Bad Credit Mortgage Broker in Essex

Is this your situation?

Bad credit is a broad label, and the detail decides the route. Each situation below has its own detailed guide, because lenders treat each one differently. Start with whichever matches your file, or call and we will point you to the right one: the phone is answered 9am to 9pm, seven days a week.

• There is a CCJ on your file. The judgment date, the amount, whether it is satisfied and what your finances have looked like since all change the route. Our mortgage with a CCJ guide explains how lenders read each detail.
• You have a default. A default on a mobile contract is not read the same way as a recent default on secured borrowing; the account type, balance, age and satisfaction status all matter. Our mortgage with defaults guide breaks the factors down.
• You have missed or late payments, or arrears. An isolated late payment, a run of missed payments and current mortgage arrears are very different situations. Our late payments and arrears guide covers what lenders want to know.
• Your credit score is low and you are not sure why. There is no single UK pass mark, and the entries behind the score matter more than the number. Our mortgage with a low credit score guide explains how to read the situation before applying.
• You are buying your first home with credit issues. Preparation, deposit and lender choice carry even more weight on a first purchase. Start with our first time buyer mortgages hub.
• You have a small deposit as well as credit issues. The two together narrow the lender list, but no single deposit figure suits every case. Our low deposit mortgages guide covers what actually changes.
• You already own and your deal is ending. Past credit problems affect a remortgage too, and the route depends on your current lender, your equity and recent payment conduct. Start with remortgaging with bad credit.
• You are buying your council or housing association home. Right to Buy has its own lender list, and credit problems narrow it further; the discount counts towards the deposit with some lenders and not others. Our right to buy with bad credit guide covers what is realistic.
• You are moving home. Equity, an existing lender and a chain change the sums, and porting is not always the cheapest route. Our moving home with bad credit guide covers the options.

If you are not sure what your file actually says, your own reports cost nothing and leave no mark, and reading them properly is the first thing Angela does: start with understanding your credit report.

And if none of the above is quite your situation, that is normal. Most files we see have more than one thing on them, and the combination is what decides the route. You do not need to read another page to work out where you stand: tell us what your file looks like and we will tell you. The phone is answered 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, and the first conversation costs nothing.

What is a bad-credit mortgage?

There is no separate mortgage product that works the same way for everybody with bad credit. The phrase is normally used for a mortgage arranged when the applicant's credit history includes something a particular lender may not accept. You may also hear it called an adverse-credit mortgage.

Some cases fit a mainstream lender's criteria. Others need a specialist lender, a larger deposit or more time. The useful question is not simply "Do I have bad credit?" It is "Which lenders are prepared to consider these exact circumstances?"

From clients who stood where you are

Angela and Morgan were outstanding to work with. We quickly got a decision in principle at a very good rate having spoken to other brokers who had not been able to help us. Cannot recommend enough.

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They are among the sixteen reviews on our reviews page from people who came to us after being turned down elsewhere. They are all there in full, unedited.

What lenders look at, and what bad credit mortgage rates depend on

Lenders do not all assess adverse credit in the same way, but the following details commonly matter:

• What the credit issue was, and whether it involved unsecured or secured borrowing.
• How old it is and whether there have been further problems since.
• The amount involved, how many entries appear and whether they form a pattern.
• Whether the account or judgment has been satisfied and whether current commitments are up to date.
• Your income, regular outgoings, existing debts and the proposed monthly mortgage payment.
• The deposit or equity available, the property and the reason for borrowing.

That is why two people with the same credit score can receive very different answers. A score is a useful warning light, but it is not the whole application. Rates work the same way: they reflect the issue, the deposit and the lender, which is why no honest figure can be printed here. Clients who start with a specialist lender often move to a mainstream rate at remortgage once the file has healed, and we track when that moment arrives.

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If you have already been declined

A decline can feel final, particularly when you are given very little explanation. Often it means the application did not fit that lender's criteria. It does not mean another lender will automatically say yes, but it is worth finding out what caused the decision before trying again.

Sending the same information to several lenders can create more searches without solving the reason for the first decline. We would rather take the application back to basics, understand every entry and decide whether there is a sensible next step.

Highly recommend using this company, we had been told we had to wait 2 years before trying to get a mortgage, we were gutted! Angela Little looked at our credit reports, and told us we needed to get a mortgage with bad credit but she could help us. Couldn't believe Angela managed to find us one with a building society. 4 weeks start to finish to get our mortgage offer. Angela is extremely straight talking but wow she knows her stuff and is so helpful, always available and put us completely at ease. Thank you so much, we will definitely recommend A Little Mortgage Advice

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What to do before another mortgage application

• Get your credit reports and check that the names, addresses, balances and dates are correct.
• Correct factual errors with the credit reference agency or lender that supplied the information.
• Keep current commitments up to date wherever possible.
• Avoid several speculative mortgage or credit applications in a short period.
• Gather proof of income, bank statements, deposit evidence and a clear list of regular outgoings.
• Write down what caused the credit problem and what has changed since. A short, honest explanation is more useful than leaving the underwriter to guess.
• If you have already been declined, ask why before making the next application.

How a bad credit mortgage broker helps

The value of advice is not simply access to a long list of lenders. It is the work done before the application: understanding the reports, checking affordability, matching the circumstances to current criteria and preparing the explanation and documents properly. It is the work we are best known for: bad credit mortgages, and first-time buyers who have been turned down elsewhere.

Angela deals with the pre-underwriting and stays involved with the lender and solicitor. You are not expected to tell the whole story again to somebody who has only just picked up the file. In her own words, replying to a client's review:

Not every case should go straight to an application. If the sensible answer is to correct a report, bring accounts up to date, improve recent conduct or build a larger deposit first, you will be told that too, along with exactly what to fix and when to come back.

How does the process work?

1. Talk it through. We ask what happened, what you want to do and whether a lender or broker has already declined the case. Free and no obligation, and nothing touches your credit file without telling you first.
2. Review the full picture. We look at the entries behind the credit score, alongside income, outgoings, deposit and property plans. This is also the financial M.O.T.: what is dragging the file down, what to fix first.
3. Research before applying. We check suitable criteria and prepare the information an underwriter is likely to need. For urgent situations, a same-day decision in principle is often possible.
4. Stay with the case. Angela remains involved through the application, lender questions, solicitor communication and completion.

Bad credit mortgage advice across Essex and London

Our office is at 325A London Road, South Benfleet, Essex SS7 1BL, and most of our adverse-credit clients come from Benfleet, Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Rayleigh, Wickford, Canvey Island, Chelmsford, Brentwood, Billericay and the towns between, along with London. You do not have to live nearby: calls, documents and updates all work remotely, wherever you are in the UK.

Not quite your situation?

• Remortgage advice in Essex, if you already have a mortgage and the deal is coming to an end.
• Specialist mortgages, if the difficulty is your income or circumstances rather than your credit file.

About the author

Angela Little is the founder of A Little Mortgage Advice, based in South Benfleet, Essex. She advises first-time buyers, homeowners remortgaging and people whose circumstances sit outside standard lending criteria, across Essex, London and the rest of the UK.

Sources

• FCA Handbook, MCOB 11.6 - responsible lending and affordability
• FCA Financial Services Register

Checked September 2026. Lender criteria change constantly, so confirm the current position with us before relying on anything here.