Having one or more defaults on your credit file does not automatically prevent you from getting a mortgage. Specialist adverse credit lenders may assess applications from borrowers with defaults on an individual basis, weighing the age, amount, and status of the default alongside the full picture of your circumstances. Woodhall Mortgages is a whole-of-market mortgage broker with access to specialist lenders not available directly to consumers.
No fee for the initial discussion. A £299 broker fee is payable on a successful mortgage offer if you choose to proceed.
Discuss Your Mortgage OptionsCan you get a mortgage with a default? Yes, in many cases. Specialist adverse credit lenders may accept applications with defaults, assessed individually on the age, amount, whether the default is satisfied or unsatisfied, and the borrower's overall profile. High street lenders typically decline automatically. Woodhall Mortgages identifies appropriate specialist lenders without leaving unnecessary hard search footprints on your credit file.
A default is a formal marker placed on your credit file when a lender considers an account to be significantly in arrears. This typically occurs when payments are three to six months behind, though the exact threshold varies by creditor. When a creditor registers a default, it records the outstanding balance and the date the default was registered. The default remains on your credit file for six years from the date it was registered, regardless of whether the debt is subsequently paid.
Defaults can arise from various types of accounts: credit cards, personal loans, utility bills, mobile phone contracts, or mortgage payments. The type of default matters to lenders. A mortgage default is typically treated more seriously than a utility bill default of the same amount. A default from a mainstream financial institution is generally assessed differently from a small debt default with a catalogue company.
Yes, in many cases. A default on your credit file does not automatically prevent you from getting a mortgage. The key distinction is between mainstream high street lenders and specialist adverse credit lenders.
Mainstream lenders including most high street banks and building societies use automated credit scoring systems. Applications with defaults, particularly recent or unsatisfied ones, are typically declined at the automated stage regardless of other strengths in the application. Some mainstream lenders may consider very minor satisfied defaults that are several years old on a case-by-case basis, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Specialist adverse credit lenders are mortgage lenders who specifically assess applications that mainstream lenders decline. Rather than applying automated credit scoring alone, they review the full picture: the age of the default, whether it has been satisfied, the amount, the creditor type, the borrower's income, the loan-to-value, and the broader credit profile. This means that many borrowers with defaults who have been declined by a high street lender may be able to obtain a mortgage through a specialist lender, though typically at a higher rate.
A default registered three years ago for a small amount with a utility company that has since been satisfied is likely to be viewed very differently from a mortgage default registered twelve months ago that remains outstanding. A specialist adverse credit lender considers all of these factors. Woodhall Mortgages identifies which specialist lenders are most likely to consider your specific profile before any application is submitted.
Whole-of-market broker • Specialist adverse credit lenders • No unnecessary credit searches
A £299 fee is payable on a successful mortgage offer if you choose to proceed.
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Woodhall Mortgages is a whole-of-market mortgage broker. We consider a comprehensive range of mortgages from across the market, but not all lenders or products may be included. Some mortgage products are only available directly from lenders.
If your circumstances involve financial difficulty, ill health, recent bereavement, caring responsibilities, language difficulties, or any other situation that may affect how you take in information or make decisions, please let us know. We can adapt how we communicate with you. Woodhall Mortgages is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 762513.
The single most important distinction between defaults, from a mortgage lender's perspective, is whether the default is satisfied or unsatisfied.
If you have an unsatisfied default and are planning to apply for a mortgage, it is generally worth considering settling the outstanding debt first. This changes the status from unsatisfied to satisfied and may meaningfully increase the range of specialist lenders willing to consider your application. Woodhall Mortgages can advise on timing and whether settling before application is likely to improve your options.
Specialist adverse credit lenders do not treat all defaults the same. The following factors are the primary considerations in how a default is weighted in a mortgage assessment.
Older defaults are treated more favourably. Many specialist lenders have minimum default age requirements: some require defaults to be at least one year old, others two or three years. The older the default, the more lenders may be available.
A satisfied default (fully paid) opens more lender options than an unsatisfied one. Settling the default before applying can meaningfully increase available choices.
Smaller defaults are assessed more leniently than larger ones. Some lenders apply thresholds: a £200 utility default is treated very differently from a £10,000 personal loan default by the same lender.
Mortgage defaults are the most serious in lenders' eyes. Defaults with banks and mainstream financial institutions are treated more severely than catalogue, utility, or mobile phone defaults.
A single default is assessed differently from multiple defaults. Multiple defaults in a short period may suggest a pattern of financial difficulty that restricts options further, though some specialist lenders will still consider such cases.
A larger deposit reduces risk for the lender. Borrowers with defaults who can offer a lower LTV, typically 75% to 85%, may access a wider range of specialist lenders and potentially better rates than those at higher LTVs.
The deposit required for a mortgage with defaults depends on the age, amount, and status of the defaults. As a general guide, specialist lenders applying their own criteria tend to require a larger deposit than for a clean credit mortgage.
For recent or unsatisfied defaults, a minimum deposit of 15% to 25% (loan-to-value of 75% to 85%) is commonly required by specialist lenders, though individual thresholds vary considerably by lender and by the specific profile of the defaults. For older, satisfied defaults of small amounts, some specialist lenders may accept lower deposits, subject to their assessment criteria.
A deposit of 25% or more (LTV 75% or below) generally opens the broadest range of specialist adverse credit lenders and may allow access to more competitive rates within the specialist market. If you are approaching a mortgage with defaults and have flexibility on deposit size, maximising the deposit is one of the most effective ways to improve available options. Woodhall Mortgages confirms which lenders may consider your specific LTV and default profile before any application is submitted.
A default remains on your credit file for exactly six years from the date it was registered. This timeline applies whether the default is satisfied or unsatisfied. After six years it is automatically removed from your credit file and lenders cannot see it.
Within those six years, the impact on your mortgage application changes significantly with age. In the early months after a default is registered, your options are most restricted. As time passes and the default ages, more specialist lenders become available and rates within the specialist market may improve. For many borrowers with older defaults, particularly satisfied ones, the mortgage market opens considerably.
Even a default registered within the last twelve months does not make a mortgage impossible. Woodhall Mortgages works with specialist lenders who may consider very recent defaults, subject to the full assessment of all relevant factors. The options improve materially as the default ages.
Yes, in many cases. Homeowners with defaults on their credit file can remortgage using the same specialist adverse credit lenders that accept purchase applications. The assessment criteria are broadly the same: the age, amount, and status of the defaults, the LTV, income, and overall financial profile are all considered.
There are some considerations specific to remortgaging with defaults. If the defaults were registered after your original mortgage was taken out, your existing lender may offer a product transfer to a new rate without a full credit reassessment. This can be a simpler route if a full remortgage to a new lender is not possible due to the severity of the defaults. Woodhall Mortgages compares both routes, including your existing lender's product transfer offer, before advising.
If you are an existing homeowner coming to the end of a fixed rate and you have had defaults registered since your original mortgage, your existing lender may offer you a new rate through a product transfer without re-running a full credit assessment. This can be particularly useful where the defaults are recent and restrict the full remortgage market. Woodhall Mortgages advises on which route is most appropriate for your specific circumstances.
The process for getting a mortgage with defaults follows the same steps as any mortgage application, but requires careful matching to the right lender before any application is submitted.
Each full mortgage application typically leaves a hard search footprint on your credit file. Multiple hard searches in a short period can further damage a credit profile that already has defaults. Working with a specialist whole-of-market broker allows the market to be assessed and the right lender identified without triggering multiple hard searches before application.
An applicant has a satisfied default registered approximately 28 months ago for an assumed £650 with a mobile phone provider. The default was settled in full 18 months ago. They are applying for a purchase mortgage of £185,000 on a property valued at £235,000 (LTV approximately 78.7%). Income is confirmed at £42,000 employed. No other adverse credit items.
Woodhall Mortgages assesses the full profile: the default is satisfied, is over two years old, is for a small amount with a non-financial-institution creditor, and the LTV is below 80%. Several specialist adverse credit lenders may consider this profile. An assumed five-year fixed rate is identified that is competitive within the specialist market for this level of adverse credit.
This example is illustrative only, using assumed figures. It does not constitute a quotation or guarantee of outcome. Individual results depend on full assessment of all circumstances, lender criteria at the time of application, and creditworthiness.
Specialist adverse credit lenders • Whole-of-market access • No unnecessary hard searches
A £299 fee is payable on a successful mortgage offer if you choose to proceed.
Get a Free AssessmentWoodhall Mortgages is a whole-of-market mortgage broker with access to specialist adverse credit lenders. We assess your full profile and identify appropriate lenders before any application is submitted, avoiding unnecessary hard searches on your credit file.
A £299 broker fee is payable on a successful mortgage offer if you choose to proceed; this fee is non-refundable once the offer has been issued. We may also receive commission from lenders. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Get a Free AssessmentRegulatory status: Woodhall Mortgages is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 762513. You can verify this on the Financial Services Register.
Whole-of-market advice: Woodhall Mortgages is a whole-of-market mortgage broker. We consider a comprehensive range of mortgages from across the market, but not all lenders or products may be included. Some mortgage products are only available directly from lenders.
Fee: A fee of £299 is payable on receipt of a formal mortgage offer if you choose to proceed. This fee is non-refundable once the offer has been issued, whether or not the mortgage completes. No fee is charged if a formal mortgage offer is not issued. We may also receive commission from lenders; the amount will be disclosed before you proceed.
Adverse credit: Specialist lenders who accept applications with adverse credit typically charge higher rates than standard mortgage products. The availability of products and the rates offered will vary depending on individual circumstances. No outcome can be guaranteed. All applications are subject to individual lender assessment, affordability checks, and credit criteria at the time of application.
Vulnerability: If your circumstances involve financial difficulty, ill health, recent bereavement, caring responsibilities, language difficulties, or any other situation that may affect how you take in information or make decisions, please let us know. We can adapt how we communicate with you.
Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
This is a financial promotion intended for UK consumers. This page is for information purposes only and does not constitute regulated mortgage advice. Last reviewed: May 2026. Woodhall Mortgages, Croft Myl, West Parade, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2EQ.
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