Overseas and trying to get a UK mortgage

runnerbeans

Is it possible to get a mortgage for a UK property if I currently live overseas? I'm overseas as a UK civil servant and am paid in sterling, and pay tax in the UK. I'm coming home next year and want to buy a house before I get there - for me and my family to live in, not to rent out... so far I've been told by HSBC and Halifax that they cannot give me a mortgage because I'm overseas. Is this a rule for all mortgage providers and if not can anyone recommend any providers that would offer me a mortgage? Thanks.

haras_n0sirrah

There are some lenders doing expat mortgages still 
If a residential you need to be in the UK for a certain amount of time a year or have a relative living in the property e.g. spouse 
If buy to let then you dont 

What is your situation?

runnerbeans

I don't want to buy to let - I want to buy a property so I can live in it when I go back to the UK to live (as in, permanently) which will be next year, as I have a fixed contract overseas that is not being extended. I don't want an "expat mortgage" as such. I don't know about elsewhere but HSBC said they could offer me a mortgage IF I could get on a plane and come into the branch to talk to them but with COVID-19 that's not particularly easy to do. 

haras_n0sirrah

Are you looking to buy the property just before you come back so you can move straight into it or are you going to buy it now and have it empty for a while?

Thrugelmir

Without wishing to sounding daft. How are you intending to find a property and go through the purchase process if you are abroad. The mortgage application is only part of the process. 

runnerbeans

haras_n0sirrah said:

Are you looking to buy the property just before you come back so you can move straight into it or are you going to buy it now and have it empty for a while?

Ideally just before but I realize the timings of these things can be a bit erratic - so I guess it may be empty for a few weeks, but I wouldn't expect more than a month or so

runnerbeans

Thrugelmir said:

Without wishing to sounding daft. How are you intending to find a property and go through the purchase process if you are abroad. The mortgage application is only part of the process. 

I've found plenty of properties online that I'm interested in and have friends and family nearby who can go look at them to check them out. I don't see that I can't do everything else from overseas - for example I'm aware of at least one British solicitor in my location that other people have used, I'm just gearing up for a few express DHL charges on paperwork! Sadly I'm not in touch with my former colleagues who've done this to ask them how they got their mortgages from overseas, hence asking here as I'm convinced it must be possible as other people have done it.

LRmortgage

You need a UK based broker to sort this for you and will very much depend on whether you have a job / income for when you get back to he uk? 

It’s too complicated to do direct with a lender over the phone, hence HSBC saying you need to go into a branch. 

runnerbeans

yes, I will work for the same employer when I get back (UK based). Thank you, I will see if I can find a broker that can help - I found brokers via google but they all seemed to be for expats who wanted to invest i.e. buy to let, as opposed to my situation. Will keep looking I guess

haras_n0sirrah

It is possible to do. The vast majority of lenders you need to be resident in the uk before they will allow an application but it is possible to do it before coming back as long as you have a job offer in the uk. Rates are not market leading but not horrific by any means.
Why not rent for 6 months though?