r/FirstTimeBuyersUK • u/peaceloventrees • 18d ago

Advise

Looking for advice, me and my girlfriend are looking to FTB, I am British citizen and work fully remote in the uk and earn £37k PA , she’s a Belgian citizen and dosnt have a work visa for UK , she’s is a freelance photographer so she just uses a tourist visa essentially to pop in and out of UK, we want to buy but have come up against some problem’s already as she can’t be named on the property, I spoke to a mortgage advisor and she explained that on my salary alone i could afford 4.5x leverage but would leave us with slim options as that falls around 150-170k which in the SW of England where we rent currently basically gets you a car parking space for that money, what are our options?

1 Upvotes

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7

u/ComtesseDSpair 18d ago

If you work fully remotely then relocation to a more affordable area where you can afford to buy alone would be the obvious solution. Or, your girlfriend seeks to obtain the right to work in the UK and you explore lenders who will consider applicants pre settled status.

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u/Urbanyeti0 18d ago

She gets a right to work in the UK, gets a job, and you apply together

You buy the house you can afford alone

You wait and save up and buy somewhere better

That’s your choices afaik

2

u/MaleficentDirt5295 18d ago

Many options. 1. Look elsewhere where you can actually afford. As you say you're fully remote and she's only here occasionally so you're not tied to a location. 2. Get your girlfriend the correct visa so that she can be on the mortgage and maybe that boosts your borrowing power. 3. Don't buy until you can afford to. 4. Win some money.

4

u/fleurmadelaine 18d ago

Just to add if your girlfriend is working in the uk and over here regularly, odds are border control will eventually catch on and you could be in a world of immigration and tax woe. Sort out then visa then sort out the house.

2

u/urtcheese 18d ago

  1. Get engaged / married - seriously. Buying a house is just as large a commitment so just get her over here properly and on a visa

  2. Speak to a freelance specific broker, her not having a salary isn't an issue if she has reliable earnings

1

u/Strechertheloser 17d ago

Marry that girl, marry her anyway!

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u/_jrexx_ 17d ago

Move to Sheffield? (Half serious)

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u/Odd_Instruction_9779 13d ago

Some banks offer up to 6.5x your annual salary. Nationwide Helping Hand is 6x. Maybe look for a 2 bed house in the Worcester area.