Darlington Building Society has completed a UK residential mortgage for an expat couple based in Saudi Arabia, despite foreign income, contractor earnings and historic adverse credit.
The mortgage was secured at 51% loan-to-value on a specialist rate of 4.69%.
The applicants, both UK citizens with dependants, are living and working overseas. The first applicant is a high-earning contractor with income paid abroad, while the second applicant is not currently earning.
The purchase was supported by personal savings and a gifted deposit from family.
The case was introduced by Bianca Thompson, mortgage adviser at Adrian Knott Partnership, and involved several factors requiring individual assessment, including foreign income not subject to UK tax, a contractor income structure, a historic default and a missed payment from more than three years ago. The default had only recently been satisfied.
Darlington said the mortgage was structured to reflect the applicants’ deposit position and income profile, with the society taking a case-by-case approach to overseas earnings, including where UK tax assumptions are not relevant.
As the adverse credit was more than three years old, it was assessed in the context of the wider application rather than as a stand-alone issue.
The case also required an understanding of the applicants’ current circumstances and their plans to return to the UK, with the mortgage supporting the purchase of a long-term family home.
Darlington recently increased the maximum loan-to-value available on its foreign currency mortgage range to 90%, up from 80%, to support brokers placing cases for expat and foreign-income clients, including first-time buyers.
Chris Blewitt, head of mortgage distribution at Darlington Building Society, said: “This was a case where several elements needed to be looked at together rather than in isolation. You have overseas income, a contractor role, and historic adverse that, whilst now satisfied, would still raise questions elsewhere.
“What mattered here was the full picture. The applicants had a strong income and affordability, a clear plan to return to the UK, and a solid deposit made up of both savings and family support.
“The adverse was also over three years old, which gave us comfort to take a more measured view.
“We are comfortable working with foreign income and, importantly, we do not apply UK tax assumptions to that income, which can make a real difference to borrowing levels. Cases like this show how taking a common-sense approach can help brokers place applications that might otherwise struggle to find a home.”
Thompson added: “I chose to work with Darlington Building Society because of the genuinely human approach they bring to lending. They are accessible and proactive, always available for a conversation and quick to respond, which makes a real difference when managing complex cases.
“What sets them apart is their willingness to listen. Rather than hiding behind rigid criteria, they encourage discussions, are open to escalation, and approach each case with a ‘how can we make this work?’ mindset.
“They take the time to understand the story behind the application, which is invaluable when placing more complex scenarios.”
