What life milestones are being delayed for a mortgage?
The UK’s self-employed workforce is making significant personal and professional sacrifices to achieve their homeownership goals, new research from specialist mortgage lender Together has revealed.
According to the study, many freelancers and business owners are delaying key life milestones—such as getting married, starting a family, or expanding their businesses—to secure a mortgage. The survey, conducted among more than 2,000 self-employed individuals, also found that many are forgoing travel, social activities, and even further education to afford a property.
The report highlights the difficulties self-employed workers face in securing mortgage approvals, with mainstream lenders frequently rejecting applications due to rigid lending criteria. Of those surveyed, two in five (40%) who had been denied a mortgage said their self-employment status was a key factor, while nearly one in five (18%) struggled to prove their income. Another 18% cited difficulty in demonstrating their diverse income streams.
Even those who secured a mortgage had to make notable sacrifices: 15% postponed starting a family, 12% delayed marriage, and 19% held back from investing in their businesses. Social lives and personal growth were also impacted, with 37% refraining from travelling, 28% reducing social outings, and 10% abandoning further education plans.
Together’s analysis of ONS data suggests that the UK’s 4.4 million self-employed workers collectively hold £82 billion in annual disposable income. Despite this, many struggle to access competitive mortgage deals. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents felt that the mortgage market lacked products tailored to their needs, while 28% found it difficult to identify a lender willing to support them.
“It’s frustrating to see that self-employed borrowers, even when they can access mortgages, are having to put on hold important life goals to achieve their home-owning ambitions,” said Ryan Etchells, chief commercial officer at Together. “Across the mortgage market we are seeing an increasing average age for first time buyers and families facing cramped conditions because they can’t move out of their starter home after having their first children – but the situation is even worse for self-employed or freelance workers. With the Government gunning for growth, the inability for the self-employed to access the mortgages they’re looking for could be holding the wider economy back and stopping many from getting on the ladder at all.”
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