I changed jobs after my Agreement in Principle
An Agreement in Principle is an indication based on the employment you declared, so a job change means the case is reassessed rather than automatically lost. Lenders typically want the signed contract showing salary and start date, any payslips from the new employer, and often the P45 or final payslip from the old role to show continuity. Probation is where lender criteria differ most. Tell your broker before you resign if the timing is still flexible, because employment is commonly re-verified shortly before funds are released.
What the lender actually reassesses
Three things, in roughly this order. Affordability, recalculated on the income that can be evidenced from the new role rather than the expected total. Stability, which is really a question about notice and probation, since a contract that can be ended at short notice makes the income look less certain. And continuity, meaning whether this is a move within the same career or a change of direction with no track record behind it.
What is usually asked for
- The signed employment contract, showing salary, role, start date and any probation terms.
- Payslips from the new employer where any exist yet.
- The P45 or final payslip from the previous role, to evidence continuity.
- For bonus or commission, evidence of how it is structured and whether it is guaranteed.
Timing is the part people get wrong
Lenders commonly re-verify employment and re-run credit shortly before releasing funds, which means a change made quietly after offer can surface days before completion. That is the worst version of this situation, not because the change is fatal but because there is no time left to solve it. If the job move is still flexible, the conversation to have is with your broker before you resign.
Common questions
Does an AIP survive a job change?
An Agreement in Principle is an indication, not a commitment, and it is based on the employment you declared. Changing job does not automatically void it, but it does mean the case is reassessed against the new position, and the AIP may need re-running. Treat it as a checkpoint rather than a guarantee you have already banked.
What will the lender want to see?
Typically the signed contract for the new role showing salary and start date, recent payslips from the new employer where any exist, and often the final payslip or P45 from the old one to show continuity. If the new role includes bonus or commission, evidence of how it is structured, since how much of that counts varies.
Is probation a problem?
It can be, and it varies more between lenders than almost anything else at this stage. Some will lend during probation, particularly where you have moved within the same field; others want it served. What reassures most is continuity: moving up or across within the same career reads very differently from a complete change of direction.
What if the new job pays more?
Usually helpful, though not always immediately. Lenders assess what can be evidenced, so a higher salary on a signed contract is generally usable, while a bonus or commission element that has no track record with the new employer may be treated cautiously or discounted. More income does not automatically mean more borrowing on day one.
Should I delay the job change until after completion?
That is a personal and career decision rather than a mortgage one, and it is worth understanding the trade-off before making it. Lenders commonly re-verify employment shortly before releasing funds, so starting a new role between offer and completion can surface at exactly the wrong moment. If the timing is flexible, raising it with your broker before you resign is the cheapest version of this conversation.
Could I need a different lender?
Sometimes, and it is a normal outcome rather than a failure. Criteria on new employment, probation and contract type differ widely, so a case that no longer fits one lender can be routine at another. That is a broker conversation, and it is easier the earlier it happens.
If the new role is contract or self-employed rather than salaried, see contractor and day-rate mortgages. If you have not yet applied, a mortgage with a new job or on probation covers the same ground earlier in the process.
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.
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