Planning while an IVA is active
Mortgage plans during an IVA: what to check first
If your IVA is still running, start by checking what your arrangement allows. A deposit or a willing broker does not mean you can go ahead with a mortgage.
By Count Ready · Updated
Ask the supervisor what your terms allow
Find your approved proposal, terms and any later changes. Ask the insolvency practitioner supervising the IVA which provisions apply to new borrowing, a property purchase or a change to an existing mortgage.
For example, the 2025 protocol standard terms require prior written supervisor approval for credit above £500, subject to stated exceptions. That is an example from those terms, not a universal rule to apply without checking your own documents.
Ask for a written explanation of what can be considered, who must agree and when. If a variation or creditor decision is needed, the supervisor should explain the process.
Source: GOV.UK: 2025 protocol standard terms (opens in a new tab). These are England and Wales protocol terms; do not assume they govern an older, modified or Northern Ireland arrangement. Scotland uses different debt solutions.
Explain what you are trying to do
Buy your first home
Set out the likely price, deposit source and proposed applicants. Include moving costs and ongoing household spending in your planning. Avoid setting a purchase deadline around an assumption that permission or lending will be available.
Move from a home you own
Tell the supervisor about the proposed sale, outstanding mortgage and expected proceeds. Ask how the IVA affects the sale and use of equity before committing money to the next property. A mortgage described as portable still needs the lender’s agreement for the move.
Change an existing mortgage
Explain whether you need a new rate, a different lender, a longer term or additional borrowing. These are different requests. Ask your existing lender and an adviser what can be assessed, and tell the supervisor about any proposed change affecting the IVA budget.
Respond to an equity review
If your supervisor has requested mortgage information under your IVA, provide that request to the adviser. Ask what evidence is needed if borrowing is unavailable. Do not assume a generic online equity calculation determines your obligations.
Home-equity provisions differ between protocol versions and individual arrangements. Use the terms actually agreed in your case. Background: 2025 IVA protocol (opens in a new tab) and 2021 IVA protocol (opens in a new tab).
Check the deposit source before promising funds
Explain where the money comes from, who owns it and whether anyone expects repayment or an interest in the property. Ask the supervisor how savings, a gift, an inheritance or sale proceeds would be treated under your IVA before relying on them for a deposit.
Keep evidence of the source and any conditions. The mortgage adviser and conveyancer may need different documents, so ask what each requires rather than transferring money first.
A larger deposit does not remove the need to check the arrangement or make an otherwise unsuitable mortgage affordable.
Prepare one clear brief for the initial discussion
- Your arrangement: approval date, current status, supervisor’s details and the relevant terms or correspondence.
- Your housing objective: purchase, move or mortgage change, with any genuine deadline and the reason for it.
- Your finances: current income, regular spending, IVA contribution and other commitments. If self-employed, explain any variable income and what recent accounts or tax records are available.
- The proposed funding: deposit amount and source, current mortgage balance where relevant, and expected borrowing.
- Outstanding questions: list what the supervisor has confirmed and what is still awaiting a response.
Ask whether the next step is an initial discussion, a lender enquiry or an application, and whether it involves a credit search. Agree the scope and costs before instructing further work.
If paying for your current home is the urgent problem, contact your mortgage lender and IVA supervisor promptly. Our mortgage payment difficulty guide (opens in a new tab) explains where to start. You can also use MoneyHelper’s free debt advice locator (opens in a new tab).
Already completed the arrangement? Use the IVA completion records checklist (opens in a new tab) to organise the evidence of its outcome.
Questions while your IVA is still running
Can I ask about a mortgage before my supervisor has replied?
You can have an initial discussion and explain that permission has not been confirmed. Ask what information the adviser needs and what checks are proposed. Keep the enquiry separate from instructing an application or making a financial commitment.
Does the supervisor’s permission mean a lender will accept me?
No. Permission under your arrangement and a mortgage lender’s assessment are separate decisions. An adviser still needs to establish whether any suitable lender will consider your circumstances. There may be no appropriate mortgage option while the IVA is active.
Should I stop IVA payments to save a deposit?
Do not change agreed payments on your own. Raise payment difficulties or a proposed change with the supervisor. A homebuying plan needs to work alongside your existing obligations, rather than depend on leaving them unpaid.
What should I say if an estate agent asks whether I can proceed?
Describe the position accurately: for example, that mortgage feasibility and any necessary IVA permissions are still being checked. An initial conversation with a broker is not a mortgage offer. Ask what costs or commitments would arise before agreeing to the next step.
Can I use a family loan and describe it as a gift?
No. If repayment is expected, explain that it is a loan. Give the supervisor and mortgage adviser the actual source, recipient and conditions of the money. Do not sign a gifted-deposit statement that does not reflect the arrangement.
What if I cannot get a mortgage during the IVA?
Ask the adviser which issues prevent an application and what would need to be reviewed before trying again. Keep any current housing or payment concerns separate and seek help with those promptly. Completing the IVA may change the assessment, but it does not promise a future mortgage offer.
Discuss whether a mortgage assessment is appropriate
Tell Count Ready that your IVA is active, what you hope to change and whether you have spoken to the supervisor. An initial discussion can clarify what information is needed and whether it makes sense to investigate further.
Keep the first message brief. Arrange a secure route before sending financial documents.
The initial consultation is free. Request the service scope and full fees in writing before agreeing to chargeable work. Enquiring does not establish eligibility or guarantee an offer.
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