Changing jobs does not automatically stop you getting a mortgage, but it can trigger extra checks, delays, or even a withdrawn offer if you handle it badly. This guide explains how lenders look at job moves, what counts as “safe” vs “risky”, and the steps you can take to protect your application.
Feb 23, 2026
A lot of people panic the second they accept a new role, especially if they are mid-purchase. Here’s the reality.
Most lenders are not allergic to job changes. What they hate is uncertainty. If your new role creates doubt around income stability, probation risk, or future affordability, the lender will ask more questions, request more documents, and sometimes pause or reassess the whole case.
I’ll be blunt. The job change itself is rarely the problem. The way people handle it is.
A mortgage is a long-term commitment. Lenders price and approve deals based on risk. Employment is one of the biggest risk markers because it influences your ability to pay every month.
These are the main things they are looking at:
A stable job history can make a lender relax. A sudden change can make them re-check everything.
Not all job changes look the same to a lender. Here’s a straight breakdown.
If your situation falls into the second list, you can still get a mortgage, but you need to approach it properly and not “hope it’ll be fine”.
Will’s take: “Lenders don’t mind ambition, they mind uncertainty. If your job move looks like steady progression and you can evidence the income properly, we can usually place it, even during probation.”
You’ll hear “you need 3 months in the job” thrown around like it’s a legal rule. It isn’t. It’s just a common comfort point for lenders.
In practice:
Some lenders will consider an application on day one in a new job if the rest of the case is strong, the move is logical, and the contract is solid. Others want payslips. Some want probation completed. It depends on the lender and how clean the application is.
If you haven’t applied yet and you know a job change is coming, you have choices. Most people pick the worst one, which is saying nothing and hoping it won’t matter.
Do this instead.
If you can delay the mortgage until you have a couple of payslips from the new role, it usually makes life easier.
If you cannot delay because you’re already buying, then the goal is to remove uncertainty with evidence.
Have these ready:
If you’re changing jobs, be able to explain it in one sentence that sounds logical:
If you are switching industry, expect more questions and plan for a more cautious lender choice.
This is the part where people blow up a perfectly good purchase.
Tell your broker and lender immediately. Hiding it is not clever, it’s risky. Lenders can re-check employment at multiple points, and your solicitor may ask you to confirm there has been no change before completion.
If you lie and it is discovered, you can lose the mortgage offer.
What usually happens next:
Same rule, disclose it.
An offer is not a guarantee until completion. Lenders can withdraw if the facts change. Most mortgage offers and declarations require you to disclose changes that could affect affordability.
If your new job is:
Once you’ve completed and moved in, you do not normally have to report job changes, as long as you can keep up repayments. If something changes and affordability becomes an issue, speak to your lender early.
This is where people get caught out, because they assume all income is treated the same. It isn’t.
If you move from PAYE to self-employed, many lenders treat it like a reset. Most want two years of accounts or tax documents. Some will consider one year, but it’s more limited and you’ll need strong evidence.
If you are planning to go self-employed soon and you also want a mortgage, sort the mortgage first if possible.
Lenders often want a track record, commonly 12 to 24 months, because the income can fluctuate. They may average earnings, or use the lower of recent periods, which can reduce affordability.
If you are on variable income, the cleanest approach is:
Here’s what I’d want you to do if you were my client.
It’s not about buying a coffee. It’s patterns:
Changing jobs can be a non-issue, or it can derail your timeline. The difference is whether you plan it, document it, and choose a lender that fits your real situation.
If you want the safest route: get advice before you change anything major, and definitely before you exchange contracts.
Thinking about changing jobs and not sure how it will affect your mortgage plans?
Don’t guess. One conversation now can save you weeks of stress later.
Whether you’ve just started a new role, you’re in probation, switching industries, or moving into self-employment, we’ll tell you clearly:
Just straight answers based on your actual circumstances.
Book your free mortgage review today and get clarity before you commit to anything.
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