Mortgage application checklist
Most delays in a mortgage application are a document the lender asked for twice because it wasn't ready the first time. Gather everything before you start.
25 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Credit report checked and any errors disputed earlyA lender's decision can turn on something you didn't know was on file.
- Deposit amount confirmed and its source documented
- Savings, with a paper trail
- Gift from family, with a signed gift letter
- Proceeds from a sale, if that's where it's coming from
- Three to six months of bank statements gatheredUnexplained large deposits slow a lender's decision more than almost anything else.
- Proof of income
- Payslips, usually the last three months
- P60 or the equivalent annual summary
- Tax returns and tax year overviews, if self-employed
- Proof of identity and address ready
- Existing debts and credit commitments listedA card limit counts against you even sitting at zero, so consider closing ones you don't use.
- Outgoings estimated honestlyA lender stress-tests against the real figure, not the flattering one.
- Broker or lender compared on more than the headline rate
- Arrangement and valuation fees
- Early repayment charges
- Whether the rate is portable to another property
- Agreement in principle obtained before house-hunting seriously
- Full application submitted with every document readyA complete file moves through underwriting far faster than one the lender has to chase.
- Valuation arranged and access agreed with the seller
- Building survey booked separately from the lender's valuation
- Mortgage offer read line by lineCheck the rate, the term, any conditions attached, and the date it expires.
- Buildings insurance arranged to start from completionMost lenders won't release funds without it already in place.
- Copy of the offer sent to the solicitor
- Any conditions on the offer cleared before completion
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- What slows a mortgage application down the most?
- A file that's missing something, so the lender has to chase it. Gathering every document before applying moves it through underwriting far faster.
- Do I need a survey if the lender already valued the house?
- Yes — a lender's valuation only checks the loan is safe for them, and says almost nothing about the actual condition of the house. Book a separate survey.
- What happens if the mortgage offer runs out before completion?
- It usually needs extending or reapplying for, which can mean fresh checks. Keep an eye on the expiry date printed on the offer itself.