How long between loan applications?

markquinton

I originally applied for a loan with Barclays last September for £5300 to fund a new car purchase. I've been paying the loan every month since then on time and never defaulted on a payment but I have managed to run up around £1500 in debt on my credit card. Its currently sat on a 0% Skycard till January but I've dipped around £500 into my overdraft also (which is 0% for a year).
I've looked around and since reading on here about cheaper loans etc I've found out that my current loan is 9.9% with Barclays! I'm paying £170 a month but am struggling with the extra £80 a month to pay off the skycard and also spending as little as possible to clear the overdraft. I've had a look and I can wrap up all the debts in a new loan for 36 months (agains) for roughly the same monthly payment as what I'm paying now but obviously I'm effectively extending my current loan by another year if I do this.
My question is, how long are you allowed between loan applications and how long does it take for my 'file' to show that one loan has been paid off with the new loan?

The reason I ask is that I wouldn't worry about this usually but my fixed rate offer on the mortgage is ending in September and I don't want to affect that. If I apply for another loan will it affect the rate me and my partner are offered on our mortgage? Is there enough time between now and the end of september for all the records to be updated and me not appearing as overloaded with other debts? I couldn't bear it if I was the one responsible for our mortgage offers to be at a worse rate or blankly refused. :sad:

markquinton

Well after discussing it with my girlfriend last night we both decided that it was the best way forward as the SkyCard debt is mine but officially its in her name so she was pleased to know that it wouldn't permanently be on there. Applied with A&L as they're nearly the cheapest and my current account is with them so figured I stood a greater chance of approval.