Buying a home was not something I decided to do overnight.
The journey began several years before I submitted a mortgage application, largely because I could see the direction of the private rental market and knew that my family’s position could eventually become uncertain.
We had lived in the same rented house for around 14 years. It had been our home for a long time, but it was never truly ours. The landlord could decide to sell, increase the rent or ask us to leave, while the condition of the property was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Eventually, the landlord did decide to sell.
That brought the issue into sharp focus, but it was not completely unexpected. I had already seen how difficult the rental market was becoming and had started preparing for the possibility that we might need to buy.
This is the story of how I saved for a deposit, dealt with adverse credit, navigated specialist mortgage lenders, lost one property, found another and discovered just how complicated buying a home can become when your financial history is less than perfect.
Why I Started Planning to Buy
The main reason I began planning was the state of the rental market.
Rents had increased significantly, available properties were attracting large numbers of applicants and families were often competing for homes that were smaller, more expensive or less suitable than the properties they were leaving.
I could see that if our landlord eventually sold, finding another long-term rental in the same area might be extremely difficult.
We had children, work commitments and an established life locally. Moving into any available property at short notice was not an attractive option.
There was also the question of security.
After paying rent for many years, we still had no long-term control over the property. We could look after it, improve it and treat it as our home, but the final decision about its future belonged to somebody else.
I therefore started saving towards a deposit before the situation became urgent.
This proved important. By the time the landlord decided to sell, we were not beginning from nothing. We already had savings, including money held in Lifetime ISAs, and had spent time considering whether home ownership might be possible.
The Problems With Our Rented Home
Our decision was not based solely on the landlord selling.
Over time, the property had developed a growing list of maintenance issues. These included problems with the hot water, worn carpets, loose floorboards, damaged plaster, ageing fittings, a deteriorating bay window and concerns around parts of the roof and extension.
Some issues were relatively minor, but together they reinforced the feeling that we were paying substantial rent for a home over which we had little control.
There was always a limit to what we could reasonably fix ourselves, particularly when the property did not belong to us.
The landlord’s decision to sell therefore became the final push rather than the sole reason for buying.
My Credit History Made Things More Complicated
Saving a deposit was only part of the challenge.
I had a history of financial difficulty, including defaults, a previous debt management plan and a substantial amount of unsecured debt.
My debt management plan had originally been managed through StepChange before I moved to self-managed arrangements. Although I had continued making payments, the history remained visible to mortgage lenders.
My credit file included several defaults from 2023 and 2024. Some debts had been sold to collection agencies, and there were also disputes around how certain accounts and arrangements had been reported.
This meant I was unlikely to qualify for a straightforward high-street mortgage.
We needed a specialist lender willing to look at the full circumstances rather than rejecting the application automatically because of the defaults or debt management history.
The First Mortgage Attempt
My first serious mortgage application was with Precise Mortgages.
We initially hoped to buy the house we were already renting. The proposed purchase price was £210,000.
On paper, buying the existing house had obvious advantages. We already knew the property, there would be no physical move and the landlord wanted to sell.
However, the application ran into difficulty because the lender treated my previous debt management plan as though it were still ongoing.
This affected the maximum loan-to-value ratio they were prepared to offer. Instead of allowing the deposit level we had expected, they restricted the application to a lower loan-to-value product.
That meant we would have needed a much larger deposit.
The application could not proceed on the terms available, and a hard search had already been recorded on my credit file.
It was a frustrating start because it showed how differently lenders can interpret the same credit history.
Trying Again With Vida Homeloans
After Precise declined to proceed on workable terms, we applied through Vida Homeloans.
Vida was willing to consider adverse credit, including previous defaults and debt management history.
The first Vida application still related to purchasing our rented home.
A valuation was arranged, but another unexpected issue appeared. There was a licensed premises located a short distance from the property.
Because of that, the lender restricted the maximum loan-to-value ratio to 75%.
Again, this meant the required deposit was considerably higher than we had available.
We appealed the decision, but the restriction remained.
At the end of April 2026, we withdrew from the purchase.
This was disappointing because it felt as though we had done the difficult part by saving a deposit and finding a specialist lender, only for the property itself to become the problem.
Finding a Different Property
We then started looking properly at other homes.
The property market was not easy, but it was still preferable to being forced into the private rental market without a plan.
We eventually found a chain-free property that had been owned by the same person for around 29 years.
It was on a corner plot in a cul-de-sac, with a private garden, a relatively modern boiler and an updated kitchen and bathroom.
The property had originally been marketed in February 2026 and had later been reduced to offers over £250,000.
We offered £251,000, and the offer was accepted on 7 May 2026.
Both sides were chain-free, which should theoretically have made the transaction relatively straightforward.
The Second Vida Mortgage Application
We returned to Vida Homeloans for the mortgage.
This application introduced another issue involving my income.
Part of my salary included a market supplement. Although it formed part of my normal pay and my employer confirmed that it was not expected to reduce, the lender did not initially accept it automatically.
Further evidence was requested, including:
- Six months of payslips
- Bank statements
- Confirmation from my employer
- Evidence explaining the market supplement
An exception request was submitted to the lender.
On 22 May 2026, the exception was approved, and the valuation was also completed.
This was a major step forward because the mortgage depended on that income being accepted.
Receiving the Mortgage Offer
The formal mortgage offer arrived at the beginning of June 2026.
After the failed applications and unexpected restrictions, receiving the offer felt like a major achievement.
The mortgage was on a five-year fixed-rate product, and the offer was valid until 26 September 2026.
That expiry date later became another source of pressure as the legal process moved more slowly than expected.
Getting the mortgage offer did not mean the purchase was finished. It simply meant the financial side had reached an important milestone.
Instructing the Solicitor
We instructed Birchall Blackburn Law in May 2026 because they were on Vida’s approved panel.
The searches were ordered in early June, and the mortgage deeds were signed and returned later that month.
By early July, the searches had been received and the solicitor was waiting for replies to enquiries from the seller’s solicitors.
The seller responded, but the replies then appeared to sit under review for several weeks.
This became one of the most frustrating parts of the process.
The Problem With Conveyancing Updates
The purchase was chain-free, and there did not appear to be any major legal complication.
Despite that, updates were often vague.
We were told that:
- Replies to enquiries had been received
- The replies were being reviewed
- The file was in a queue
- The file was awaiting review
- The solicitor would revert
Weeks passed without a clear explanation of what remained outstanding.
The online portal did not provide much useful information, and some milestones did not appear to update.
The estate agent was also chasing for progress because the seller wanted to complete by the end of August.
At the same time, our mortgage offer had a September expiry date, and a Lifetime ISA withdrawal would require advance notice.
This created an uncomfortable situation where the mortgage had been approved, the seller was ready to move and both sides were chain-free, but the legal progress still felt opaque.
Why We Did Not Give Notice on the Rental
One of the most important decisions was not giving notice on the rented property too early.
Our plan was to wait until contracts had been exchanged and the completion date was confirmed.
Giving notice before exchange would have created a serious risk. If the purchase failed or completion was delayed, we could have been left without either property.
We were prepared to allow an overlap between the rental and mortgage if necessary.
Paying for both properties briefly would be expensive, but it would be safer than gambling the family’s housing on a transaction that was not yet legally binding.
The landlord and letting agent were naturally interested in the moving date, but until exchange there was no guaranteed date to provide.
Buying With Debt Still Outstanding
One of the unusual aspects of this journey is that I was applying for a mortgage while still owing a substantial amount of unsecured debt.
At the time, I had balances across loans, credit cards, vehicle finance and accounts being managed by debt collection agencies.
I was paying more than £1,000 per month towards those debts.
That might sound incompatible with getting a mortgage, but the lender assessed the complete affordability picture, including:
- Our household income
- The deposit
- Monthly debt commitments
- Credit history
- Current account conduct
- Employment stability
- The property valuation
The debts reduced the range of lenders available and increased the complexity of the application, but they did not make buying impossible.
This is an important distinction.
Adverse credit does not always mean an automatic rejection. It may mean needing a larger deposit, paying a higher interest rate, providing more evidence and using a specialist lender.
The Role of the Mortgage Broker
Using a broker was essential in my situation.
A straightforward comparison website would not have been enough because the application involved:
- Historic defaults
- A previous DMP
- Self-managed debt arrangements
- Existing unsecured balances
- A market supplement forming part of my income
- Two different properties
- Specialist lender criteria
The broker helped identify lenders that might consider the application and dealt with the lender when additional evidence or exceptions were required.
Without that support, it would have been easy to submit applications to unsuitable lenders and add unnecessary hard searches to my credit file.
What the First Failed Purchase Taught Me
The first purchase attempt taught me that mortgage approval depends on more than income and deposit.
The lender also considers the property.
A buyer can be acceptable while the property is not acceptable on the required terms.
In our case, the nearby licensed premises led to a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio. That single issue made the purchase unworkable.
It was frustrating, but withdrawing was the right decision.
Trying to force the purchase through with a much larger deposit would have left us financially exposed, even if we could somehow have found the extra money.
What I Learned About Specialist Mortgage Lending
Specialist mortgage lending is not necessarily about lenders ignoring risk.
In many ways, the underwriting can be more detailed.
The lender wanted to understand:
- When the defaults occurred
- Whether the DMP was still active
- How debts were being managed
- Whether income was stable
- Whether the property represented acceptable security
- Whether the monthly payments remained affordable
The application required more evidence than a standard mortgage might have required.
The trade-off was that the lender was willing to consider circumstances that many mainstream lenders would have rejected automatically.
Why Saving Early Made the Difference
The most important thing I did was begin saving before the landlord announced the sale.
Had we waited until the property was being sold, we would have been trying to build a deposit while facing an uncertain moving deadline.
Saving early gave us options.
It did not make the process easy, but it meant we could attempt to buy rather than being forced directly into another rental.
The Lifetime ISA was especially helpful because the government bonus increased the amount available towards the purchase.
However, the withdrawal process also needed to be factored into the conveyancing timeline because it could not be arranged instantly.
The Emotional Side of the Process
The mortgage journey was not simply a financial or administrative exercise.
It created a lot of anxiety.
Every stage introduced another possible reason for failure:
- The lender might reject the credit history
- The income exception might be refused
- The valuation might uncover a problem
- The solicitor might identify a legal issue
- The mortgage offer might expire
- The seller might lose patience
- The rental notice could be mishandled
Waiting for updates was often more stressful than receiving bad news because there was no clear action to take.
I repeatedly found myself checking portals, emails and dates, trying to work out whether the silence meant something was wrong.
The process also happened alongside work, parenting, debt repayments and the ordinary pressures of daily life.
Where the Journey Stands
At the time of writing, the mortgage offer has been issued, the searches have been completed and replies to legal enquiries have been received.
The purchase is still moving through the conveyancing process.
The seller wants to complete, we want to complete and there is no property chain, but the final legal work must still be completed before exchange and completion can take place.
After the earlier failed purchase and the obstacles involved in obtaining the mortgage, reaching this point already feels significant.
However, I will not consider the journey finished until the keys are in our hands.
What I Would Tell Someone in a Similar Position
Based on my experience, I would suggest the following:
Start preparing before you are forced to move
If you think your rental situation may become uncertain, begin looking at your options early. Building a deposit and improving your financial position takes time.
Check all three credit reports
Do not assume they contain the same information. Check default dates, DMP markers, balances and account statuses.
Challenge inaccurate reporting
Incorrect default dates or arrangement markers can materially affect mortgage decisions.
Use a broker familiar with adverse credit
Specialist lender criteria can be complicated, and unnecessary applications can damage your position.
Be ready to provide evidence
Keep payslips, bank statements, employer letters, debt balances and repayment information organised.
Remember that the property also matters
A lender may accept you but restrict lending because of the property’s location, construction or surrounding area.
Do not give notice before exchange
A mortgage offer is not the same as a completed purchase. Protect your housing position until the transaction is legally binding.
Expect delays
Even a chain-free purchase can take far longer than expected.
Was Buying Still Worth Attempting?
Despite the stress, failed application, specialist rates, legal delays and existing debts, I believe buying was still worth attempting.
The alternative was returning to a difficult rental market with little security and potentially much higher rent.
Home ownership brings its own risks and costs. Repairs, maintenance and mortgage payments become our responsibility.
But it also offers something renting could not provide: greater control over where we live and how long we can remain there.
After 14 years in a rented home, that security matters.
The journey to a mortgage whilst in debt
This journey started because I could see the rental market becoming increasingly difficult.
I knew there was a real possibility that our landlord would eventually sell, and I did not want the family to be left trying to find another rental at short notice.
That is why I started saving for a deposit before the situation became urgent.
The route to a mortgage was far from straightforward. We faced adverse credit, a previous DMP, a failed application, a property-related lending restriction, additional income checks and a slow conveyancing process.
Even so, we eventually secured a mortgage offer on a different property.
The experience has shown me that getting a mortgage after financial difficulties is possible, but it requires preparation, evidence, patience and realistic expectations.
It has also reinforced why planning early mattered so much.
Had we waited until the landlord’s decision forced us to act, we might never have been in a position to buy.
Instead, we gave ourselves a chance.
This article describes my own mortgage and debt experience. It is not financial advice. Mortgage eligibility depends on individual circumstances, and anyone considering a mortgage should consider speaking to an appropriately qualified adviser.
