FCA-Regulated Mortgage Advice

Self-Employed Bad Credit Mortgages in Stoke-on-Trent

Specialist help for self-employed Stoke-on-Trent buyers and homeowners whose credit history has a few bumps in it. Whole-of-market advice from a regulated broker who understands variable income.

  • Lenders who accept one year of accounts, retained profit or day rate
  • Free, no-obligation initial chat about your situation
  • An enquiry here leaves no mark on your credit file
Get in Touch
FCA regulated, Firm Ref 1002905 Rated Excellent on Google Whole-of-market broker No upfront advice fees on most cases

If you run your own business in Stoke-on-Trent and your credit file has a few marks on it, you have probably been told the two together make a mortgage unlikely. That is rarely true. It is the high streets one-size assessment that creates the wall, not the actual lending market. Specialist lenders price for both income type and credit history, and they do it every day.

We look at your real numbers, retained profit, day rate or salary and dividends, and match them to lenders whose criteria fit how you genuinely earn.

1 in 4
The financial regulator found that around one in four UK adults have low financial resilience, meaning they have missed payments or would struggle with an unexpected cost. If your credit has taken a knock, you are nowhere near alone, and you still have options.Source: FCA Financial Lives survey, published 2025. fca.org.uk
Understanding the process

Common reasons self-employed applications get declined

Knowing the pitfalls lets us steer around them before submission.

01

Wrong lender choice

Applying to a high street lender that was never going to accept the income type or the credit history.

02

Mismatched figures

Accounts and tax calculations that do not line up, which makes underwriters nervous.

03

Recent credit activity

A new default or missed payment just before applying, which most lenders weight heavily.

04

Thin documentation

Not enough trading history evidence to satisfy a cautious lender.

Sound familiar?

We help Stoke-on-Trent clients in situations like these

Two strong years of accounts undermined by one historic default
Newly self-employed after years employed, with a credit blip in between
An accountant who can evidence a healthy forward order book
Dividends that vary year to year alongside a past arrangement
A partnership where one partner has the adverse credit
One year of trading accounts and a default from a tough first year
How we help

From first call to mortgage offer

1

Free initial chat

We talk through your trading setup and your credit history. No obligation, and it leaves no mark on your file.

2

Income review

We work out which measure of your income gives you the strongest application.

3

Lender match

We target the specialist lenders whose criteria fit self-employed adverse cases.

4

Offer and beyond

We package the case, submit it and support you through to completion.

Why My Mortgage Specialist

A regulated broker who does this every day

Adverse credit lending is not a sideline for us, it is a core part of what we do. We have helped thousands of clients secure mortgages across the full range of credit situations, from a single missed payment to bankruptcy discharge.

You will work with qualified, named advisors who explain things honestly, including when the timing is not yet right. We would rather give you a straight answer than send you towards a rejection.

Authorised and regulated by the FCA (Firm Ref 1002905)
Whole-of-market access to specialist lenders
Rated Excellent by clients on Google
Common questions

Self-employed mortgages with adverse credit in Stoke-on-Trent: your questions

Where is your office, and do I need to visit?

Our office is in Nottingham, at Park Lane Business Centre, NG6 0DW. You do not need to visit us. We help Stoke-on-Trent clients by phone and video, which is how most adverse credit advice is handled, so you get the same level of service wherever you are.

Which income figure will a lender use for my application?

It depends on how you trade. Sole traders are usually assessed on net profit, company directors on salary plus dividends, and some lenders will also add retained profit left in the company. Contractors are often judged on day rate annualised. Choosing the right basis can materially change what you can borrow, and it is one of the first things we work out with you.

Will being self-employed and having adverse credit mean a much higher rate?

Specialist lenders price for the added risk, so the rate is usually a little higher than a clean, employed applicant would get. The gap narrows as your credit issues age and your accounts strengthen, and remortgaging onto a better rate later is often possible. A larger deposit also helps bring the rate down.

How long does a bad credit mortgage take to arrange?

It varies with the complexity of your case, but adverse credit applications usually take a little longer than standard ones because lenders ask for more supporting documents. Having your paperwork ready and working with a broker who knows the specialist market keeps things moving.

Do you work with people outside Nottingham?

Yes. We are based in Nottingham but we advise clients right across the UK, and almost everything can be handled by phone, email and video. Where you live does not limit the advice we can give.

Talk to us

My Mortgage Specialist, 11a Park Lane Business Centre, Park Lane, Nottingham, NG6 0DW
Send an enquiry

Ready to see what is possible?

A short, free conversation is the quickest way to find out where you stand. No pressure, no jargon, and no mark on your credit file.

Think carefully before securing debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it.

My Mortgage Specialist Ltd is registered with the Data Protection Act 1998 registration No. ZB679050 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 1002905, an Appointed Representative of TMG Direct Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 786245 and registered with the Data Protection Act 1998 registration No. ZA178200. The guidance and/or advice contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK.

My Mortgage Specialist Ltd. Registered Office: 11a Park Lane Business Centre, Park Lane, Nottingham, NG6 0DW. Registered in England Number: 14430556.

Some types of buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. As a mortgage is secured against your property, it could be repossessed if you do not keep up the mortgage repayments.