Northern Ireland · residential mortgage advice
Possibly. A missed payment, default, County Court Judgment (CCJ), debt arrangement or bankruptcy does not produce the same decision from every lender. The answer depends on the full record, your income and outgoings, deposit, property and timing. If you are buying in Northern Ireland, also allow for the legal stages, survey, Stamp Duty Land Tax where payable and ongoing domestic rates. An initial mortgage review can help you decide whether to apply, prepare further or seek debt advice first.
Tell an adviser what happened, when it happened, whether the amount is still owed and how you have managed payments since. Different credit reference agencies may hold different information. Check the underlying entries rather than relying on one app’s score. If a record is wrong, raise it with the lender or credit reference agency before making an application. Our credit report guide explains how to get the files; the Information Commissioner’s Office explains access and corrections.
Bring the account, dates, balance and present payment position. Recent arrears and a settled older default are different facts. Our defaults guide covers that issue in more detail.
A Northern Ireland County Court order can be a CCJ. If a judgment has gone to the Enforcement of Judgments Office, tell the adviser about that too. The date, amount, status and credit-file entry matter. See nidirect on CCJs and our CCJ mortgage guide.
An IVA, debt management plan, Debt Relief Order or bankruptcy needs its own review. Bring the current terms, payments and status. NI has its own insolvency process; if your debts are hard to manage, get independent debt advice before taking on a mortgage. Read nidirect’s debt options.
A mortgage adviser assesses borrowing options; they cannot correct a court order, arrange an IVA or replace an independent debt adviser. nidirect lists free and independent debt help.
Your credit may narrow the borrowing routes, but the home-buying sequence still matters. nidirect’s buying guide sets out the local steps: make an offer, instruct a solicitor, arrange a survey, apply for the mortgage, exchange contracts and complete. An agreement in principle is only an early indication; the full lender decision also depends on documents and the property.
There is no universal “bad credit deposit” of 20% or 30%. The deposit and rate available, if any, depend on the lender’s assessment and the property. More savings may widen options, but a larger deposit cannot make an unaffordable loan suitable. Regulated mortgage lenders must assess income and household expenditure under the FCA’s responsible-lending rules.
For a Northern Ireland purchase, allow for the deposit, solicitor, survey, any lender or broker fees, moving costs, repairs and Stamp Duty Land Tax where due. Homeowners also need to budget for domestic rates and other running costs. Ask your solicitor to confirm tax for your transaction rather than relying on an old online threshold. If comparing offers, look at the overall borrowing cost and fees as well as the initial rate; our bad credit mortgage rates page explains the comparison.
Considering Co-Ownership? Northern Ireland’s Co-Ownership scheme may help an eligible buyer who cannot buy outright, but it has its own affordability and property checks and does not remove a lender’s credit assessment. Check current scheme information before treating it as an alternative.
Get current credit files and note the dates, balances and status of each problem. Keep evidence if an entry is wrong or a debt was settled.
List income, current debt payments, household spending and savings. Include the likely ownership costs in Northern Ireland.
Discuss the broad facts before a full application or non-refundable expense. Ask what evidence and type of credit search the next step involves.
Keep your solicitor informed of the mortgage timetable and property conditions. Only the lender can issue a mortgage offer.
If you are buying your first home, your focus may be deposit and first-purchase costs. If you already own a property, use our separate bad credit remortgage guide for deal-switching and equity questions. Self-employed applicants should bring income evidence as well as the credit details; see the self-employed adverse credit guide. The main bad credit mortgages page covers UK-wide questions; this guide concentrates on a Northern Ireland purchase.
GOOGLE REVIEWS
Live reviews
Read clients’ own feedback on Google before you enquire. These stars are decorative; check the live profile for its current rating and context.
When credit history complicates a Northern Ireland purchase, clear explanations and realistic next steps matter. Reviews show how other clients experienced Count Ready’s service. They cannot predict a mortgage decision or replace advice about your own circumstances.
We offer mortgage conversations by phone and online; ask what support is available for your purchase.
Not automatically in every case. A lender will consider the judgment’s age, amount, status and the rest of the application. Check exactly what is on your credit files and tell the adviser if the Enforcement of Judgments Office has been involved.
There is no single consumer score that guarantees a mortgage. Different agencies use different scales and lenders make their own assessments. The payment history and current affordability behind a score are more useful starting points.
There is no fixed percentage for all adverse-credit applications. It depends on the lender, credit history, affordability and property. Work out the deposit alongside tax, solicitor, survey and moving costs before you commit to a price.
The status and terms matter, and lender policies vary. If an arrangement is active, speak to the insolvency practitioner or an independent debt adviser about restrictions and affordability. A mortgage broker can then review possible borrowing routes; acceptance cannot be promised.
No. It is an early indication based on limited checks. A full application can still be declined after document, credit or property assessment. Ask whether the agreement-in-principle stage uses a soft or hard credit search.
Count Ready offers phone and online mortgage conversations to UK customers. Tell us you are buying or remortgaging a property in Northern Ireland so the adviser can check the case and explain the support available. A local solicitor handles the conveyancing.
For an initial conversation, describe the broad credit issue, approximate deposit, income type, property area and whether you have made an offer or instructed a solicitor. We can explain what a mortgage review needs and whether applying now looks sensible. The initial consultation is free; ask for the written fee position before chargeable work.
Please do not put full credit reports, account numbers or sensitive debt documents into a general callback message. An adviser can explain how to provide evidence securely. Any mortgage offer remains the lender’s decision.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Information checked 1 October 2026 against nidirect’s buying guide, its CCJ explanation and debt options, HMRC’s SDLT guidance and the FCA’s affordability rules. This is general information, not legal or debt advice or a personal mortgage recommendation.
