Can you get a mortgage if you’re self employed?
Being self employed does not stop you getting a mortgage, but it can mean the application needs a little more explanation and the lender choice matters more. Some lenders are more comfortable than others with self employed income, and the way they assess your earnings can vary depending on how your business is set up.
If you are a sole trader, limited company director, freelancer, LLP member or contractor, it helps to understand how your income is likely to be viewed before you apply. That can make a big difference to how much you may be able to borrow and which lenders are worth considering.
By speaking with us you get:
- Advice for sole traders, freelancers, company directors and LLP members
- Help understanding how lenders assess self employed income
- Guidance on one year, two year and three year accounts cases
- Support for first time buyers, movers, remortgages and buy to let
How do lenders assess self employed income?
One of the biggest differences with a self employed mortgage is the way income is assessed.
Lenders may look at different figures depending on how you work. For example:
- Sole traders are often assessed using net profit
- Limited company directors may be assessed using salary and dividends, while some lenders may take a wider view
- Freelancers and contractors may be assessed according to their income structure and overall evidence
- LLP members may be assessed in a different way again depending on the lender
This is why self employed mortgage advice can be so helpful. The right lender for one self employed applicant may not be the right lender for another, even if their income looks similar on the surface.
A MORTGAGE IS A LOAN SECURED AGAINST YOUR HOME. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
How many years of accounts do you need for a self employed mortgage?
Many lenders prefer to see two or more years of accounts or tax calculations, but some may consider applications with one year of accounts depending on the strength of the case and the wider circumstances.
Things that can influence this include:
- How stable the income looks
- How strong the latest year has been
- The size of deposit available
- Credit history
- The type of work you do
- Whether your income is rising or consistent
If you only have one year of accounts, that does not necessarily mean you cannot get a mortgage. It simply means lender choice becomes even more important.
What documents do you need for a self employed mortgage?
The documents needed for a self employed mortgage can vary depending on how your business is set up and the lender’s criteria.
In many cases, most self employed applicants will usually need:
- Accounts or tax calculations
- SA302s and Tax Year Overviews where relevant
- Recent personal bank statements
- Photo ID and proof of address
- Proof of deposit and source of funds for purchases
- Your existing mortgage statement if remortgaging
If you are a company director, some lenders may also want evidence of salary, dividends or retained profits, depending on how they assess income.
The exact documents needed can vary, so it helps to know early on what a likely lender is going to ask for. We can help you understand what is likely to be needed before you apply, so the process feels more straightforward.
Types of self employed mortgages we can help with
We can help with a wide spectrum of professions and self employment types.
Chances are that we will have help someone with a similar self employed status to you. But we won’t make any assumptions and will take the time to fully understand your circumstances.
Here are just some of the self employed professions we help:
If we haven’t listed your self employed type, we can still help. We have experience with the whole spectrum of professions and self employment types.
Related self employed mortgage advice
If you are self employed, a company director, contractor or have income that is not straightforward, you may also find these mortgage advice pages helpful.
Self employed mortgage support
Complex income and business structures
Buying, moving or remortgaging
Why speak to Your Mortgage Expert about a self employed mortgage?
Self employed mortgages often need a more tailored approach, because lenders do not all assess self employed income in the same way.
At Your Mortgage Expert, we can help you:
- Understand how your income is likely to be assessed
- Identify lenders who may be more suitable for your circumstances
- Explain what documents are likely to be needed
- Work out how much you may be able to borrow
- Support cases with one year of accounts or more specialist income structures
- Move forward with clearer, more confident advice
We help self employed clients across the UK by phone and video, as well as offering in person appointments where appropriate.
This page was last updated in April 2026