Mortgage advice after financial difficulty
Mortgage after an IVA
Completing an IVA can be a point to review your mortgage plans. Find out which dates and documents matter, what lenders need to assess and how the position differs if your arrangement is still active.
A mortgage may be possible, but acceptance depends on lender criteria, affordability and the property. Completion does not guarantee an offer or a particular rate.
By Count Ready · Updated
Has your IVA completed, or is it still running?
An individual voluntary arrangement is a formal agreement with creditors, supervised by an insolvency practitioner. “Mortgage after an IVA” describes the circumstances of an application, rather than a product with one set of qualifying rules.
Completed arrangement
Keep the completion certificate or written confirmation from the supervisor. Record the approval date and completion date separately, and check the information now shown on your credit reports.
A lender will also consider how your finances have been managed since the difficulty and whether the proposed borrowing is affordable today.
Check your IVA completion records before applying (opens in a new tab)
Active arrangement
New borrowing can be restricted by the IVA terms and mortgage choices may be very limited. Ask your practitioner what permission is needed before pursuing an application.
Do not assume a deposit, a family contribution or permission from the practitioner means a lender will agree to lend.
Check mortgage plans while your IVA is active (opens in a new tab)
Failed, terminated or uncertain status
An arrangement that ended unsuccessfully is not the same as successful completion. Ask the supervisor to explain the remaining debts and next steps, and seek debt advice where needed. Give the mortgage adviser the actual outcome, including any subsequent insolvency.
IVAs are used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has different debt solutions. Check the arrangement named in your paperwork. Background: GOV.UK IVA guidance (opens in a new tab) · Northern Ireland IVA guidance (opens in a new tab)
Keep completion and credit-report dates separate
Experian explains that the normal IVA reporting period is six years from approval, even if the arrangement finishes earlier. It is not a fresh six-year period starting at completion.
Check the actual entry, particularly if the arrangement lasted longer or the status has not updated. Debts included in the IVA can also appear as separate account entries.
For example, an IVA approved in September 2020 and completed in September 2025 reaches six years from approval in September 2026. That anniversary is a reporting milestone, not a promise of mortgage acceptance.
How much deposit and income will you need?
There is no deposit percentage or income figure that makes every application after an IVA acceptable. The lender needs to consider the borrowing amount, property value, credit history and ongoing commitments together.
- For a purchase: establish the deposit amount and source, keeping buying costs separate.
- For a remortgage: assess the equity against the proposed loan and the lender’s valuation.
- For affordability: provide current income and spending, including dependants and remaining debts.
- For credit history: explain later missed payments, defaults or judgments as well as the IVA itself.
See our existing guidance on defaults (opens in a new tab) and CCJs (opens in a new tab) if those records also need assessing.
If you already own a home
Your current mortgage deal is ending
Ask what deal changes your existing lender can offer and what checks apply. A same-lender product transfer, a new-lender remortgage and additional borrowing are different requests.
Your IVA mentions home equity
Ask the supervisor to identify the relevant terms, review date and evidence required. IVA protocols have changed: provisions in an older arrangement may differ from the 2025 protocol’s approach.
Do not assume everyone must remortgage, or that being unable to remortgage automatically produces the same extension. The approved proposal, modifications and applicable terms need checking.
References: 2021 IVA protocol (opens in a new tab) · 2025 IVA protocol (opens in a new tab)
If mortgage payments are unaffordable, contact the lender promptly and tell your practitioner. An IVA or a mortgage enquiry does not replace an agreement about the mortgage payment due. Read about mortgage payment difficulties (opens in a new tab).
Prepare for a useful mortgage assessment
- Confirm status and dates: approval, completion or termination, with supporting paperwork.
- Explain the objective: buying, moving, switching an existing mortgage or requesting extra funds.
- Set out the finances: income evidence, current commitments and deposit or equity for each applicant.
- Check the records: recent credit reports and evidence of any corrections or settlement updates.
- For an active IVA: provide the relevant borrowing or property conditions and the practitioner’s response.
Start with a short outline. Agree a secure channel with the adviser before sending financial documents.
Questions about mortgages after an IVA
Can I get a mortgage immediately after completing an IVA?
Completion allows an adviser to assess your position as a completed arrangement, but it does not establish immediate mortgage eligibility. The lender may consider both the start and completion dates, subsequent credit conduct and current finances. Check the actual criteria before making an application.
Does settling an IVA early remove it from my credit file?
No. Early completion does not shorten the normal six-year reporting period measured from approval. Obtain formal completion evidence and check the recorded status. A credit-file update is separate from a lender deciding whether it will accept the application.
Do I have to disclose an IVA once it no longer appears on my report?
Answer the lender’s questions accurately, including questions about previous insolvency. If it asks whether you have ever had an IVA, the answer is not limited to what is currently visible on a credit report. Ask for clarification if a question or requested period is unclear.
Can we apply jointly if only one applicant has had an IVA?
Both applicants’ circumstances normally form part of a joint assessment. Explain whose IVA it was and provide the relevant records. A partner’s stronger credit history does not cancel the other applicant’s history. Sole-name borrowing and ownership require their own assessment and are not a simple workaround.
Can I get a mortgage after an IVA if I am self-employed?
Self-employment does not by itself rule out an assessment. Prepare current income evidence alongside the IVA documents and credit reports. Accounts, tax documents and bank statements may be required; how much history is needed and how income is calculated depend on the lender.
What if I have made my final IVA payment but have no certificate?
Ask your insolvency practitioner to confirm the current status and any outstanding completion work. Tell the mortgage adviser that the certificate has not yet been issued. Do not describe the arrangement as formally completed solely because the last scheduled payment has left your account.
Understand the next step after your IVA
Tell us the arrangement’s status, relevant dates and what you want to do. We can explain the information needed to review your mortgage options.
The initial consultation is free. Obtain the service scope and full fees in writing before agreeing to chargeable work.
Terms of Business (opens in a new tab) · Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab)
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.