First Homes Scheme Criteria

The maximum age at the end of the mortgage term is 70 or applicants’ declared retirement age, whichever is the lower.

2

Up to 80% LTV: Mortgage, loan, HP arrears and missed payments => 3 years prior to application: Status 1s and 2s are accepted – status 3 or above not accepted.

Mortgage, loan, HP arrears and missed payments within the last 3 years are not acceptable.

Credit Card, mail order, utility commitments => 3 years prior to application: Up to and including status 2s are acceptable.

Credit card, mail order, utility commitments =< 3 years prior to application: Status 2 – OK to proceed subject to the commitment being up to date for a minimum of 12 months prior to application. Status => 3 are OK subject to commitments totalling less than £500 and being up to date for a minimum of 12 months prior to application.

Above 80% LTV: Mortgage, loan, HP arrears and missed payments are not acceptable.

Credit card, mail order, utility commitments: A maximum of 3 status 2s are acceptable if less than £100.

No other adverse entries within the last 3 years must show on the credit file.

LTV >80%: The applicant must have been in their current business for a minimum of 3 years.

LTV <80%: The applicant must have been in their current business for a minimum of 1 year with a further 2 years’ experience in the same field.

Directors with a shareholding of less than 25% will be classified as employed. We accept salary in dividend as income. If above 25%, we classify as self-employed.

LTV >80%: The applicant must have been contracting for a minimum of 3 years.

LTV <80%: The applicant must have been contracting for a minimum of 1 year with a further 2 years’ experience in the same field.

Zero-hour contracts accepted – please refer.

Self-employed: We require 2 years’ accounts covering a 3 year-period, together with 3 years’ tax computations/SA302s to establish income. We assess the income by averaging the last 3 years’ income or we will take the most recent year, whichever is lowest of the two.

Certified Accounts need to be signed and dated within 18 months. In addition, we would require sight of recent Business Bank Statements.

For sole traders we will accept 3 years’ tax overviews and SA302s supported with 3 months’ Business Bank Statements subject to underwriter approval. We will consider cases with 1 year’s trading accounts and 2 years’ P60 if previously employed in the same field, max LTV 80%.

Contractors/CIS Workers: Applicants operating on an hourly or daily rate of pay are acceptable max 80% LTV. Offshore Umbrella Companies are not acceptable. Minimum 6 months completed contract with evidence of past/present/future contracts.

CIS workers are acceptable Max 80% LTV. We require a minimum of 12 months evidence of minimum employment and latest 3 years’ tax overviews/SA302s or previous year’s P60s in same line of work.

For applicants on fixed-term contracts of less than 6 months, the minimum period of employment with the same employer is 6 months. For those on contracts of 6 – 12 months or more, the contract must have been renewed at least once. If the contract is for more than 12 months, the applicant must be more than 6 months into the contract.

100% private and/or state pension.

The Society may also take into account a percentage of any payments received in respect of investment, dividend or rental income if evidenced by 3 years SA302s and accounts or SA100s.

100% of maintenance can be used if court ordered or payments can be evidenced on the most recent 6 months’ bank statements.

100% child benefit payment (children must be included for affordability).

100% of disability living allowance and personal independence payment (must have been in receipt for last 2 years).

100% industrial injuries benefit.

Minimum: 5 years (product dependent)

Maximum: 35 years

Repayment only.

Can be considered but we must obtain Local Authority approval. The maximum consent to let period is 2 years – beyond this term, further Local Authority approval will be required.

England and Wales.

The property must be the main residence of the applicant(s).

Properties must be of traditional construction.

Timber framed properties may be considered if brick clad.

If the property is under 10 years old, we will require the property to hold one of the following: NHBC/Local Authority Building Control Scheme/Premier/Checkmate (Castle 10)/Buildzone/Zurich/ICW (International Construction Warranties)/AHCI Ltd or Professional Consultants Certificates.

Properties must be of traditional construction.

HMOs, self-builds, properties held in Trust, present or former hotels/guest houses/B&Bs, commercial properties (even if applicants intend to convert back to residential).

Prefabricated properties.

Studio flats and ex-local authority flats/maisonettes.

Purpose built flats/maisonettes.

New build flats.

Flats/apartments more than 4 storeys.

Flats above commercial property.

Properties under 5 storeys with a flat roof are unacceptable security.

Any construction covered by Housing Defect Legislation such as high alumina cement, prefabricate reinforced concrete, large panel system, BISF.

Any property where an EWS1 form for wall cladding is required.

For leasehold, there must be a minimum of 85 years’ unexpired lease at the start of the mortgage and 55 years remaining at the end.