Not everyone needs help, but for some people it’s essential, and for most it’s the best approach
Some people can get a mortgage without much help. Others hit walls they didn’t expect. The key is knowing where you stand -and what you might be missing.
Getting the right mortgage isn’t just about getting approved. It’s about getting approved for the right thing, at the right time, with the fewest headaches. That’s where advice can make a real difference.
This page is designed to help you figure out whether you genuinely need advice or whether you’d be fine going it alone.
The three types of mortgage seekers
These are borrowers whose situation is straightforward and fits the mainstream lending stereotypical template. If everything lines up cleanly, and you understand mortgages well enough to choose the right product, you may not need advice.
But even then, a second opinion could still save you money, time, or stress.
These borrowers might not fall clearly into either camp. They’re not sure if something in their application is atypical, and they don’t quite know how to approach things to find out if there is more going on than meets the eye.
You might be able to go it alone, but ensuring you get the best possible outcome will be difficult and fraught. An advisor can often highlight better options, reduce effort, or protect you from unexpected issues.
This group includes anyone whose situation isn’t ‘typical’, or will have quirks in their application that could be seen as risky by underwriters.
“Typical” is not just about complexity. It could be about goals, strategy, timing, or the type of mortgage you need. It just means your situation isn’t a perfect match for the standard model, and that’s where advice becomes essential.
Counterintuitively, in our experience, the majority of borrowers these days aren’t “stereotypical” straightforward cases, even if they don’t realise it. However, the industry is still modelled around simpler times.
For example, careers for life were common in previous generations. Whereas these days self employment, working more than one job, freelancing, gig work, different types of contract work are all common.
A Checklist
The checklist below will help you understand whether your circumstances are completely “typical” or whether your situation might benefit from expert input.
If you can tick every item below, you’re probably fine to explore direct options, although there’s no harm in getting a second opinion. If you’re unsure about even one or know it doesn’t apply, getting advice first is likely to be a safe bet.
Important: if this is a joint mortgage, the following would also need to be true for all other applicants.
I have a clean credit history with no missed payments, defaults, or CCJs
I’ve never had an IVA, DMP, bankruptcy, or payday loan
I haven’t recently taken out lots of new credit or had any declined applications
I’m employed on PAYE with a steady salary and over 6 months in my current role and I don’t need to count any bonus, commission or irregular income towards my application
I’m not using benefits or non-UK income to qualify
I don’t belong to any type of profession where lender exclusive deals exist
The property is of standard construction (e.g. brick, tile roof)
It’s not unusual in location (e.g. not above a shop, not rural/agricultural)
It’s my main residence (not a second home or buy-to-let)
It’s under £1 million in value and I’m not using government schemes
I am a UK citizen, resident in the UK, earn in the UK and buying a property in the UK
My property isn’t in Northern Ireland
My deposit is at least 20% and comes from my own savings or existing equity
The total borrowing amount is under 4x the total combined income (after outgoings), and no debts are being consolidated
I’m applying for a standard repayment mortgage on an initial fixed term
I’m comfortable applying myself and chasing up all parties involved
I understand the risk of failed applications and damaged credit
I’m happy not having access to broker-only lenders
I fully understand how different types of mortgages work and how lenders assess eligibility
I understand that making my application directly to a lender is a lengthier process, and that it may take weeks before they come back to me with an offer or decline
I know how to choose the most suitable mortgage
If you’re unsure about even one of these, we’d recommend speaking to a mortgage advisor.
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What can go wrong if you don’t get advice first - but need it
This isn’t a scare tactic.
Here are some things we regularly see go wrong:
- You could get declined at the last minute, and the entire chain falls through
- You apply to the wrong lender and waste weeks
- You miss something crucial and have to start again from scratch
- You get an approval, but on a deal that costs you thousands more per year than you needed to pay
- You miss out on a mortgage with features more suitable to your needs, because you chose the best headline rate
There’s a huge checklist of questions an advisor goes through almost unconsciously in a quick conversation – things most people wouldn’t even know to ask.
A good mortgage advisor acts a bit like a detective: spotting early signs of risk, picking up patterns in your situation, and knowing what to dig into before it becomes a problem. They’re not just matching you with lender criteria – they’re anticipating issues and removing obstacles before you even know they’re there.
Ironically, the people who most need advice often don’t know they do because the gaps in understanding are invisible until something goes wrong
There is virtually no downside to getting advice with lots of potential upside, but there’s a lot of potential downside to going it alone.
Common reasons people hesitate -and why they don’t need to with us
We don’t work that way. If you don’t need us, we’ll say so. We’re here to help you make informed decisions -not sell you something.
Good. That’s why we built the comparison tool – so you can. But when it gets serious, it’s worth getting expert input.
FAQs
Maybe. Maybe not. But here’s what we’ve seen, and why it’s worth thinking about.
In order to get the best deal (or sometimes even a mortgage at all), most people benefit from speaking to an advisor. Not just any advisor, but someone who understands the specifics of your situation.
There are a few reasons why:
- Some people know there’s some complexity to their circumstances – like past credit issues, tricky income, or a property that’s not straightforward. These people usually know they need help.
- Others aren’t sure – and based on experience, around 60–70% of these people do still end up needing advice, whether it’s to avoid being declined, save money, or prevent something going wrong.
- Even for the rest, who might not technically need advice – getting the best result often takes a level of knowledge that’s hard to replicate without expert insight.
As mentioned, there’s a huge checklist of questions an advisor goes through almost unconsciously in an initial conversation, things anybody else wouldn’t even know to ask. And even if you’ve found some decent deals using the tool:
- You may not have applied all the right filters? There are LOADS of potential criteria points.
- Are you confident you’ve chosen the most suitable mortgage for your circumstances?
Even the best tool can’t read between the lines, weigh up multiple quirks at once, or predict how a lender will behave in the real world. That’s what our channel experts do – they know which lenders say they’ll accept something but don’t, and which say they won’t but do.
The comparison tool is the most advanced eligibility tool on the UK market today. That said, it still doesn’t compare to a verified channel expert.
It’s not about being sold to. It’s about being sure.
You can always get advice and still go it alone. But once things go wrong, you can’t go back in time.
You won’t be. Getting some initial advice doesn’t lock you in. You can have a chat, get your questions answered, and walk away if you want to. No pressure.
Yes, there are times where they will recommend you to take a course of action alone.
For example, sometimes the best advice might be to not to make a change. If switching from your current lender would introduce unnecessary cost or complexity, your advisor might recommend staying put.
That’s still advice. Just advice to stick with your existing lender and not use their services
At other times, if we couldn’t better a deal you’d already been offered, we’d tell you.
You might not. But before you lock anything in, make sure:
- You meet all the criteria
- It’s actually the best deal you can get
- It’ll hold up if your situation changes
There’s no harm in getting a second opinion to either get it confirmed – or allow us to improve on it if we can.
No – in most cases, it’ll speed things up. A good advisor avoids dead ends, knows what each lender needs, and helps you avoid delays.
The direct lender application process tends to be a lot slower.
Not always. They can only offer their own products, and they might not be the best fit. Even then, a good advisor will tell you when your current lender is the best option – and help you sort it quickly.
There’s no easy way to check – unless you get a second opinion. We’ll happily review what you’ve been told and let you know if we think anything’s missing.
Yes – any initial advice doesn’t tie you in. And we encourage people to challenge us. But we also suggest keeping us in your corner just in case.