It does not help that self-employed borrowers have a lack of clarity around where they stand when it comes to their mortgage prospects. So much so that 14% want lenders to standardise the definition and criteria for non-standard applicants to make it easier to navigate.

To mitigate this and look more favourable to lenders, some self-employed people have made lifestyle sacrifices, going as far as giving up holidays, delaying weddings, and even deciding not to invest in their businesses.

They are still determined to get onto the property ladder, however, as 73% want to own their own home in the next five years. This optimism suggests an active market that needs serving.

The sometimes-complex nature of a self-employed person’s earnings and circumstances can feel like a barrier when dealing with a broker who does not understand how to pick this apart.

This was raised in a recent debate Newcastle Building Society had about the market, where it was revealed that advisers were unsure about what evidence lenders needed for an application.

Such confusion can be resolved by sufficient access to a lender’s intermediary support team.

At Newcastle, brokers can get in touch with our business development managers, at any point in an application, to receive timely, transparent and informative feedback about their case. This is reinforced by the launch, last year, of our new digital mortgage platform, which was built in collaboration with advisers, and makes the application process smoother.

For Large Loans cases, access to underwriters is available on the system from the decision in principle stage to full submission, while it optimises an adviser’s time for maximum efficiency.

Giving brokers confidence in Newcastle’s service makes them more assured when handling a case that might be trickier, such as a self-employed application.

We know that good service is even better when it sits alongside a proposition that is accessible, which is why we try to be as open as we can with our self-employed criteria.

Newcastle will lend to those who have recently become self-employed and have fewer than 24 months of trading up to 80% loan to value (LTV).

Otherwise, we lend up to 95% LTV to borrowers with at least two years of trading history, meaning even those with the smallest deposit can get a chance at homeownership.

Newcastle takes a flexible approach to self-employed income, considering either net profit or dividends. Last year’s salary is always included, and we’ll assess income using an average of the last two years’ net profit before tax or the latest year’s net dividend where appropriate. We welcome all types of self-employed applicants including sole traders, partnerships, limited company directors and members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

Lending is available up to the age of 80 on maximum mortgage terms of 40 years.

Getting a mortgage should not be any more complicated for a self-employed borrower than it is for a vanilla client, but it is only with the right knowledge and access to support that lenders and brokers can act jointly and make clients feel more at ease about their options.

That is why Newcastle is giving brokers confidence in its service so that it can be passed on to clients and portray a mortgage sector that is open to the self-employed.