Something has changed during my mortgage application

Circumstances change mid-application far more often than people expect, and most changes are survivable. What matters is what changed, how far through the process you are, and how quickly it is disclosed. Lenders commonly re-check employment and credit shortly before completion, so a change kept quiet early tends to surface at the worst possible moment. Tell your broker first, and let them raise it with the lender in the right way.

What changed?

Job or employer A new role, a promotion, going self-employed, or entering probation. The most common change, and the one lenders reassess most thoroughly.

Income A bonus, a drop in hours, losing overtime, or moving from PAYE to contract. Affordability is recalculated on what can be evidenced, not what is expected.

Credit A missed payment, a new default, or a search that appears after the AIP. Lenders commonly re-run credit before offer and again before completion.

Deposit A smaller deposit, a changed source, or gifted funds arriving late. Source of funds and loan-to-value are both affected.

The property A down valuation, a survey finding, or a change of property altogether. This is a valuation and security question rather than an affordability one.

The timeline A delayed chain, an expiring offer, or a completion date that has moved. Offers have expiry dates and extensions are not automatic.

Where are you in the process?

The same change lands very differently depending on the stage. Before application it is simply part of the picture. After an Agreement in Principle it usually means the case is re-run. After a formal offer, the question becomes whether the offer stands. And between exchange and completion the stakes are highest, because you are contractually committed to the purchase. Work out your stage and the specific change with the changed circumstances checker, which returns the points a broker will want to discuss.

The most common one

Changing jobs after an Agreement in Principle is the single most frequent version of this, and it is not usually fatal. See changing jobs after an AIP for what a lender reassesses and what evidence is typically requested.

Common questions

Do I have to tell the lender?

Yes. A mortgage application is made on the basis of your circumstances as declared, and lenders commonly re-check employment and credit before releasing funds. Not disclosing a material change is far more damaging than the change itself, because it goes to whether the information given was accurate. Tell your broker first, and let them tell the lender in the right way.

Will the offer be withdrawn?

Not automatically. Lenders can withdraw an offer where circumstances change materially, but many changes are absorbed without one, particularly where income is the same or better and the change is well evidenced. Whether it is withdrawn usually turns on affordability, evidence and how early it was raised.

How late is too late?

There is no point at which disclosure stops mattering. Lenders frequently re-run credit checks and re-verify employment shortly before completion, so a change kept quiet in week two can surface in week ten, at the worst possible moment. Earlier is always better.

Does this mean starting again?

Sometimes, but often not. Depending on the change and the stage, it can mean supplying more evidence, re-running affordability, or in some cases moving to a lender whose criteria fit the new position. A broker whose case this already is can usually tell you quickly which of the three you are facing.

Adam Parker

Founder, MortgageExplained

Adam spent nearly a decade as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance. He is CeMAP and CF qualified. He built MortgageExplained to do one thing well: explain mortgages in plain English, then introduce you to a regulated broker when you are ready. Every page on the site is written by Adam.

Last updated: 8 September 2026