Mortgages after a Debt Management Plan (DMP)

Mortgages

You’ve just finished paying off a Debt Management Plan (DMP). No mortgage lender will touch you, right? Wrong. Although it may seem unlikely, there are situations where you can take out a mortgage after, or even during, a DMP. At James Leighton Financial Services in Nottingham, we’ll be happy to tell you more.

What is a Debt Management Plan?

First things first. A Debt Management Plan is an agreement between you and your creditors to pay off all your debts. DMPs are usually used when:

  • You can only afford to pay creditors a small amount each month
  • You have debt problems but will be able to make repayments in a few months

DMP and mortgages

It might surprise you, but you can take out a mortgage with the right lender. As a DMP never appears on your credit file as an entry on its own, lenders assess the underlying defaults instead, which each stay on file for six years from the date it was recorded.

Lenders and DMPs

Specialist lenders are usually clear about their DMP criteria:

  • Minimum time on the plan
  • Conduct requirements
  • Maximum Loan to Value (LTV)
  • Adverse tiers keyed to the age of the underlying defaults

High-street, credit-scored lenders generally have no published DMP rule.

Image showing a close up of a woman using a calculator

On an active DMP, specialist lenders typically want 10% or more, and a 15-25% deposit widens your choice and improves pricing considerably.

Should I finish the DMP before applying?

Ideally, yes. Completing the plan removes the monthly payment from your affordability calculation and broadens lender choice, but the defaults behind the DMP keep ageing on your file either way, and they only disappear six years from each default date. If your defaults are already old and your deposit is strong, an application during the DMP can be viable; if the defaults are recent, time usually helps more than completion alone. Look at the figures carefully before deciding.

Still not sure?  Completing the plan improves your position in two ways:

  • First, the monthly payment disappears from your affordability calculation
  • Second, lender choice widens: A completed DMP with all accounts settled reads as a problem solved, and some credit-scored high-street lenders will consider satisfied, older DMP histories on score

However, completion doesn’t reset the clock on the underlying markers. Each default still ages on your file for 6 years from its default date, no matter when the plan finished, so the pricing tier you fall into keeps improving with time, and the file eventually goes clean of its own accord.

How much deposit do I need with a DMP?

On an active DMP, specialist lenders typically want 10% or more, and a 15-25% deposit widens your choice and improves pricing considerably. After the plan completes and as the underlying defaults age, requirements soften. Once the defaults drop off your file entirely, standard deposit levels become realistic with mainstream lenders.

Getting the right mortgage advice after a DMP can make all the difference. Get in touch with our Nottingham-based team at James Leighton Financial Services today, and let's find the right path to your next home.