Contractor & Self-Employed UK Expat Mortgages

If you work overseas on a self-employed or contractor basis you may find it difficult to locate a lender willing to offer you a UK mortgage or remortgage at a favourable rate. Liquid Expat Mortgages specialises in finding the best possible UK mortgage deal for expats and foreign nationals who work as contractors or are self-employed professionals.

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Our team of fully-qualified expat mortgage specialists can simplify the process of finding and securing a UK mortgage for contractors and self-employed expats – without you even needing to set foot in the country.

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Self Employed Mortgages

Why do Expats who are Contractors or Self-Employed struggle to get a UK Mortgage?

Liquid Expat Mortgages recognised early on that many contractors and self-employed expats found it difficult to obtain UK mortgages. This was mainly because they were “off payroll” and as such it was often difficult for lenders to verify their income. Add to this the fact that they work offshore- not in the UK, then it’s easy to see how many contractors and self-employed individuals found it hard to obtain mortgages.

In many cases working as a contractor means you earn more in comparison to a permanent employee in a similar role. A contractor’s specialist skills means that contractors are not part of a company’s headcount or overhead, and as many of them work on short term contracts, they are not entitled to employee benefits.

You can be classed as self-employed if you have more than a 20% share of the business from which you get your main income. You could be a sole trader, a partner or director, or a contractor who has set up a limited company. They have been previously penalised by lenders as they did not have a “full time position” or the fact they could not always provide payslips because of the way they operated and declared income.

However, the changing face of the job market has caused lenders to re-assess their stance when lending to Contractors and the self-employed. Their skills are in high demand with employers, and there are very few, if any, gaps in their contracts with employers.

When many high street banks in the UK see a foreign address or foreign currency on an application form, they usually say no to a mortgage application. Over the years Liquid Expat Mortgages has built up substantial relationships with lenders to help develop products with contractors and self-employed in mind.

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Liquid Expat Mortgages can help you avoid penalties for mortgage payments paid in a foreign currency

Lenders can often view people who are paid in a foreign currency as a greater risk. Because of this they can sometimes convert your foreign salary using a spot rate or they can take an average of currency fluctuations over 5 or 10 years to allow for variations in the exchange rate.

Liquid Expat Mortgages can help you with lenders who have experience in working with Contractors and Self-Employed customers. As such they can provide competitive rates without penalising them and offer products which allow you to buy or remortgage your UK property.

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International Money Transfers
Other options

Can Contractors and Self-Employed Expats invest in the UK property market?

Yes, and Liquid Expat Mortgages can do far more for self-employed professionals and contractors looking to invest in the UK property market than just secure a fantastic mortgage deal.

Our team can share with you the latest off-market developments within the UK as we have built up an array of reciprocal partners who work with us in providing mortgages to some of their expats and foreign national investors.

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We can help you through the whole Expat Mortgage Application Process

Liquid Expat Mortgages with its experienced and qualified team of mortgage brokers can support you through the whole UK expat mortgage application process.

By working with you we can help minimise the disruption and contain costs when it comes to supplying the correct paperwork and identity requirements.

Save time and stress

  • We can work with the lender to present your case better and ensure an underwriter doesn’t make assumptions based on the fact you live and work abroad.
  • We will be able to talk you through the process on how best to present your mortgage application.
  • We can help you secure a more favourable rate when exchanging money across borders.

As a completely independent team of expat mortgage specialists – we have no obligations other than ensuring you receive the best and most valuable service from our team.

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Liquid Expat is your Specialist Expat Mortgage Broker

Liquid Expat Mortgages has been providing expat mortgages since 2007. Our many years of experience and relationships built up with lenders means that we can find the very best mortgage for your needs.

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Liquid Expat Mortgages Testimonials

Hear from some of our clients about their experience with Liquid Expat Mortgages.

Buy to Let Mortgages for Expats testimonial

­ I would like to thank you and the other behind the scenes staff at Liquid Expat for all your professional help with obtaining a mortgage for us which enabled us to make the purchase of this buy to let property.

Ephram / UK Expat living in Israel
Buy to Let Mortgages for Expats testimonial

­ I would like to commend the excellent support we received from Claire in our recent recent buy to let remortgage application which proceeded faster than we could have hoped. She kept us fully in the picture throughout.

R. Green / UK Expat living in Portugal
Buy to Let Mortgages for Expats testimonial

­ Buying a property overseas is not a stress free process, but Liquid Expat Mortgages has been instrumental in reducing my level of stress and ultimately securing a mortgage lender for me in the United Kingdom.

M.C. / Foreign National in Hong Kong
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Liquid Expat Mortgages Reviews

Read reviews left by our clients on Google.

Based on 146 reviews
Isobel Hanning
Isobel Hanning
2023-01-18
We were very happy with Liquid Expat Mortgages. After living in Spain and hoping to buy a U.K. property we were advised by most that we wouldn’t qualify for a U.K. mortgage. Never the less LEM said they could help and we were supported from start to finish with a good mortgage offer on the table. Liam and Claire were fantastic throughout the whole experience and never hesitated to offer advice and support as we needed. We can’t thank them enough for all their help and time spent with us even to the end where Claire was helping our solicitor to ensure all would go through on completion day with the lender. Our solicitor was also recommended by LEM and was also fantastic. Our sale completed smoothly on the day and with no issues. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Thank you again for everything.
Red Panda
Red Panda
2023-01-10
We have been using the services of Liquid Expat for over six years and cannot recommend them enough. The level of broker professionalism, expat mortgage knowledge, and, most of all--transparent communication--is exceptional. As expats, it's even more challenging trying to maneuver the requirements and products in the UK market; additionally, the current climate has made it even more difficult. Liquid Expat will help you with this! To give some shoutouts--John Squires is always our first point of contact, helping to identify the best products available, and his knowledge speaks for itself. Then there's the incredible duo of Claire Aspin and Liam Saul--they are absolutely brilliant. So patient, thorough, and attentive to all of the details that any non-trained eye might miss. Claire and Liam were invaluable to our recent remortgage. We have, and will continue to, recommend Liquid Expat to anyone seeking the highest level of expat mortgage advice. Thank you!
Poonam Thakkar
Poonam Thakkar
2023-01-04
Really good experience working with the team! Claire and Liam were very attentive, supportive and accommodating. Really good service for expats living abroad.
Wesley George
Wesley George
2022-12-22
Nicole Gallagher of Liquid Mortgages was very professional and knowledgeable in sourcing a lender for me to re-finance my flat in London. she got me the offer letter from the bank by coordinating to obtain all the required documents in a very efficient manner. I was happy with the offer & how Nicole dealt wit my case and would recommend her to my friends and family. Nicole went above and beyond to assist me as a client, when we hit a road block due to solicitors not being in a position to complete in time before the finance offer expired. but Nicole worked tirelessly to obtain an extension on the finance offer to make the completion successful. this was impressive considering the interest rates were going up and a new offer would have costed me thousands of pounds more. Nicole is an asset to any organisation and highly recommend her ability and excellent customer service.
Ahsan Vohra
Ahsan Vohra
2022-12-20
The organisation is very good and professional. They are supportive from beginning to the end of the process.
Wahid Fazil
Wahid Fazil
2022-12-19
Hi. My mortgage application was handled by Ms Nicole Gallagher, and she was absolutely brilliant. Any questions I had were answered straight away with a full explanation. Throughout the process, I was kept in the loop and advised on the best course of action. Even my solicitor has praised Nicole for her efficency and super quick responses. On two occasions, the solicitor of the seller questioned my intention to buy the property. Nicole replied and defended me and set him straight. The email was so well written that I couldn't have said it any better myself. Professional but straight the point! Nicole is excellent at what she does and did a brilliant job in handling my application. She was very efficient and always replied to my emails straight away. I will definitely be recommending Liquid Expats to my friends and suggest they ask for Nicole to handle their application. If in the future we decide to buy another property, I will definitely be asking for Nicole and only to handle my application. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nicole for all her guidance and support. Her attention to detail and her professional advice. I feel she went above and beyond in making me feel part of the process by keeping me informed at each stage. She is a credit to your company and has set the bar very high! Thank you Nicole. Wishing you all the best for the future. Mr Wahid Fazil 5 Fountain Park Westhoughton Bolton BL5

Your guide to expat mortgages

As a specialist expat mortgage broker based in the United Kingdom, we can guide you through even the most complex overseas UK mortgage or remortgage process.

With over a decade of experience, we can quickly assess your case and then immediately place you with the most suitable lender and the best possible terms to suit your personal circumstances.

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