Success Stories
Real client cases
Every case here is a real Option Finance client, anonymised. No made-up figures, just what the situation was, what we did and how it ended. Whether you are a first-time buyer, remortgaging, or looking at buy-to-let, we can help.
What we have done for clients
These are genuine client cases with personal details removed. Each one was an individual decision by a lender and is not a guarantee that someone in a similar position will get the same result. Lender criteria change.
Self-Employed Mortgages
Ten months of trading, high street lender
The situation
A limited company director whose company had traded for about ten months. Most lenders want at least one full year of accounts.
What we did
The company's first accounts were completed early, showing business income going up. We found a lender prepared to look at the circumstances.
Outcome
A £250,000 mortgage at 80% loan-to-value with a high street bank. The purchase completed.
Sole trader, one year's accounts, high street lender
The situation
A sole trader with one year's accounts and a 20% deposit, half his own savings and half gifted by his parents.
What we did
His circumstances fitted a high street lender's criteria, so we went there rather than to a specialist.
Outcome
A high street lender accepted the case, gifted deposit included, and the mortgage completed.
Contract accountant assessed on his day rate
The situation
A contract accountant on £550 a day, four years on the same contract, renewed every three months.
What we did
We went to a high street lender that assesses contractors on their day rate. It only needed his latest contract.
Outcome
The lender used £550 × 5 days × 46 weeks, an income of £126,500 a year. The mortgage completed.
Director on minimum salary plus dividends
The situation
A limited company director on a £12,750 salary, with dividends of £40,000 in year one and £50,000 in year two.
What we did
With two years' accounts, we went to a high street lender that averaged both years.
Outcome
An income of £57,750: £12,750 salary plus £45,000 average dividends. The mortgage completed.
£200,000 salary, no company accounts yet
The situation
A client owned 60% of his company, with angel investors holding the rest. All his income was a £200,000 salary, but lenders treated him as self-employed and would not accept payslips before the first accounts were done.
What we did
When no standard lender would do it, we went to Bank of Ireland's bespoke range, which assesses cases individually.
Outcome
Bank of Ireland agreed a £600,000 mortgage, and it completed.
CIS worker assessed on gross pay
The situation
A self-employed construction worker paid under CIS. His bank used the net profit from his tax return, which gave a lower borrowing figure than he needed.
What we did
We reviewed his CIS statements, bank statements and work history, then went to lenders that assess CIS workers on gross pay before the CIS deduction.
Outcome
The mortgage completed.
Income from three companies
The situation
A client who took his income from three different companies.
What we did
We used his SA302s and tax year overviews for the last two years, and the lender averaged the two years.
Outcome
The mortgage completed with a high street bank.
Director with bad credit after business struggles
The situation
A company director trading for four years. A difficult period for the business led to bad credit on his personal file.
What we did
We placed his mortgage with a specialist lender on a two-year deal, so he can move on once his record improves.
Outcome
The mortgage completed. If his credit stays clean, we expect to move him back to a high street lender when the deal ends.
Director remortgaging to buy an investment property
The situation
A company director who wanted to release money from his home to buy another investment property.
What we did
We averaged his last two years' income and checked the borrowing fitted the lender's affordability before applying.
Outcome
The remortgage completed.
Two sole traders buying with a 5% deposit
The situation
Two self-employed sole traders buying their first home for £150,000 with a 5% deposit of £7,500. They were new to the mortgage process.
What we did
We explained each step and helped both of them organise their self-employed income evidence for the lender.
Outcome
The mortgage completed and they bought their first home.
Business income down after reinvesting
The situation
A client's income had fallen because they had put money back into their business. On the lower income, a remortgage with a new lender would not have passed affordability.
What we did
We compared the routes they could actually qualify for, not just the lowest advertised rate, and looked at a product transfer with their existing lender.
Outcome
The product transfer with their existing lender completed.
First-Time Buyer Mortgages
Company owner still a first-time buyer
The situation
A client held property through a limited company and assumed that meant they could not be treated as a first-time buyer.
What we did
We checked their circumstances against the lender's criteria and the Stamp Duty first-time buyer relief rules.
Outcome
They qualified as a first-time buyer for both the mortgage and Stamp Duty relief.
Buy-to-Let Mortgages
First-time buyer, first-time landlord
The situation
A client who had never owned a home and wanted their first property to be a buy-to-let.
What we did
We went to a specialist lender that accepts first-time buyer landlords. The lender required a 25% deposit.
Outcome
The mortgage completed.
Portfolio landlord releasing equity
The situation
A landlord with five properties in their own name who wanted to remortgage one of them to release equity for another purchase.
What we did
The lender assessed the whole portfolio and stress tested the borrowing against the rental income from the new purchase.
Outcome
Assessed on the whole portfolio, not just one property. The remortgage completed.
Second rental bought through a limited company
The situation
A landlord buying their second property, this time through a limited company.
What we did
The lender stress tested the loan against the rent the new property would achieve. The client put down a 25% deposit.
Outcome
The mortgage completed.
Releasing £50,000 to buy through a new company
The situation
A landlord who wanted to release £50,000 from a buy-to-let to buy another. The new rent would have pushed him into the higher rate tax band.
What we did
We arranged the remortgage, and suggested buying the new property through a limited company. He set up a new company for it.
Outcome
The remortgage and the purchase through his new company both completed.
Five-room HMO on full occupancy
The situation
A landlord buying a five-room HMO who needed enough borrowing to secure the property he wanted.
What we did
We used a lender that set the maximum borrowing on all five rooms being let, 100% occupancy.
Outcome
He bought the HMO he wanted, and the mortgage completed.
Holiday let in Devon
The situation
A client buying a holiday let in Devon, which lenders assess differently from a standard buy-to-let.
What we did
We explained up front that the lender would base the rental income on low, medium and high season rates and stress test the borrowing on those.
Outcome
The mortgage completed.
Buying a home for his sister to rent
The situation
A client buying an investment property that his sister would rent from him, which made it a regulated buy-to-let.
What we did
The lender assessed his personal income with its standard affordability multiple, after allowing for his own mortgage, instead of a rental stress test.
Outcome
The mortgage completed.
Offset buy-to-let to keep savings available
The situation
A landlord buying a £350,000 investment property with a 30% deposit, who held £75,000 in savings they wanted to keep for maintenance, emergencies and future purchases.
What we did
We looked beyond the headline rate and found a specialist offset buy-to-let mortgage linking their savings to the loan.
Outcome
Interest is charged on the balance less their savings, and the money stays available. The mortgage completed.
Moving Home Mortgages
Keeping the old home and moving up
The situation
A client who wanted a bigger family home without selling their current one, and needed equity from it for the new deposit.
What we did
We remortgaged the old home onto a buy to let mortgage to release equity, and assessed both mortgages together to find a lender for the new home.
Outcome
Both completed. The old home is now a rental investment and the client moved without selling.
Buying the next home before selling
The situation
A homeowner who found their next home before selling their current one, and didn't want to lose it waiting for a sale.
What we did
We found lenders willing to assess both mortgage payments together, and planned for the extra Stamp Duty from owning two homes on completion.
Outcome
The purchase completed without waiting for the sale. The extra Stamp Duty paid on completion can be claimed back once the old home sells, within three years.
Bad Credit Mortgages
Small default, high street lender
The situation
A utility default for under £300, registered about a year before applying. The client expected to need a specialist lender.
What we did
Because the default was small and they had a 20% deposit, we went to a high street lender whose criteria it fitted.
Outcome
The mortgage went to a high street lender, not a specialist, and completed.
Declined by their bank because of a CCJ
The situation
Their bank turned them down because of a CCJ that was paid and registered more than three years earlier.
What we did
We went through their credit history before applying anywhere, then matched them to a specialist lender instead of another bank with the same rules.
Outcome
The mortgage was placed with a specialist lender and completed.
Buying with an active debt management plan
The situation
On a debt management plan for almost two years with no missed payments, and planning to keep it running after buying.
What we did
With a good income, a well-run plan and a 15% deposit, we went to a specialist lender that accepts active plans.
Outcome
They bought their home with the plan still running. The mortgage completed.
Remortgage that cleared an IVA
The situation
Clients in an IVA who wanted to raise money for home improvements. Mainstream lenders' criteria ruled them out.
What we did
We looked at the IVA, their commitments, income and equity, then went to specialist lenders that consider IVA cases.
Outcome
The remortgage completed, the IVA was cleared and they had the money for the improvements.
Missed payments, released a buy-to-let deposit
The situation
A client with a high street bank wanted to release money to buy a buy-to-let. Missed payments meant they did not fit mainstream criteria.
What we did
We checked when the missed payments happened and how many there were, then went to a specialist lender whose criteria matched their credit file.
Outcome
The remortgage completed and released the money for the purchase.
Buying three years after bankruptcy
The situation
Discharged from bankruptcy after a year, and around three years since discharge when they applied, so it was still on their credit file.
What we did
With a 40% deposit, we went to a specialist lender whose criteria fitted.
Outcome
The mortgage was placed with a specialist lender and completed.
Remortgage Mortgages
Further advance to clear a secured loan
The situation
Clients with an existing secured loan who wanted lower monthly repayments.
What we did
They took a further advance with Barclays and used it to pay off the secured loan.
Outcome
The further advance completed and monthly repayments came down by £300.
Commercial Mortgages
83 rental properties moved onto one commercial loan
The situation
A limited company landlord with 83 buy-to-let properties across the north of England, worth around £7.1 million. Every property had its own mortgage, so remortgage dates were coming up all the time.
What we did
We refinanced the whole portfolio onto a single commercial facility. The lender wanted a full schedule of every property, down to the current lender on each one.
Outcome
A £4.6 million commercial loan at about 65% loan-to-value, with one monthly interest-only payment. It completed six months after our first conversation.
Bridging Mortgages
Auction purchase bridged, refurbished and sold
The situation
A client bought a property at auction. The completion deadline was too short for a standard mortgage.
What we did
We arranged a bridging loan so the purchase completed on time. The client paid for the works from his own funds.
Outcome
The finished property was sold for a profit and the sale repaid the bridging loan.
Development Mortgages
Disused commercial building converted into six flats
The situation
A client bought a disused commercial building and secured planning permission to convert it into six flats. He needed £300,000 to buy it and a further £450,000 for the works.
What we did
The purchase and the conversion works were funded, £750,000 in total.
Outcome
Once the flats were finished, the finance was repaid with a multi-unit block mortgage and the client kept the flats to let.
Every situation is different
These case studies show the range of situations we handle. As a whole-of-market broker we can go to lenders your bank cannot. Your mortgage doesn't have to be complicated, see how our process works and let us do the hard work for you. If you're self-employed or have adverse credit, we specialise in finding solutions.
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