We were approached by a married couple looking for a mortgage to buy their first home - a three-bed detached house in the North of England.

The wife is a full-time teacher and the husband is self-employed. For the last three years he has been working for a utilities company on a zero hours’ contract.

Many lenders are cautious when it comes to lending to individuals with this type of income because it is difficult to ascertain future earnings.

We took the case to a high street lender that we knew would use the husband’s last 12 months’ invoices to the utilities company to calculate his average annual income. This, combined with the wife’s salary showed that the couple met the lender’s mortgage affordability test and terms were agreed.

The couple chose the following rate:

Property value: £210,000

Loan amount: £178,500

LTV: 85%

Rate: Bank Rate + 1.69% for 2 years

Term: 25 years capital & interest

Lender arrangement fee: £999

Mortgage payment: £778 pcm

Consultant: Beckie Pepperrell 01732 471602

ANY PROPERTY USED AS SECURITY, WHICH MAY INCLUDE YOUR HOME, MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.