Therefore, don’t be tempted to over-inflate your earnings – especially with overtime, bonus or commission, as you will be asked to prove your additional earnings – not just over the previous three months, but often over the previous 12-24 months.

Also don’t try to hide any commitments, because the banks will almost certainly find out about them.

There is nothing worse than having your loan reduced due to lack of “sustainable” income, or because you have “undisclosed” credit commitments - as this will usually result in your purchase falling though.

Working out what you can comfortably afford to borrow with an experienced adviser is an essential part of the home buying process,  We have a responsibility to make sure that you don’t over commit yourself and that you can keep up with your monthly mortgage payments.