What is a professional mortgage?

What is a professional mortgage?

A professional mortgage is a type of mortgage deal that certain lenders offer to professionals and key workers in stable and secure lines of work. If you’re eligible, a professional mortgage can give you access to a larger mortgage loan, boosting your total buying budget. 

Let’s explore this type of loan in more detail by comparing standard mortgages to professional mortgages.

Standard mortgages

When you apply for a standard residential mortgage, the lender will usually carry out a series of checks to determine how much you can afford to borrow. As a general rule, most lenders come to their decision by multiplying your total income by 4 to 4.5, providing all their other criteria are met. 

However, each lender will have its own method to work out your affordability, looking at everything from your income to your expenses and your credit rating to your career stability. 

So if you earn £35,000 a year and you’re planning to buy a house on your own, it would be reasonable to expect mortgage offers of around £140,000 to £157,500. Add your deposit to this figure to get a better idea of your total budget. But you may be offered a lower mortgage if you’ve had problems with credit in the past or if you’re self-employed, for example. 

Professional mortgages

If you’re a doctor, accountant, teacher or you work in another role that lenders consider ‘professional’, you may be eligible to borrow between 5-6 times your income. This is because the lender views your job as more secure and stable, with a high likelihood of scheduled pay rises as you progress.

However, it is only the applicant with the professional role who can qualify for enhanced borrowing. So if you are buying with a partner, or friend who does not work in a professional field, they would only be able to borrow up to 4.5 times their income with a standard mortgage. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t buy a home together, though. Instead, lenders will multiply your income by 5-6, while multiplying your partner’s income by the standard multiple of 4 to 4.5.  

If you’re unable to afford a home in your area even with a professional mortgage, it’s worth exploring some of the other affordability-boosting schemes on the market

An Income Boost or Dynamic Income Boost could be ideal if you have family members in a position to help you. Meanwhile, Dynamic Ownership and the Armed Forces Help to Buy scheme may be suitable if you don’t have family support. 

Who qualifies for a professional mortgage?

Exactly who qualifies for a professional mortgage varies from one mortgage lender to another, but here are some of the careers that lenders tend to favour:

NHS workers and medical professionals: 

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Optometrists
• Vets

Emergency and uniformed services

• Police
• Fire fighters
• Military

Key workers

• Teachers
• Social workers
• Foster carers
• Civil servants

Others

• Accountants
• Solicitors
• Surveyors
• High earners

Unfortunately, having one of these jobs doesn’t guarantee a larger mortgage. You’ll also need:

• A good credit score
• To have qualified in the last 10 years
• To be registered with the appropriate UK professional body
• To work in a field related to your profession

If you’d like to get a professional mortgage, it’s a good idea to speak to a mortgage broker rather than approaching lenders directly. They’ll know which lenders are most likely to favour you and your career - and which to avoid. 

What are the benefits of a professional mortgage?

The biggest benefit of a professional mortgages is allowing you to borrow more for a mortgage, therefore increasing your buying budget (even if you’re on a modest income or have a small deposit) 

As we mentioned earlier, you can usually borrow between 4 to 4.5 times your income when you take out a standard mortgage. 

With a professional mortgage, however, you may be able to borrow 5 times your income or more — even if you’re on a low salary at the moment. If you’re a junior doctor, for example, lenders will take future pay increases and job stability into account when determining your affordability. 

💼 Borrow more without putting down a bigger deposit

When it comes to standard mortgages, lenders are sometimes willing to offer larger loans to borrowers with larger deposits. If you’re eligible for a professional mortgage, however, you may be able to purchase a pre-owned property with just a 5% deposit. However, you’ll usually need more than this for a new build.  

Want to buy a new build with a 5% deposit, Deposit Unlock may be suitable.

💼 Boost your budget without help from family

Many first-time buyers struggle to buy a home without family help, due to rising house prices and wages not keeping up with inflation. If your family is unable to use their savings, income or property to help you get you on the ladder, a professional mortgage could bridge the gap between your savings and your dream home.

💼 Better interest rates and lower fees

Some mortgage lenders offer better interest rates to customers in professional careers. They might even reduce or remove their mortgage fees in an attempt to entice low risk borrowers.

💼 Mortgage flexibility

Most mortgage lenders let borrowers overpay their mortgage balance by 10% each year, no matter what their profession. Some lenders will offer more flexible overpayment terms to professional borrowers, allowing them to overpay up to 20% of their outstanding balance annually. By overpaying your mortgage, you can pay the debt off faster and reduce the amount of interest payable overall.  

Lenders are also more likely to approve mortgage payment holidays for professionals rather than non-professional borrowers. This should give you peace of mind that you’ll be able to take a short break from your mortgage payments if you ever need one.