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Let’s get straight to the point: Yes, car finance can impact whether you will be approved for a mortgage and the rates you’re offered.
Car finance is a form of debt and will be treated as such by a mortgage provider. So once you get to the point of approaching a mortgage lender, they’ll consider the outstanding finance you have to pay when assessing your mortgage affordability and deduct it from your income.
Moreover, if you mismanage your car finance by making late payments, your credit score will be negatively impacted. This can significantly limit your options when applying for mortgages, affecting everything from the products open to you to the rates you’ll be offered.
Whether you currently have a car finance deal and are looking to take out a mortgage, or you are saving for a mortgage and considering taking out car finance in the meantime, we’ll explain your options in this guide.
Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan or any other debt secured on it.
What is a self-build mortgage?
A self-build mortgage is a type of land mortgage designed to finance the purchase of a plot of land and the cost of building a house, in which you will live, on that land. Whether you’ll be doing most of the building work yourself, or intend to use a specialist contractor, a residential mortgage – which is designed to finance the purchase of property that is already standing – is not suitable for funding the construction of a self-build home.
Unless you have a lump sum set aside to fund your building work outright, it’s likely you’ll need to secure a self-build mortgage to help finance your build. These specialist loans for building a home are designed to consider the differences and additional risks involved with the task at hand.
How do self-build mortgages work?
While the funds provided by a residential mortgage are released as a single lump sum, the monies delivered by a self-build mortgage are paid in stages or instalments, to help ensure that projects are continually funded as they progress.
As an example, a portion of the overall sum you borrow through a self-build mortgage could be released on completion of each of the following stages:
- buying the land
- putting in the footings and foundations
- erecting the walls
- adding the roof
- installing fixtures and fittings, and completion
By releasing the funds gradually, the aim is to help lower the risk posed to both borrower and lender that the money lent through a self-build loan will run out before the house is completed.
The different types of self-build mortgage
Self-build mortgages typically take one of two forms, and will depend on when a lender is willing to release each tranche of funds.
An arrears mortgage
Most self-build mortgages tend to pay out in arrears, releasing the relevant amount of funds after the completion of each designated stage of the build. Usually, a valuation expert sent by the mortgage lender visits the build site to check that the particular section of work has been completed as agreed, and to authorise the release of the funds to cover this stage.
It means that with a self-build mortgage that pays in arrears, you’ll normally need to have enough funds behind you to pay for each stage upfront before you get the money back from the lender. But if your available funds run out, it also raises the possibility of needing to find alternative finance to keep a project progressing until a stage is adequately completed for the cash from the self-build mortgage to be released. This could involve further borrowing, perhaps in the form of a bridging loan.
An advance mortgage
The second type of self-build mortgage involves the funds being paid out in advance of each stage of the build. This can prove a useful option if you don’t have the necessary money available to pre-fund your project. However, fewer lenders are willing to lend on this basis and if they do, the interest rates tend to be higher than on an equivalent self-build loan, which pays in arrears.
What are the advantages of self-build mortgages?
Some of the potential benefits of self-build mortgages include:
- It may be cheaper to build your own property rather than buy one already built.
- You pay stamp duty on the cost of the land, and not the value of your final property.
- You may be able to remortgage to a normal residential mortgage, potentially at a lower rate, once your build is complete.
- You get to plan and design your home to your own specifications, wants and needs.
What are the disadvantages of self-build mortgages?
Some of the potential drawbacks of self-build mortgages include:
- You normally need a larger deposit of at least 25% to get a self-build mortgage.
- Self-build mortgage rates are generally higher than on standard residential mortgages.
- There are fewer self-build mortgages available, which could make it harder to find a mortgage suitable for you.
- The funds are released in stages, which may cause cash flow problems if you budget incorrectly, overspend or face an unexpected expense.
- With an arrears mortgage, you’ll need to have enough money to hand upfront to complete a stage before the lender releases your funds.
- You may need to pay to live somewhere else while your home is being built.
- Lenders will want to see build plans, permissions, and detailed costings and budgets before offering you a mortgage.
- Building your own home and managing the finances is likely to take up a lot of your time and come with various stresses.
- There is a risk that things don’t go to plan, which could impact you financially and in terms of having somewhere to live.
How much deposit is needed for a self-build mortgage?
Typically, you’ll need a minimum 25% deposit for a self-build mortgage, much higher than is usually needed for a residential mortgage. However, sometimes this could rise to as much as 50% for larger and lengthier projects, potentially putting a significant dent in any capital you may have for the build.
» MORE: How much deposit should I put down?
How much are self-build mortgage rates?
Mortgage rates on self-build mortgages tend to be higher than on standard residential mortgages. This is mainly due to the extra risk lenders associate with self-build projects. However, once your property is completed, you may be able to remortgage to a standard mortgage. Always check if there are early repayment charges on your self-build mortgage first, as these can be hefty.
» MORE: Check current mortgage rates
Do you pay stamp duty on a self-build property?
Normally stamp duty is only payable on the cost of the land itself rather than the value of property once it has been built. Under current rules, you only pay stamp duty if you pay more than £250,000 for your land – this figure relates to residential stamp duty rates in England and Northern Ireland.
Stamp duty rates are different if the land you are buying is in Scotland and Wales. In Scotland, you need to pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax if the land is worth more than £145,000. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax is payable if land costs more than £225,000.
There may be certain circumstances where non-residential stamp duty rates will apply for self-build plots. In this instance, tax only becomes payable if you buy land for more than £150,000 in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In Wales, non-residential property tax applies from £225,000, the same as for residential purchases.
It can be difficult to work out which stamp duty applies to your situation. For this reason, you may want to seek expert advice if you’re unsure how much stamp duty you need to pay.
» MORE: Learn about stamp duty
Is it hard to get a self-build mortgage?
Self-build mortgages tend to be more complicated to arrange than a standard residential mortgage, so you should expect to spend longer preparing the necessary documentation.
Before a self-build mortgage can be agreed applicants are usually asked to provide detailed build plans, drawn up by a reputable architect, and proof of planning permission for the build. As well as having a suitable deposit, you’ll also need to demonstrate that your sums add up in relation to the build costs, and that you have contingencies in place should you exceed your stated budget.
Most lenders who offer mortgages to build a house have a self-build mortgage calculator on their site to help. You may also need to reveal where you will live while your home is being built and how you will pay for this.
As with any mortgage application, your lender will want to see proof of your earnings. A good credit score may help secure an approval.
Self-build mortgages are not as readily available as residential mortgages, so you may find it beneficial to use a specialist mortgage broker to help you find a suitable lender. The professional support available from a mortgage adviser may also prove invaluable as you move through the process in general.
» MORE: Best mortgage lenders
How does car finance affect a mortgage application?
If you apply for a mortgage while you have outstanding car finance to pay, lenders will factor in the repayments as part of your outgoings when assessing your mortgage affordability.
Because car finance will be a significant, regular expense, the repayments will affect how much mortgage lenders will let you borrow. The rationale is that the more you pay each month towards your car, the larger the proportion of your income is spent on car finance, and the less you have to repay your mortgage.
Mortgage lenders will assess whether you can afford your mortgage payments on top of your car finance payments and any other debts, as well as your usual expenses.
Lenders will also examine your credit rating carefully when you apply for a mortgage. Any missed car finance payments will appear on your credit score and could affect your mortgage application.
Can I afford a mortgage if I have car finance?
Mortgage providers will scrutinise your finances when you enquire about one of their mortgage products to determine how much you can borrow.
Having car finance may limit the opportunities available to mortgage applicants. For example, having outstanding finance on your car may mean you get offered lower loan amounts and higher rates of interest by lenders who consider you a higher risk if you have multiple loan repayments to meet.
During a mortgage affordability assessment, the provider will inspect your bank statements, typically for the three months before you made the application, to get a handle on your spending habits.
If they see you are spending a few hundred pounds a month out of your salary on car finance, they may see you as having limited spending power. Your affordability for a mortgage, therefore, will be judged on the proportion of your salary that goes towards your car finance payments, any other debts, and your living expenses.
Lenders will look at something called a debt to income (DTI) ratio to determine how much of your income goes towards debt repayments, including car finance, loans and credit cards. You can calculate your DTI ratio here.
They will want to make sure your income is sufficient to comfortably cover your bills, loan repayments (including car finance) and living expenses, before offering you a mortgage.
Although not necessarily taken into account by the mortgage lender, bear in mind that all the associated costs of running your car, including petrol, road tax, insurance, breakdown cover and maintenance, will also affect how much you could afford to spend each month on a mortgage. Our guide on how much it costs to run a car in the UK can help you understand how much you are spending on your car each year.
» MORE: Calculate how much you can borrow for a mortgage
Car finance and credit score – how does car finance affect my credit score?
When you apply for car finance, the lender will perform a hard credit check which will leave a mark on your credit score. Too many hard checks in a short period will affect your score, so you should try to minimise these and spread out any applications for credit.
Paying off your car finance on time will help to improve your credit score, as it shows you to be a responsible borrower. However, any missed payments will leave a mark on your credit score, which could make lenders wary of lending to you or prevent you from getting the best rates of interest.
Before applying for any form of finance, you should check your credit score to understand your financial circumstances and chances of being accepted for the loan you require.
This will allow you to improve any areas that may be dragging your rating down.
Your credit file will tell you of any debts that you have yet to repay and highlight any late payments. Fortunately, there are a number of immediate steps you can take to rebuild your credit history.
- Pay your bills on time
- Pay off debts as quickly as possible
- Reduce your total debts
- Limit credit checks on your file – try to wait at least 12 weeks in between
Alternatively, you can consider approaching specialist providers who offer mortgage deals to those with poor credit histories.
Be aware that these providers will often charge higher interest rates than if your credit was good.
How to improve your chances of getting approved for a mortgage
Whether you are currently making car finance repayments or you are thinking about applying for car finance, there are some things you can do to minimise the impact car finance could have on your mortgage application.
- Save up a larger mortgage deposit. The bigger your deposit, the less you will need to borrow with a mortgage and the better rates you can get. You’ll then technically have more to spend on something like car finance.
- Pay your car finance repayments (and any other loan payments or bills) on time. Any missed payments will harm your credit score, which would then affect your mortgage application.
- Wait until you’ve repaid your finance before applying for a mortgage. If you no longer have hundreds of pounds leaving your account each month, you reduce your total debt so you could afford to pay more on your mortgage.
- Rather than waiting until the end of your contract, you could pay off your car finance early. Bear in mind that you may need to pay early repayment fees.
- Don’t apply for car finance just before or just after your mortgage application. Too many applications for credit in a short space of time will leave a mark on your credit history and could harm your credit score.
- Choose a cheaper car that you can easily afford. The smaller your car finance payments, the smaller the impact they would have on your mortgage application. If you have an expensive, brand-new car with large monthly payments, lenders may be more cautious about your ability to repay a mortgage.
- Clear any other debts, credit cards and overdraft.
- Shop around. You are unlikely to find the best mortgage rates at the first lender you look at. Compare what’s on offer from different providers to find the best mortgage for you.
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