No forms to fill in before we've spoken.
You ring, we talk for twenty minutes, and you come off the phone knowing where you stand. That is the whole first step. Nothing is submitted anywhere and nothing touches your credit file.
Four stages, and I do the heavy part.
1 · The conversation
What you earn, what you owe, what has happened, and what you are trying to buy. Twenty minutes, no charge, no obligation, and no searches run against your name.
2 · The research
I work out who will lend and on what terms. Some of these lenders do not deal with the public at all. You get a straight answer, including if that answer is not yet.
3 · The application
Once you are happy, I put it together properly — with the explanation attached up front rather than left for an underwriter to discover.
4 · Through to offer
I chase the lender, the valuer and the paperwork, and keep you posted. You do not have to ring me to find out what is happening, though you can.
What to have ready — though not for the first call
- Three months of payslips, or two to three years of accounts if you work for yourself
- Three months of bank statements for the account your income lands in
- A recent copy of your credit file, if you can get one — the statutory reports are free
- Rough figures for what you owe elsewhere and what you spend each month
None of that is needed to have the first conversation. Ring first, and gather the paperwork once we both know it is worth doing.
What it costs
The first conversation is free and there is no obligation afterwards. If I arrange a mortgage for you, I am usually paid a procuration fee by the lender, and in some cases there is also a fee for advice. Where there is one, I will tell you the amount in writing before you commit to anything, and you will never find a charge you were not expecting.
Who actually pays me, and the obvious question that raises
Most of the time I am paid by the lender once your mortgage completes. People are usually too polite to ask the next question, so I will ask it for them: if the lender pays you, are you sending me to whoever pays you most?
No — and the reason is structural rather than a promise about my character. I am an Appointed Representative, which means Rosemount Financial Solutions (IFA) Ltd are responsible for the advice I give and they check the files. A recommendation that does not suit you is a problem for them as well as for me. On top of that, I will tell you what any lender pays me before you proceed — and whatever the figure is, it is worth considerably less to me than a client who sends me their sister.
Where there is a fee for advice as well, you will have the figure in writing before you commit to anything. If you ever want to know what I am paid on your case, ask and I will tell you. It is a fair question and it is a bad sign when somebody is cagey about it.
How long it takes
Honestly, it depends on the lender and the case. A straightforward application with a mainstream lender can reach offer inside a fortnight. A specialist case underwritten by a person takes longer, sometimes several weeks, because somebody is genuinely reading it. If you have a deadline or a chain, tell me at the start — it changes which lenders are realistic, and I would rather plan around it than discover it late.
The checks that feel intrusive, and why they happen
At some point I will ask for photographic identification and something confirming your address, and if a deposit is being gifted or has arrived recently, where the money came from. To someone who is already embarrassed about their credit file this can feel like being treated as a suspect.
It is not personal and it is not discretionary. Every regulated firm has to do it on every client, including the ones with immaculate files. The quickest way through it is to send what is asked for as it is asked for — the delays I see almost always come from this step rather than from underwriting.
After the offer arrives — the part nobody explains
A mortgage offer is the lender formally agreeing to lend on stated terms. It is a genuine milestone and worth enjoying. It is also valid only for a set period, which differs between lenders, so if your purchase is slow it is worth knowing that date rather than discovering it.
From there it moves to your conveyancer, who deals with the legal side through to completion. My part continues quietly in the background: chasing anything the lender still wants, and sorting it out if something changes.
One thing genuinely matters here, and almost nobody is told it. Between offer and completion, do not take on new credit, change jobs if you can avoid it, or move money about unusually. Lenders can and do re-check before releasing funds, and an offer can be withdrawn. A new car on finance the week before completion is the single most avoidable way to lose a mortgage you had already been given.
Before you ring
Will this affect my credit file?
Not at the conversation stage. Researching lenders does not need a hard search. That only happens when we decide together to approach a particular lender.
What if you cannot help me?
I will say so, and explain what would need to change and roughly how long that takes. Plenty of people ring back a year later, when the position has changed.
Do I have to come to the office?
No. Most of my clients are never in the same room as me. Phone and video are fine, and you can send documents securely.
Can I talk to you in the evening?
Usually, yes. Ring during the day and if it is easier to speak later we will arrange a time that suits you.