FCA Reg. 450713 · 0800 448 0298 · info@excelmoney.co.uk
Mortgages · Specialist advice

Mortgages,
made possible.

First home to fourteenth investment property. 5% deposit to complex remortgage. We've placed over 2,400 mortgages between us across the whole market, including the specialist desks you won't reach direct.

Mortgages placed
2,400+
across the team
Lender panel
Whole of market
incl. specialists
No-obligation initial consultation
No upfront fees
Soft credit search only
FCA regulated firm
Whole of market
Mortgage types

One service. Eight specialisms.

Eight situations we place day in, day out. Find the closest fit. We'll take it from there.

Mortgage calculator

See the figures, in real time.

An indicative monthly repayment, total interest and total cost. Drag the sliders to model your situation, then talk to us about which lender will actually do it.

Your figures

Adjust the sliders to match your situation.

£200,000
£25k£1m
25years
5 yrs40 yrs
4.50%
1%10%
£250,000
£50k£2m
Indicative repayment
Monthly payment
£1,112/mo
Loan-to-value: 80% · Capital & interest
Total interest
£133,600
Total payable
£333,600
Talk to us about a similar mortgage

For illustration only. Actual rates depend on credit profile, income, loan-to-value, term and lender criteria. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Broker vs direct

Why use Excel Money rather than going direct?

High-street banks can only offer their own products, on their own criteria, to their own credit-scored profile. We see the whole market, and we know how to package a case so it gets a yes.

Going direct to a high-street bank
Limited choice, automated decisions.
  • Access to one lender's products only
  • Automated credit scoring · auto-decline
  • No specialist or adverse-credit options
  • You manage application & underwriter chase
  • If declined, you're back to square one
  • Hard credit search on every attempt
Us
Independent broker, whole-of-market
Real human expertise, on your side.
  • Whole-of-market access including specialist desks
  • Manually underwritten, case-by-case
  • Routes for adverse, complex & non-standard
  • We package, submit, chase & complete
  • If one lender says no, we try the next
  • Soft search only until you instruct us to apply
Specialist scenarios

The cases the high street routinely declines.

If your situation is on this list, you're in exactly the right place. Switch between the tabs to see how we handle each.

Adverse credit, manually underwritten.

The high street uses automated credit scoring that auto-declines around half of all applications, often for reasons that have nothing to do with whether you can afford the mortgage. We work with specialist lenders who manually underwrite each case on its merits.

  • Active CCJs and recent defaults considered
  • IVAs accepted from satisfaction
  • Discharged bankruptcy from 2 years
  • Mortgage arrears on existing property
  • Missed payments on credit cards / loans
  • "Soft" credit search only, no footprint until you apply
Talk to a specialist
Credit Review · Manually Underwritten PASS AUTO X APPROVED PASS FINAL DECISION Approved · Specialist lender
94%
Placement rate on adverse cases

Self-employed, on your terms.

Sole trader, limited-company director, contractor or consultant: we know which lenders work with which structure. Some accept one full year of trading with strong projections; others want two; a few want three. We know which to call.

  • One year of accounts considered
  • Latest year used (rather than two-year average)
  • Limited company directors: salary + dividends or net profit
  • Contractors on day rate (40 weeks × rate)
  • Latest SA302 and tax-year overview accepted
  • Rolling 12-month bank statements for projection
Talk to a specialist
SA302 · TAX YEAR 2024–25 Net profit £64,200 APPROVED INVOICE
1 yr
Min. trading we routinely place

CIS contractors, on gross pay.

The Construction Industry Scheme deducts 20% tax at source. The high street form often treats CIS pay as net, undervaluing your real income by 30% or more. We submit through specialist desks at the same lenders, on a gross-pay basis, using your CIS vouchers.

  • Gross weekly pay, not net
  • 12-week voucher history sufficient
  • Halifax, Nationwide and Skipton specialist desks
  • Often unlocks +30% borrowing on same income
  • Day-rate, agency & umbrella also placed
  • Mixed CIS / PAYE income handled
Talk to a specialist
CIS PAYSLIP CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SCHEME GROSS PAY · WEEKLY £1,200.00 USE THIS CIS TAX DEDUCTION 20% −£240.00 NET PAY (HIGH-STREET USES) £960.00 UNLOCKS UP TO +30% borrowing capacity +
+30%
Avg uplift in borrowing capacity

Benefit income, treated as income.

Universal Credit, Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Child Benefit and PIP can all count towards mortgage affordability, at the right lender, in the right way. We routinely place clients whose income is wholly or mostly benefit-based.

  • Universal Credit accepted at 100% by some lenders
  • Carer's, DLA and PIP often counted in full
  • Child Benefit accepted up to age of children
  • Single-parent households welcome
  • Combined PAYE + benefits common
  • Right-to-Buy with benefit income placed
Talk to a specialist
UNIVERSAL CREDIT CHILD BENEFIT CARER'S ALLOW. DLA / PIP 100% COUNTED
100%
Of UC counted by selected lenders
The mortgage journey

From first call to keys in your hand.

A typical residential application takes 5–8 weeks from first conversation to completion. Here's what to expect at each stage.

1

Initial conversation

A no-obligation phone call. Tell us your situation in your own words and we'll tell you, honestly, whether we can help, and roughly what to expect on rates and deposit.

Day 1 · 15–30 mins · No obligation
2

Document review & soft search

We pull your credit file (soft search only, no footprint), review your income evidence, and assess affordability against the lenders most likely to lend. Written summary delivered within three working days.

Days 2–4 · No credit footprint
SOFT SEARCH NO FOOTPRINT on your credit file
3

Decision in Principle

We secure a Decision in Principle from your chosen lender. This gives estate agents and sellers confidence in your offer, and tells you, with certainty, what you can borrow.

Days 5–7 · Valid 30–90 days
DECISION IN PRINCIPLE LENDER REFERENCE DIP-2026-038412 MAXIMUM LOAN £245,000 VALID UNTIL 07 Aug 2026 APPROVED EXCEL MONEY DIP
4

Full application & valuation

Once you've had an offer accepted, we lodge the full application, instruct the valuation, and respond to underwriting queries on your behalf. You speak to us, not to the lender.

Weeks 2–4 · Avg. 16 days to offer
8m 7m VALUATION £275,000
5

Mortgage offer & legal work

Your formal mortgage offer is issued. We liaise with your solicitor through searches, contracts and exchange, flagging any lender condition that needs satisfying before completion.

Weeks 4–7 · Solicitor-led
MORTGAGE OFFER LOAN AMOUNT £245,000.00 SIGNATURE EXCEL MONEY
6

Completion & aftercare

Funds drawn, keys collected. We put a note in our diary three months before your fixed-rate expiry. We'll be in touch then with options for renewal.

Week 5–8 · Renewal review included
WELCOME HOME
How much can I borrow?

For most residential mortgages, lenders will offer between 4 and 5 times your gross annual income. Some specialist lenders go to 5.5× or 6× for higher earners and certain professions. Affordability is then stress-tested against committed expenditure (existing credit, dependants, child maintenance, etc.). We'll give you an accurate figure on the first call.

What deposit do I need?

The minimum is typically 5% for a residential purchase, though some 100% mortgage products are available for first-time buyers via family-deposit and tracker schemes. For buy-to-let, 25% is the usual minimum (15–20% on selected products). Adverse-credit cases generally need 10–20% depending on the severity and recency.

Can I get a mortgage with bad credit?

Yes, almost certainly. We routinely place cases with active CCJs, recent defaults, IVAs, and discharged bankruptcies as recent as two years. Specialist lenders manually underwrite, looking at the case rather than just the score. Rate and LTV will reflect the risk, but if there's a deposit and demonstrable affordability, there's almost always a route.

I'm self-employed with one year of accounts. Can I get a mortgage?

Yes. Several lenders on our panel, including some high-street names, will consider one full year of trading with strong projections. Bring your tax calculation (SA302), tax-year overview, and last three months of business bank statements. Limited-company directors are placed on either salary + dividends or the company's share of net profit.

How long does a mortgage take from start to finish?

For a typical residential purchase: 5–8 weeks from offer accepted to completion. Decision in Principle takes 24–72 hours; full mortgage offer averages 16 days from application; legal work typically 4–6 weeks. Bridging cases can complete in days; complex remortgages 3–4 weeks.

Should I take a 2-year fix or 5-year fix?

It depends on rate-cycle expectations, your tolerance for change, and how long you plan to stay. Two-year fixes typically price 0.20–0.40% lower; five-year fixes give certainty and may suit if you expect rates to rise. We don't have a house view. We'll talk you through both for your specific situation.

Can I overpay my mortgage?

Most fixed-rate mortgages allow 10% overpayment per year without an Early Repayment Charge. Trackers usually allow unlimited overpayment. We always check ERC structure carefully when arranging, particularly if you anticipate a windfall, sale or career change during the fixed period.

What documents do I need?

For most cases: photo ID, proof of address (utility bill or bank statement <3 months), 3 months of bank statements, 3 months of payslips (PAYE) or 2 years' SA302 + tax-year overview (self-employed), latest P60, evidence of deposit, and (for FTB) proof of deposit source if gifted. We'll send you a tailored checklist after the first call.

Ready to make it possible?

15-minute chat with no obligation. No upfront fees. No credit footprint. We can usually tell you on the call whether we can help, and which lender will say yes.