Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Can I get a mortgage at my age?

8 replies

madcatladyforever · 12/07/2019 06:05

Oh help!!! A friend has just told me I won't be able to get a mortgage and I'm having a major panic.
I'm 57, divorced and fed up with paying a massive mortgage on my own and living in the south east which means everything is mega expensive. I'm knackered so hatched a plan to make my life easier.
My official retirement date is in 10 years time at 67 but I can do an extra couple of years if needed.
I have secured an NHS job at a lower grade than I had before to reduce stress working 9-5 with weekends off at £30,000. Less money but half the stress.
I planned to sell my house, rent for 6 months so I can have a really good look around the area, and then buy a much cheaper house with a smaller mortgage.
So I have 185,000 equity after I've sold, I was planning on paying off my credit cards about £10k with some of that (they were divorce costs) so I'm debt free, that would leave me with £175,000, and take out a mortgage over 10 years of about £40,000.
I'd buy a small house in a rural area.
This would really lower my outgoings and life would be so much easier for me.
Now I hear it's really hard to get a mortgage like that at my age and I'm likely to be refused. I really don't want to buy a tiny flat, I'd like a two bed house with a garden.
This really is my last chance to move and I don't want to totally blow it.
My credit score is excellent (how I don't know) on equifax, my monthly salary would be around £1900 and my mortgage payments approx £450 a month and I'd have very little in other expenses. I'd have so much more money than I do now.
Does anyone know if I'd be ok, are they likely to lend me money?

OP posts:
Lightsabre · 12/07/2019 06:13

Some lenders will go to age 75 - Santander for example. I think your plan is a good one but have you factored in removal costs, solicitors fees, estate agency fees for selling your place, surveyors fees on your purchase and all the other sundries?

Also are you sure you can find a house in the SE/ new area for £200k?

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 12/07/2019 06:15

There should be no problem at all getting a mortgage at your age and with those figures. Mortgage companies lend to retirement age as standard, and beyond if you can show projected pension income.

Pinkprincess1978 · 12/07/2019 06:39

One of my staff just got a mortgage and she is older than you. Her mortgage is tiny as she bought her council house. In y past jobs I had to provide pension estimates for older people to be able to get a mortgage that went past their retirement date.

Livelovebehappy · 12/07/2019 07:37

I’ve just taken out a mortgage after renting and completed on it a couple of months ago. At the age of 56. No problems at all. I went through a broker though rather than high street lender.

madcatladyforever · 12/07/2019 08:29

Oh great!! I'm moving to Somerset and have deducted all moving costs from those figures. I'll have an nhs pension.
Somerset is much cheaper than here in the south east and the trust is offering £8000 relocation costs.
I can get a house bigger than the one I have now in the south east for £200,000 in Somerset.

OP posts:
Lightsabre · 12/07/2019 08:56

Wonderful and all the very best. I keep trying to persuade my dh that we could do this as we'd also get a relocation package but he's very stuck in his ways!

justtryingtogeton · 12/07/2019 09:05

Equally, there are plenty of post 55 mortgages, that have no end date. Known as RIO's

You'll be fine

madcatladyforever · 12/07/2019 10:28

Wow amazing, I must stop listening to friends, I was in a right state!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page