The frustration of trying to get a mortgage when self employed.

[Peaceandloveeveryone]

Is anyone else going through this? We have ltd co with a hefty sum left in as retained profits.
Tried L&C but not feeling confident in them as the chap we spoke to didn't realise why we took some money as salary and some as dividends.
Can anyone recommend a broker who specialises in this sort of issue?
We are renting and the landlord is selling , I am so sick of moving every year and want our own place.

I used the same mortgage broker for my first purchase, when I was salaried, and my second, when I was self employed. My situation wasn't straightforward as I'd been on maternity leave so my ltd company's income was really up and down, but she got me a good deal. She doesn't specialise in self employed but she knows her stuff!

www.lisahockley-imb.co.uk

We saw an independent financial advisor who told us that Halifax was our only option. (DH also self-employed with his own limited company, pays himself small salary and large dividends.) So maybe you could ask to see a mortgage adviser there. Obviously you would ideally check with an independent broker as well, just to see if there are other options, but while you're looking for a good one, you could also talk to Halifax.

Have a look at this:
Free First Time Buyers' Mortgage Booklet 2016 (MSE)
Chapter 5 is about mortgages for self-employed people, and Chapter 7 includes tips on how to find a good broker.

Thanks for the recommendations, Halifax has been mentioned as has Clydesdale and Virgin money. It's complicated by the fact that we went from sole trader to ltd co a year ago.
When I was looking online today in desperation, I found a company that was started up in January, based abroad and therefore able to provide self cert mortgages. It's had to stop taking applications as been flooded with applications.
I don't understand why there isn't more flexibility now, I feel safer and more in control being self employed than salaried. It's still 'computer says no' for a lot of providers.

I will look at the link for the broker too, thanks.

I'm self-employed (sole trader) although DP isn't. We had no issues at all getting our mortgage - it's through Virgin Money. We went through an independent broker www.burlingtonfs.com

My mortgage is with Clydesdale. I need to remortgage and I might be going permanent soon, so I need to decide whether to mortgage now with the higher but self employed income, or later with the lower permanent income.

I'm self employed. We used an ifa and ended up with a mortgage from "platform" which is backed by the coop bank.

Nationwide will use an average of your last 2 years salary plus dividends if that helps?

This all helps, thank you. I am feeling a bit more positive, there must be lots of us in the same boat. I am on my knees at the thought of moving every year for another ten years or whatever it could be.

My DH is self-employed (dentist)

I'm currently a SAHM. No probs at all getting a mortgage with HSBC. We have the private banking or whatever it's called so got a preferential very low rate. Just needed 3 years worth of accounts. Might be worth trying there and also whomever you bank with generally

We used Scott Rochester at Trinity Finance who made the whole thing very painless. Halifax for us too.

We are with first direct, been with them for about 20 years I think. On the contractor forums they got quite a bad rep for being inflexible, I will try though. I tried a couple of specialist brokers today and they were quite negative about our chances.
We have no adverse credit, are in our 40s and have 20 years of experience in the business. Looking online today, I think I need a bank that will take retained profits in to account maybe too.

We are in exactly the same position - contractor, existing mortgage with (very conservative) first direct.

I cannot recommend Gerry weir http://www.cornerstone-mortgages.co.uk enough. He found a provider who bases lending on day rate and answers messages immediately (including evenings and weekends)

IMHO it's just not worth trying to do this without a broker. His fee is £250 but for that he is truly independent - not just selling the product that gets him most commission