Does Car Finance Affect Mortgage Applications?

This is particularly the case if you have missed any of your repayments for your car finance, as this will negatively impact your credit score, and will therefore impact your mortgage application. On the other hand, making all of your repayments can actually improve your chances of mortgage approval. Read on as we take a closer look.

How does car finance affect your mortgage?

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will scrutinise your finances. Whether you have an active car finance deal, or a previous one that has been fully repaid, will impact their decision for your mortgage application. This is because car finance is a form of debt. As such, your mortgage providers will look to see how conscientious you’ve been in repaying your car finance.

Remember, if you have defaulted on your car finance, or missed any payments, then this will impact your credit history. This will in turn affect your mortgage application, as you will appear less financially responsible and therefore of higher risk to your speculative provider. Thankfully, there are still ways of securing car finance even with poor credit.

On the other hand, a history of timely repayments and problem-free car finance can actually improve your credit score. Put simply, it shows that you are capable of making regular repayments as agreed and staying within your budget – as is required with a mortgage.

Does car finance impact affordability assessments?

The short answer is yes, if you have an active car finance deal in place, this will affect mortgage applications because of the affordability assessments that your prospective provider will perform.

Any mortgage provider will scrutinise your finances before offering a mortgage – this is actually a legal requirement, and involves looking at your credit score, employment status, debt, and history of loan repayment. If you’re currently repaying any loan such as car finance, this will be factored into your mortgage affordability assessment.

As a general rule, the higher the debt remaining for you to pay back on your car, the lower you’ll be lent for a mortgage – though this may vary depending on the provider. The theory is that the more you have to repay on other loans or assets, like your car, the less you’ll have to put towards your mortgage.

As such, if you do have a way of clearing the balance on your car finance before applying for your mortgage, this would be a sensible course of action, as your car finance won’t impact the application to such a degree.

Car finance made easy

At My Car Credit, we pride ourselves on our customer service, and will work hard to find you a car finance deal that suits your needs and circumstances – so you can help rather than harm your credit score and any future mortgage applications. If you’re wondering how to make a car finance application work alongside a mortgage application, talk to us today on 01246 458 810 or email enquiries@mycarcredit.co.uk.