Armed Forces & service families
Armed Forces mortgage advice
Your next posting does not have to put your home plans on hold. We help service personnel and their families make sense of mortgage options around military pay, service accommodation and life in the UK or overseas.
Talk to usMortgage advice, made simple
Get clear advice before you apply.
Tell us whether you are buying, moving or reviewing your mortgage, and when it is convenient to call.
- FCA regulated, whole-of-market mortgage advice.
- No jargon and no pressure to proceed.
- We explain fees, risks and next steps before any application.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Some specialist or buy-to-let finance may not be regulated by the FCA.
- FCA Regulated
- Service pay explained
- UK & overseas postings
- Personal adviser contact
A mortgage that takes service life into account
Frequent moves, a BFPO address or living in service accommodation can make a straightforward mortgage application look more complicated than it is. An online calculator may also miss the distinction between your basic pay, regular allowances and payments that only apply during a particular posting.
We start with how you live and earn, not just your job title. Whether you serve in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army or Royal Air Force, we help you prepare a clear application and consider lenders whose criteria fit your circumstances. There is no single military mortgage that suits everyone, and service status does not guarantee approval or a lower rate.
Support for different stages of service life
Buying your first home
Work out your deposit, likely borrowing and the costs of buying. If you are eligible for Forces Help to Buy, we can check how a lender treats the scheme alongside your savings and other commitments.
Moving or posted overseas
Plan a UK purchase or remortgage around your accommodation, address history and posting timetable. We look at who will occupy the property and how you expect to use it, rather than assume it is a standard expat case.
Families, reservists and leavers
Joint applications may involve a partner's changing employment or location. Reservists may have civilian and service income, while people leaving regular service need to consider future employment, pension income and affordability.
How Forces Help to Buy fits into the picture
Forces Help to Buy is an interest-free advance for eligible regular service personnel. The maximum is 50% of gross basic pay including Recruitment and Retention Pay, excluding allowances, capped at £25,000. Repayments are normally spread over up to 10 years. It can help with a deposit and certain home-buying costs, subject to the scheme rules.
It is a repayable loan, not a grant or a mortgage offer. Your eligibility, remaining service, property plans and any previous use of the scheme need to be checked. The mortgage lender must also accept the arrangement and consider the repayments in its affordability assessment.
Reservists and Military Provost Guard Service personnel are excluded. The scheme is not for buying a buy-to-let or second property. An insurance premium is payable and tax charges may apply. The outstanding balance normally needs to be repaid on leaving service, subject to exceptions. Approved letting attracts interest under the scheme rules.
The scheme is permanent, but its detailed conditions can change. Check the current MOD rules in JSP 464 and your eligibility through service channels before committing to a purchase. Simply Mortgages is an independent broker, not part of the MOD or the scheme administrator.
Helping a lender understand your service pay
Different lenders treat military income differently. We separate sustainable earnings from temporary payments and expenses so your application is based on the right figures. X-Factor is already included in service salary and must not be added a second time.
| Part of your finances | What matters | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Basic service pay | Your current earnings, commitments and expected changes. | Recent payslips, P60 and relevant employment information. |
| Allowances and additional pay | Whether payments are regular, how long they continue and the lender's policy. | A payslip breakdown and evidence of the nature and duration of payments. |
| Accommodation and deductions | Service accommodation charges, existing borrowing and other outgoings. | Payslips and statements showing the costs that will continue after completion. |
| Partner or civilian income | Joint affordability, employment changes and any reservist income. | Employment or self-employment evidence for each applicant. |
| Forces Help to Buy | Scheme eligibility, lender acceptance and the repayment commitment. | The scheme documentation and repayment details when available. |
Check before you let.
Some lenders have policies for service personnel living in tied accommodation, but permission to rent out a mortgaged home must be checked with the lender. Forces Help to Buy has its own occupancy and letting conditions too. Do not assume an overseas posting allows you to let from day one on an ordinary residential mortgage.
Plan the application around the practical details
Address history and BFPO
A sequence of postings can make identity and credit checks less straightforward. Gather a consistent address history, including the relevant BFPO details where applicable, and check your credit files for errors before applying.
Accommodation and occupancy
Explain whether you are in service accommodation, who will live in the new home and whether you already own a property. We can then explore the appropriate residential or letting route and the permissions it requires.
Timing and future income
Tell us about expected moves, changes in pay or plans to leave service. We can plan the evidence and application timing around known changes, rather than rely only on income that may stop before or soon after completion.
Serving in a civilian government or diplomatic role? Our FCDO and Crown Servant mortgage page covers those overseas postings. For the general buying process, read our first-time buyer guide; for an existing deal, see remortgage advice.
Common questions
Can I apply while serving overseas?
Will every allowance count towards my mortgage?
Can I use Forces Help to Buy with a mortgage?
Can I buy while living in service accommodation?
Can you help if I am leaving the Armed Forces?
A worked example
Buying a family home before an overseas posting
An illustrative scenario showing the questions to consider. Not a real client case or a mortgage offer.
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