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Original poster

How the fuck am I supposed to relocate when these are the 'rules'?

133 replies

PissedOffAndStuck · 10/03/2026 16:26

TL:DR

I want to relocate 200+miles away. I can't get a mortgage in principle because I won't have a job initially due to the distance; I can't get a job because I can't commute 200 miles each way to work!

Help!!!

Wanting to relocate from South Coast to North Yorkshire. Have a good amount of equity but want to reduce outgoings. Would still need a small mortage to buy new place (approx 15% LTV). After current home is sold and all expenses paid would be debt free with a contingency fund of approx £10k.

My current mortgage provider won't talk to me about anything because 'we can't offer advice' but you need a job for any of our products including porting your mortgage.

Mortgage providers in general want proof of regular income which given that I'm moving over 200 miles I can't provide.

Looked into shared ownership - 75% share purchased outright and £146 per month rent with option to staircase to 100% one I'm settled and get a job and can get a mortgage...computer says no...they also assess on monthly income.

How TF do people relocate? I'm looking for remote working jobs but ones that would suit me are few and far between and presumably one of the finance jobsworths is going to want umpteen payslips in triplicate before agreeing anything.

I've waited so long to make this move and my current lifestyle is absolutely killing me.

Can anyone suggest a way I can make it work? I might be able to scrape together enough to buy something without a mortgage but it would be tight.

OP posts:
Catza · 11/03/2026 08:12

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I am taking specifically about what the lender checks. My payslip does not say "works remotely". It says this person is based in an NHS trust which is over 100 miles away from where they are buying a house. And nobody called me from the bank to ask how I am getting work.

Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 08:12

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Mt563 · 11/03/2026 08:11

The current job market is crud. You're being very naive on several points

Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 08:08

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Catza · 11/03/2026 08:08

PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 08:01

I think you're being deliberately obtuse.

I have explained to my broker that I will be aiming to have either a remote job before I go, or something lined up to start within a very short time of arriving but there may be a small gap and I have contingency funds to cover that.

I'm working on the assumption that honesty is the best policy and that when the mortgage company see my current and future addresses they will note the mileage difference and query the job situation so why not be up front from the outset?

Show quote history

On the address point, they don't care. I am relocating with a remote job currently. They don't know the job is remote, the addresses are 90 miles apart. There are zero questions. All they care about is affordability.
However, they do ask on application whether you expect your earnings to change in the next three years and they do state in their offer that they have the right to refuse mortgage post offer and before completion if your earnings change.

So no, nobody in the bank is going to look at your addresses and put two and two together. They don't care.
Yes, they can technically pull out before completion if additional pre-completion checks reveal anything fishy. However, again, I think they just run another credit report and nothing else. Your job does not feature on credit reports.

Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 08:07

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Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 08:06

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Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 08:05

@DeathNote11 thanks for this sensible suggestion - definitely something I'd consider.

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Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 08:04

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Funnily enough at 50 years old I do have other skills and qualifications, and yes actually there are jobs where I can work remotely and use my current skill set.

I'm not going to bother replying to your posts going forward as you're clearly one of these people who enjoys winding people online as you have nothing better to do with your time.

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Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 08:02

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Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 08:01

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I think you're being deliberately obtuse.

I have explained to my broker that I will be aiming to have either a remote job before I go, or something lined up to start within a very short time of arriving but there may be a small gap and I have contingency funds to cover that.

I'm working on the assumption that honesty is the best policy and that when the mortgage company see my current and future addresses they will note the mileage difference and query the job situation so why not be up front from the outset?

OP posts:
DeathNote11 · 11/03/2026 07:47

Spend £5k on a caravan & live onsite for the season up north. Lots of small campsites have long term pitches with people doing just this. One that we regularly visit in West Yorks for weekends has a thriving community of long termers. Regular people either just setting up in the area, or locals priced out of housing. A lot of residents sell their vans when they move on, so you'll probably be able to get a complete set up already onsite if you drop lucky.

Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 07:42

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Mt563 · 11/03/2026 07:41

I think you need to reduce your deposit by 5-10k and use that to rent for 6 months while you get job and house sorted. Moving twice (buying outright then upsizing) would likely cost you more in stamp duty and you'd still have two sets of moving costs.

Unfortunately moving is hard and often involves compromises or difficult interim periods. I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the long run.

Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 07:41

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Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 07:40

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Itsmetheflamingo · 11/03/2026 07:34

PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 07:23

FYI - 2 jobs totally 45 hours a week, not a couple of little part time numbers.

Obviously I'm not going to get a mortgage with no job at all - I'm not thick, just very frustrated!

so can you clarify why you don’t apply for the mortgage as per your circumstances now, sell/ buy and apply for jobs as you go?

you have 12 months of mortgage payments saved so you have time to find a job in the new location

Dery · 11/03/2026 07:24

@PissedOffAndStuck - i know a couple of posters have suggested lying about your job situation but lying to get a mortgage is mortgage fraud and a crime. You could be in real trouble if you’re found out. Good luck with your moving plans. They sound great.

Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 07:23

FYI - 2 jobs totally 45 hours a week, not a couple of little part time numbers.

Obviously I'm not going to get a mortgage with no job at all - I'm not thick, just very frustrated!

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Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 11/03/2026 07:22

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Maybe don't be so bloody rude?

I have two jobs currently as it happens, but obviously I won't be able to continue doing them if I'm moving 225 miles away!

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Lucysawake · 11/03/2026 06:37

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Gettingbysomehow · 11/03/2026 03:00

Catza · 10/03/2026 16:56

I've done something similar and stayed in a holiday lodge off season for much lower rates and with a very flexible contract. I'd say your only options are to rent/lodge/stay in a guest house/property guardianship for 3-6 months, Keep your cash in a high interest ISA and savings account, then pull all your resources together when you are actually mortgageable again.

Edited

I did this too because I needed somewhere I could take my cats. It was a fishing lodge by a lake. Several people lived there who were doing the same, moving cross country. My stuff went into storage.
They had a very short notice period so I could go as soon as my job and new place was sorted.

Jasonandtheargonauts · 11/03/2026 02:21

PissedOffAndStuck · 10/03/2026 19:19

Because I'm only looking at a mortgage of about £35k and I'd like to keep something of a safety net in place.

Show quote history

So re mortgage the property you currently live in then, using the job you've currently got. I don't understand why you're creating a problem where there is none. You have equity, yes? Raise the money on your current property to buy the new one outright. Then find job, sell current property and repay the mortgage with the sale price.

90sTrifle · 11/03/2026 00:29

PissedOffAndStuck · 10/03/2026 16:26

TL:DR

I want to relocate 200+miles away. I can't get a mortgage in principle because I won't have a job initially due to the distance; I can't get a job because I can't commute 200 miles each way to work!

Help!!!

Wanting to relocate from South Coast to North Yorkshire. Have a good amount of equity but want to reduce outgoings. Would still need a small mortage to buy new place (approx 15% LTV). After current home is sold and all expenses paid would be debt free with a contingency fund of approx £10k.

My current mortgage provider won't talk to me about anything because 'we can't offer advice' but you need a job for any of our products including porting your mortgage.

Mortgage providers in general want proof of regular income which given that I'm moving over 200 miles I can't provide.

Looked into shared ownership - 75% share purchased outright and £146 per month rent with option to staircase to 100% one I'm settled and get a job and can get a mortgage...computer says no...they also assess on monthly income.

How TF do people relocate? I'm looking for remote working jobs but ones that would suit me are few and far between and presumably one of the finance jobsworths is going to want umpteen payslips in triplicate before agreeing anything.

I've waited so long to make this move and my current lifestyle is absolutely killing me.

Can anyone suggest a way I can make it work? I might be able to scrape together enough to buy something without a mortgage but it would be tight.

You go and rent, find yourself a job, then get the mortgage.

Whilst doing this, you rent out your current property to offset the rent you’ll be paying up north.

It isn’t rocket science!

Original poster
PissedOffAndStuck · 10/03/2026 23:54

I have two cats and DD potentially coming back and forth from uni still (she'll be a post-grad and has no intention of moving back to our current town/in with me permanently but there will still br holidays etc)...so lodgings won't really work, and spending money on a rental for 6-12 months would defeat the purpose of me relocating.

I'm going to see what mortgage advisor says and just really put my back into finding a workable job solution for now.

If it comes to the crunch I may be able to compromise a bit on what I want and buy something mortgage free for now and scale up later once I'm settled and working.

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