Single Person Mortgages

How to get a Mortgage as a Single person and how to secure the best rate

How will you be using the property?

Home Mortgage Application Single Person Mortgages

Author: Pete Mugleston

Mortgage Advisor, MD

Updated: March 11, 2024

In this article, we’ll look at how to get a mortgage as a single person and highlight the support available for single homebuyers, plus you can use our mortgage calculator to see how much you can potentially afford.

Can you get a mortgage on your own?

Just like joint applicants, a single person can get a mortgage, whether you’re a first-time buyer, undergoing a separation, or if your partner has a bad credit history. Meeting the lender’s affordability criteria, having a good deposit, and a clean credit record can make getting a mortgage independently feasible.

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How to get a mortgage as a single person

Your first step should be to speak to a broker who specialises in solo-applicant mortgages. Make an enquiry with us and we will match you with an advisor who fits these credentials for free.

Your handpicked mortgage broker will guide you through the following steps to full application:

  • Getting all of the right documents ready. Evidence such as payslips or certified accounts (if you’re self-employed) will be needed to prove your income along with your latest bank statements. 
  • Downloading your credit reports and optimising them. Your broker can help you remove any inaccuracies or outdated information so this doesn’t hinder your application at a later stage. 
  • Finding the right lender and the best rate for you. Rather than apply blindly, your broker will be able to identify the lenders best placed to help someone who is applying with a single income. This will save you time and, potentially, some money too. 

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Can you afford a mortgage on your own?

This comes down very much to personal circumstances and there will be two important factors at play.

Your deposit

Most lenders look for a minimum 10% deposit, although it is possible in some situations to bring this down to 5%, so do speak to your broker if this is an issue. There will be other costs to factor in too, like legal fees, surveys, valuations and mortgage arrangement fees. Some lenders will cover some of these costs as an incentive and others can be built into your mortgage.

How much you can borrow

Lenders work out how much they think you can afford to borrow based on your income and normally work with a maximum borrowing limit of 4.5 times your annual salary. However this isn’t set in stone – some lenders may be willing to offer 5.5 times salary mortgages, or sometimes even higher. Your job can play a part here too, with certain roles qualifying for professional mortgages with higher income multiples.

To give you an idea of what size mortgage you might be able to get, use our mortgage affordability calculator below:

Mortgage Affordability Calculator

Use this calculator to determine how much you could potentially borrow for a mortgage, based on the typical salary multiples used by most UK lenders.

Input full salaries for all applicants
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Your Results:

You could borrow up to 

Most lenders would consider letting you borrow

This is based on 4.5 times your household income, the standard calculation used by the majority of mortgage providers. To borrow more than this, you will need to use a mortgage broker to access specialist lenders.

Some lenders would consider letting you borrow

This is based on 5 times your household income, a salary multiple you might struggle to qualify for without the help of a broker. This income multiple is not widely available to customers who are applying directly with a lender.

A minority of lenders would consider letting you borrow

This is based on 6 times your household income, a salary multiple you will struggle to get without a broker. Six-times salary mortgages are usually only available under very specific circumstances.

Get Started with an expert broker to find out exactly how much you could borrow.

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What support is available?

Getting a mortgage by yourself can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a lot of savings or you’re on a low income, but there are plenty of schemes available that could give you the extra support you need. Your mortgage broker will be best placed to advise you on your full range of options and which might be best for you, but we’ve included a few to help you start thinking more broadly.

Shared ownership

Shared ownership allows you to buy a share in a property and pay rent on the rest, with the option to increase your share over time if you want to, known as ‘staircasing’. Most shares start at between 25% and 75%, up to 100% over time.

Guarantor mortgages

A guarantor mortgage is where a parent or close family member agrees to guarantee your mortgage repayments and to offer their own savings or property as security. Often you can get a 100% guarantor mortgage as the additional security acts as a deposit, so they can be ideal for some single mortgage applicants without savings.

Support for single first-time buyers

If you’re a first-time buyer then you could be eligible for the government’s mortgage guarantee. If you are planning a purchase for the future then you might also consider saving for a deposit in a lifetime individual savings account (LISA) as another way to help your money go further.

Can you remortgage on your own?

Yes, of course. The same principles apply to remortgaging as a single person as they do with getting a mortgage – as long as you tick all the boxes on a lender’s eligibility criteria then you’ll be able to secure the new deal you want. 

It’s also quite common for couples who are divorcing or separating to find they want to remove one person from the mortgage, so if this is you you’ll be reassured to know that it’s very possible to remortgage on your own. There are however a couple of things to consider.

First of all, you’ll normally need to get legal advice, as transferring a joint mortgage and remortgaging to a solo mortgage will involve a legal process known as a transfer of equity. There may be admin and legal fees as part of this, possibly a valuation and even stamp duty to pay depending on the value of the house.

The other consideration is affordability. It’s quite a jump to go from being in a couple to being solely responsible for a mortgage and approval isn’t automatic. Whether you decide to stick with your current lender or apply to a new one, they will both want to look in detail at your salary and other financial commitments to make sure you can afford your monthly repayments.

Can you get a mortgage on your own if you have bad credit?

Yes, it’s possible. It really depends on the severity of the bad credit issue you’ve had, how much it was for and how long ago it happened. 

There are specialist lenders who have experience dealing with such applications – the smart move is to check your credit history first and then get in touch with a broker to explain your situation before applying with a mortgage lender. 

Get matched with a broker experienced in single income applications

Getting a single-person mortgage can feel daunting, with so much uncertainty over what you can afford and whether you can manage to go it alone. Having a broker who specialises in single-applicant mortgages can take out the stress of research time, save you money and be someone to share a sense of responsibility with.

Give us a call on 0808 189 2301 or make an online enquiry and we will take a look at your personal circumstances and match you with the best broker for you. All of the advisors we work with are pre-vetted and your initial chat with a broker will be free with no obligation to proceed.

Maximise your chance of approval with a dedicated specialist broker

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FAQs

Yes, you can either ask your current lender to add someone new to your existing mortgage or, depending on whether early repayment charges might apply, you might decide to remortgage and get a new loan in your joint name. In both cases, the new person will be subject to affordability and credit checks.

Yes, absolutely! If you’re struggling with affordability then there are several government schemes currently running in Northern Ireland that could help you get on the property ladder with a small or even no deposit. Check out the government mortgage guarantee scheme, shared ownership and right to buy in Northern Ireland.

Yes, it’s possible. The main difference will be in the documentary evidence you’ll need to prove your earnings (typically 2-3 years certified accounts and/or your latest SA302 tax overview statement). 

If you’d like to know more read our dedicated article on getting a mortgage if you’re self-employed. 

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About the author

Pete, an expert in all things mortgages, cut his teeth right in the middle of the credit crunch. With plenty of people needing help and few mortgage providers lending, Pete found great success in going the extra mile to find mortgages for people whom many others considered lost causes. The experience he gained, coupled with his love of helping people reach their goals, led him to establish Online Mortgage Advisor, with one clear vision – to help as many customers as possible get the right advice, regardless of need or background.

Pete’s presence in the industry as the ‘go-to’ for specialist finance continues to grow, and he is regularly cited in and writes for both local and national press, as well as trade publications, with a regular column in Mortgage Introducer and being the exclusive mortgage expert for LOVEMoney. Pete also writes for Online Mortgage Advisor of course!

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Pete Mugleston

Mortgage Advisor, MD

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