Self-employed home loans, minus the run-around.

Why self-employed lending is different

Payslips make life simple for a bank. Business income is more nuanced — it moves with seasons, reinvestment and legitimate tax planning. Some lenders read that complexity well; others see only risk. Knowing which lender will assess your situation favourably, before you apply, is the difference between an approval and an unnecessary decline on your credit file.

Documentation pathways: full-doc, alt-doc and low-doc

Depending on how long you have been trading and how current your financials are, there are three broad pathways. Full-doc applications use tax returns and financial statements — usually the last two years — and access the sharpest pricing. Alt-doc applications substitute documents such as BAS, business bank statements or an accountant's declaration. Low-doc options exist for specific scenarios and lenders, typically with tighter terms. We assess which pathway fits you and only recommend products you can realistically qualify for.

How lenders assess self-employed income

Lenders commonly average your income across the years of financials you provide, and many consider legitimate add-backs — non-cash or one-off items that reduce taxable income without reducing your real capacity to repay. Policies on add-backs, trading history and income shading vary widely between lenders, which is precisely where broker experience pays for itself.

Preparing a strong application

The strongest self-employed applications are tidy: up-to-date tax lodgements, clean business bank statements, clear separation between business and personal spending, and a simple explanation of any bumps in income. We help you present all of it — and if your financials are not ready yet, we will tell you what to fix and when to apply rather than lodging prematurely.

It also helps to plan ahead. If you are twelve months from wanting to buy, small decisions now — how you pay yourself, when you lodge, which liabilities you carry — can materially change what a lender will offer. A short planning conversation early often beats a complicated application later.