Self-employed mortgage advice
Tell us how you earn and what you plan to do. We can help identify the evidence and lender questions before you apply.
The useful answer
A mortgage broker can review how you are paid, what income records you have and which current lender policies may fit your circumstances. That can help you avoid approaching a lender whose evidence rules clearly do not suit the case. A broker can then explain a recommendation and support an application if you choose to proceed. The lender still decides whether to lend.
A sole trader’s profit, a director’s salary and dividends, CIS payments and contract income are not interchangeable. We can identify the records to examine for your actual arrangement and any gaps that need explaining.
Relevant lender rules, affordability, deposit or equity, property and credit history all matter. We can discuss the options available through our service, the complete costs and the questions a lender is likely to ask.
When to speak
You do not need to solve the lender criteria yourself. These are useful reasons to start a conversation, whether you are ready to apply or still preparing.
Recent profits have moved, you changed from sole trader to company, you receive salary and dividends, or part of your income comes from PAYE, contracts or CIS work.
You are buying your first home, moving or approaching a remortgage date. Tell us about an offer, deal end, early repayment charge or other deadline.
Explain when trading began, what accounts or tax records are complete and what came before. Some lender routes are narrower with a short history; no contract or forecast guarantees acceptance.
Share the stage reached and the reason you were given. A broker can review whether the issue concerns evidence, affordability, credit or the property before considering another application.
For a specific situation, use the existing one-year accounts guide, self-employed remortgage page or self-employed bad-credit page.
From enquiry to decision
The service may include a mortgage illustration showing the product’s features and costs. Read that and the recommendation carefully before making a decision. A decision in principle is conditional and is not a mortgage offer.
Check the service
Count Ready Limited is a mortgage broker, not a lender. It is an appointed representative of Connect IFA Limited. You can check Count Ready’s FCA Register record under reference 976111 and read the company and service details. Ask which permissions, protections and adviser arrangements apply to your enquiry.
A mortgage adviser can use accounts and tax documents to assess a mortgage case, but should not be presented as your tax adviser, accountant, pension adviser or solicitor. Ask the relevant professional about changing your business pay, tax position or legal arrangements. Any mortgage recommendation still depends on a full assessment.
Count Ready’s published terms describe a comprehensive range of mortgage lenders across the market, excluding deals obtainable only by going direct to a lender. Check the range and any referral arrangement for your case. You can also read customer reviews in their original Google context; individual experiences are not a promise of your outcome.
Cost before commitment
The initial evaluation is free. Count Ready’s published Terms of Business list a £199 processing-stage administration fee where applicable and a £595 mortgage-offer-stage fee for standard applications. Specialist or international cases can have different charges. A stated exception applies to standard applications by visa holders living in the UK.
We will explain and agree the charges for your own case before undertaking chargeable work. Ask when each fee becomes payable, whether it is refundable, and about lender, valuation and legal costs. Count Ready may also receive commission from a lender. The first conversation does not oblige you to proceed.
Make the first conversation useful
A short outline is enough to start. Please do not put bank statements, account numbers, tax references or identity documents in an open enquiry message. Ask how to share sensitive documents securely if they are needed. For detailed document definitions, see our proof-of-earnings guide.
Understand the starting evidence for your structure on our main self-employed guide.
Use our director, sole-trader or contractor page.
Request a conversation when you want a person to assess what needs checking next.
Common questions
No. You can approach a lender directly. A broker may be useful if you want help comparing available routes, explaining non-standard income and preparing the evidence. Ask what the broker can consider and what the service will cost.
You can make an initial enquiry before all documents are ready. Explain your plans, business structure, trading dates and what evidence you already have. If you have a purchase or remortgage deadline, mention it early.
Some lenders may consider an eligible director’s share of company profit, while others assess salary and dividends. Ownership, current accounts and the lender’s policy matter. A broker can check which approach may be relevant without treating retained reserves as guaranteed income.
The initial evaluation is free. Published terms list a £199 processing fee where applicable and a £595 mortgage-offer fee for standard applications, with different arrangements for some cases. We confirm your own fees and payment stages before chargeable work; we may also receive lender commission.
We can discuss the reason and stage of the decline, then consider what needs clarifying before another application. A different lender is not automatically the answer, and advice cannot overturn a decision or guarantee acceptance.
No. Start with a brief description of how you earn and which records are available. If accounts, tax records or statements are needed later, ask for the appropriate secure way to provide them.
Speak to Count Ready
Tell us how you work, what you want the mortgage to do and where you need clarity. We can explain the next check and the service available for your case. An enquiry or suitable advice does not guarantee a mortgage offer.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Service information checked against Count Ready’s published terms and company page on 10 October 2026. General mortgage-advice guidance checked against MoneyHelper and the FCA. Fees, lender criteria and regulatory details may change; confirm the current position for your case before proceeding.
