship with the borrower, whereby you transfer assets under management (AUM) to them, although not all private banks insist on this.

There are many private banks, some of which you may never have heard of. They all offer different lending solutions and target different clients, so if you need a mortgage from a private bank, you will need to go via a broker.

AWS Private Finance has plenty of experience in arranging high-value mortgages with the private banks, as well as high-street lenders. We can advise on the best lender to approach for your particular circumstances and how to structure your application.

AWS Private Finance is an award-winning specialist mortgage and protection advisory business. Established in 2015 by managing partner Ashley Slade, we are whole-of-market brokers, offering clients – many of whom are professionals, self-employed and contractors looking for large mortgages – a tailored financial solution, best suited to their particular needs.

Moreover, our advice will help you buy your first home, re-mortgage your existing home or build your property portfolio. As experts in our field, we undertake the entire mortgage process and then, we provide you with ongoing high quality and professional service.

Residential and Investment Mortgages
AWS Private Finance assists high-net-worth (HNW) clients in achieving the best possible funding, whether you are buying a home to live in, a holiday or second home, starting an investment portfolio or adding to one. Our experts undertake the entire mortgage process on your behalf, delivering an ongoing high quality and professional service.

AWS mortgages has built strong relationships with high-street lenders and private banks, working hard to ensure our clients’ funding is structured correctly, as well as securing the best rates. We are not restricted to a limited panel of lenders but can choose from all the lenders on the market, depending on your requirements.

We save you time and hassle shopping around for a mortgage and where speed is of the essence, we ensure that delays are kept to a minimum. We offer practical advice at every stage in the property buying process, guiding you from start to finish. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make so it is important to get the right mortgage.

Insurance
It is not just important to get the right funding, making sure you have the right insurance to cover you, your family and your business, is equally crucial. AWS Private Finance can help assist with life insurance, critical illness cover, permanent health insurance (PHI) and critical private client insurance. Our specialists in financial planning can also assist with business protection and groups’ plans. We explore the whole market, establishing the best options for our clients.

Commercial Finance
As well as all your residential finance requirements, we can assist if you are buying a new building for your business or need short-term cashflow, short-term bridging finance, or are looking to purchase a commercial investment. AWS Private Finance has specialists in commercial and investment finance who can assist with all your commercial needs.