First Home Buyers

Self-employed borrowers need more comprehensive documentation than traditional employees. This typically includes two years of personal and business tax returns, business activity statements, profit and loss statements, and bank statements for both personal and business accounts. Depending on your situation, we may also need rental rolls for investment properties, contracts for ongoing work, or letters from your accountant. We provide a detailed checklist specific to your circumstances and help you understand why each document is important. Our goal is to ensure nothing is missed while avoiding unnecessary paperwork that doesn't strengthen your application.

Self-employed income can be challenging for lenders to assess, especially when you have multiple income streams, seasonal variations, or business expenses that affect your tax returns. We work closely with you to gather the right documentation and present your income in the most accurate way possible. This includes understanding your business cash flow, working with your accountant to optimise your financial position, and identifying lenders who are experienced with self-employed borrowers. Our approach ensures your application reflects your true financial capacity rather than just what appears on your latest tax return.

Absolutely. Declined applications are often the result of poor presentation rather than genuine inability to service a loan. We review what went wrong with previous applications and identify the specific issues that led to the decline. This might involve restructuring the loan amount, choosing different lenders who better understand your industry, or improving your financial position before reapplying. We also ensure sufficient time has passed since the previous application and that any adverse factors have been addressed. Our experience with self-employed lending means we know which lenders are most likely to approve your specific situation.

At Archbold Financial, we understand that self-employed individuals face unique challenges when securing finance. Unlike traditional lenders who may not fully appreciate the complexities of variable income and business structures, we specialise in presenting your financial situation in the most favourable light. We know how to work with your accountant and financial records to demonstrate your true borrowing capacity. Our expertise extends across home loans, commercial lending, and asset finance, meaning we can support your complete financial picture rather than just one aspect of your needs.

Variable income is common among self-employed individuals, and we have strategies to address this challenge. We look at your income trends over multiple years and help explain any fluctuations to lenders. This might involve highlighting seasonal patterns, one-off business expenses, or growth trajectories in your business. We also work with lenders who understand that self-employed income naturally varies and focus on your ability to service the loan over time rather than just your lowest earning period. Where appropriate, we may recommend timing your application to coincide with stronger financial periods.

Our remuneration typically comes from lender commissions, which means there's usually no direct cost to you for our services. This commission structure is regulated and disclosed transparently as part of our professional obligations. For complex commercial transactions or specialised advisory services, we may discuss fee arrangements upfront to ensure our interests are aligned with achieving the outcome you need. We always provide clear disclosure of how we're remunerated before proceeding with any application, ensuring you understand the complete cost structure of your lending arrangement.

Our relationship with clients extends well beyond loan settlement. We conduct regular reviews to ensure your lending arrangements continue to meet your changing needs as your business grows. This includes monitoring your loan performance, identifying refinancing opportunities, and assisting with additional lending requirements as your business expands. We also keep you informed of market changes that might affect your loans and proactively suggest improvements to your lending structure. As your business evolves, we're here to support your ongoing commercial, home lending, and asset finance requirements.

We provide comprehensive lending solutions tailored to self-employed individuals across three key areas. For home lending, we assist with purchases, refinancing, and investment properties. Our commercial lending services cover business premises, commercial property investments, and development projects. We also arrange asset finance for business equipment, vehicles, and other essential business assets. This integrated approach means we understand how each type of lending affects your overall financial position and can structure solutions that work together rather than in isolation.

We believe in collaborative relationships with your existing professional team. Your accountant understands your business structure and tax position, while we bring lending expertise to the table. We often work directly with accountants to optimise the timing of applications, structure business income appropriately, and ensure tax strategies don't inadvertently impact borrowing capacity. We can also coordinate with solicitors, financial planners, and business advisers when required. This team approach ensures all aspects of your financial situation are aligned and working towards your lending goals.

The timeframe for self-employed lending can vary depending on the complexity of your financial situation and the type of loan required. Generally, we allow additional time compared to standard employment situations because self-employed applications require more detailed documentation and careful presentation. Home loans typically take 3-6 weeks from complete application to settlement, while commercial lending may require 6-12 weeks depending on the property and loan structure. We work efficiently to minimise delays while ensuring your application is thoroughly prepared and professionally presented to lenders.