Mortgage advice when moving counties

[abitfunny]

Hello -

We are looking to relocate from London to Norwich in the new year.

Our credit isn’t great but we have a large deposit that we’ve been saving up, and are now putting the feelers out for what type of mortgage we can get.

My main concern is how we get a mortgage when they know we will be leaving our current jobs for new ones in Norfolk? Does anyone have knowledge or experience of this? Do we need to find jobs to have ready whilst applying for a mortgage?

Lie.

I told our mortgage company I would commute 250 miles and stay with family during the week. I resigned two days after completion.

Don't lie. If you have problems with your mortgage and the lender looks at your circumstances and can see you were lying, they have the right to call in the mortgage immediately.

What do you mean problems with your mortgage? If it's paid each month what will they be looking for exactly?!

What do you mean problems with your mortgage? If it's paid each month what will they be looking for exactly?!

What if it's not paid each month?

OP, in terms of suggestions that don't involve lying - yes, a lender will want to see evidence that you can afford the mortgage. If you are currently renting, could you move to a rental property at first so you can settle in and get a feel for areas - when you come to apply for a mortgage, you will have 3 months' payslips and be established locally?

I'm not suggesting borrowing beyond your means or lying to obtain a bigger mortgage. Obviously if you're not lying your mortgage they will look into it!

I'm not suggesting borrowing beyond your means or lying to obtain a bigger mortgage. Obviously if you're not paying your mortgage they will look into it!

What do you mean problems with your mortgage? If it's paid each month what will they be looking for exactly?!

The important word there is if.

Why would you not pay your mortgage and expect it NOT to be questioned?!

For goodness sake.

Do you have new jobs? Or will you before the move? Don’t move unless you do.

Tbh, I’d move and get jobs before you buy a house so you know how much you can afford.

@M0reGinPlease - I don’t even think we could lie. We have a two year old son so the lenders will find it hard to believe that both of us are commuting back and forth every day and leaving him surely? Bearing in mind it’s a two hour drive.

I just don’t get how we can find jobs, get the new employers to hold the jobs until we are ready to move AND get a mortgage at the same time. Answers on a postcard!

@JoJoSM2 - so rent there first? It does sound practical but we have rented for so long now and it’s signing up to another yearly contract/spending more money on a home that isn’t technically ours

Lots of mortgage companies want you to be in a job for a certain period (3 months / 6 months usually) before you can get a mortgage. But some don't, I believe my broker mentioned Santander as being a possibility for us when we were in a similar situation.

If I were you, I'd go to a decent broker and let them recommend someone. They often know the requirements well so can discount unsuitable mortgages without you having to wade through the small print.

Don’t tell them you’re moving jobs. They generally ask about current situation. You can commute or work from home from Norwich so it’s not that weird.

I would also approach a broker now to ask for advice. We did that about a year before we started looking (decided after the meeting that saving a bit more was sensible for us) and he was happy to talk us through our options (for free). I'd recommend my guy, but he's an independent in the north west, so not the right area!

*Why would you not pay your mortgage and expect it NOT to be questioned?!

For goodness sake.*

You're missing the point. If you miss a mortgage payment / go into arrears, or need to apply for a mortgage holiday etc, of course the lender will look at the borrower's circumstances. Ordinarily a lender might assist or give the borrower time to pay off arrears etc, but if the lender suspects dishonesty they are likely to call in the mortgage immediately.

@Africa2go I'm not missing the point.

Missing a mortgage payment is a bad situation that anyone should avoid getting themselves into at all costs. Of course if this happens you should expect to be looked into. I'm not stupid.

@Queenoftheashes precisely. Our mortgage company only asked in passing what we were doing, it wasn't part of the official application. If you can afford to pay it they really won't care!!

Well with respect telling someone to lie on a mortgage application isnt good advice.

You don’t need to lie just give your current situation. Anyone can get a new job. I got a mortgage this year and then got a new job. They know people do this. Things change all the time - there’s no point deliberately complicating the process. I say this as someone who has done their cemap and sold and processed mortgages for a strict uk lender.

I'm not telling someone to lie on a mortgage application ffs! The lender wants to know about current circumstances, as PP's have already pointed out. If they ask, tell them what they want to hear. OP asked for previous experiences, that was mine. I told the absolute truth on the application, of course I did. They asked what I would do for work when we moved, I told them what they wanted to hear. They were happy.

On our most recent mortgage applications (in the past year) we've been asked if anything in our personal circumstances is likely/due to change in the near future

Actually Gin, the very first word you typed was, "Lie". Telling them what they wanted to hear wasn't the truth.

I have never lied on a mortgage application.

But you did during the process - you've said you did!