You absolutely can; the Revolution team works with clients every day in this same scenario.

Many high street lenders will only consider applicants who have three years of trading history, but there is a comprehensive network of lenders for whom two years of accounts are more than sufficient.

We even work with applicants who have been trading for less than two years, and leverage our experience and negotiating power to secure the most competitive rates available.

The maximum you can apply for depends on your line of work, and the affordability assessment criteria of the lender.

This is why it is so crucial to work with a specialist broker, who can recommend the right lenders who will be able to lend you the value you need.

Typically, the calculations are:

• As a sole trader or trading as a partnership, based on how much net profit you received, as demonstrated by the filed accounts, or the total income declared on your self-assessment tax return (SA302 form).
• As a company director of a small limited company, the maximum loan will usually be based on your salary income, and any dividends received.

Most lenders can offer up to 4-4.5 times your annual income. Others will work on a maximum of five times your earnings, and others even as high as six, depending on your income and meeting the other criteria.

Mainstream lenders will often not be able to offer competitive mortgage rates if you have been self-employed for less than three years. That is because they typically require a three-year minimum, and use those accounts to calculate your average earnings.

However, specialist lenders are happy to lend to applicants with less than three years of self-employment history.

The crucial factor is to work with a broker who understands the market, and knows the lending criteria of the mortgage providers. We ensure you only apply to the lenders whose criteria you meet.

As a whole-of-market broker, the Revolution team can negotiate mortgage terms with any lender in the country, without any restrictions on which companies we can work with.

This means you have the broadest scope and can benefit from competitive mortgage offers that are not available on the open market.

Lenders will look at a range of factors, with your income being just one. Other considerations include:

• Your credit score or credit history - if you have bad credit, you are best advised to work with a specialist lender.
• The value of your deposit - you usually need at least a 5% deposit, but the higher the value, the more competitive the mortgage terms.
• Your age - some lenders have limits on the maximum age of a new mortgage applicant, whereas others do not consider this a critical criteria.
• What property you wish to buy - standard bricks and mortar properties are more accessible to mortgage than non-standard homes, such as those with a thatched roof. These usually require a niche lender with experience in non-standard constructions.

If you are concerned about your ability to meet any of these criteria and need support finding a niche lender, contact the Revolution team today.

You certainly can; although you will have a smaller number of lenders to choose between, the Revolution team works with a network of mortgage lenders who can lend to self-employed applicants who have been trading for less than three years.

In some cases, they can lend to applicants with less than one year of trading history.