Locum Optician Mortgage

Can I get a mortgage as a newly qualified locum optician? How does it work?

Yes, you can get a mortgage as a newly qualified locum optician. You’ll need to provide some evidence of income. The longer you’ve been locuming, the better your position, but it’s potentially possible to do it with just one invoice, provided you’ve got prior experience as an optician. With one invoice, you may find there are fewer lenders available, but once you have three to six months’ records, more lenders will be open to you – and more mortgage options.

What eligibility criteria do I need to meet as a locum optician for a mortgage?

Most mortgage lenders will consider how long you have locumed for and how much experience you have, to verify whether you qualify for a mortgage with them. The longer you’ve been locuming, the more lenders will be available. Some can use your invoices, which can be helpful for opticians that haven’t been locuming for long. But if you’ve been doing it for over a year and you’ve submitted at least one tax return, we can potentially use your tax calculations and overviews. That would put you in a stronger position, with more lenders available. However, sometimes what you can borrow that way is less than via the invoice route.

Can locum opticians get a mortgage without a substantial deposit?

Yes, it’s possible to get a mortgage with as little as 5% deposit. Some lenders are even offering 0% deposit mortgages at the moment [information correct at the time of recording in March 2026]. If you can stretch to 10%, some lenders will not only offer you a better mortgage rate, but the amount you can borrow will significantly increase too.

How does a locum optician’s income affect the amount they can borrow for a mortgage?

Some lenders will use your monthly invoices to assess how much you can borrow as a locum optician. Some will look at the last three months, whereas others will ask for six to 12 months’ figures. Lenders always look for consistency of income, so you’ll need to show at least some income each month to be considered. A month where you work less – perhaps because you’re on holiday – can affect how much you can borrow. Equally, if you have months where you work more hours than normal, that could affect the mortgage in a more positive way. Most lenders want to see some consistency. You don’t need to earn the same amount each month, but they may ask further questions if the earnings are wildly different.

What factors do mortgage lenders consider when assessing the affordability of a mortgage for a locum optician?

They look first at your annual income and generally multiply that by 4.5 to calculate an initial mortgage figure. If you’re a first-time buyer, or your income is over a certain amount, you may get a higher income multiple. For example, if you’re earning more than £50,000 a year, some lenders may give you five or 5.5 times your annual income. From that starting number, lenders then look at your expenditure. This could include your student loan if you have one, credit cards, personal loans or car loans, and any dependents. They subtract those regular costs to calculate the amount you can borrow. Every lender is different, so it’s good to get a mortgage broker to look at it for you. We can assess every option for you and maximise your mortgage size, if needed.