Bad credit is far more common than you might think. Recent industry research found more than 16 million UK adults have experienced adverse credit at some point. Whether it came from divorce, illness, redundancy or a business that didn’t work out, we’ll listen to your story and find the lender it fits, with no judgement and no pressure.
HTG Mortgages
Bad Credit Mortgages
Last Updated: August 2026
Featured in The Telegraph • Daily Mail • The Times • Sky News
A CCJ, default or missed payment doesn’t have to end your home-owning plans. We work with specialist lenders who look at your whole story, not just a credit score, and we’ll tell you honestly, in plain English, what’s possible before anything touches your credit file.
Specialist lenders who consider CCJs, defaults, DMPs, IVAs and discharged bankruptcy
Speak directly to Harry, not a call centre, no passing you around
Decisions in principle done with a soft search, not a hard credit check
As featured in…
Meet your Advisor
Harry Goodliffe
- FCA Authorised
- Director & Mortgage Advisor
“I‘m not about confusing jargon or passing you from person to person. From our first chat to the day you get the keys, you’ll deal directly with me. I‘ll keep you updated, answer any burning questions, and do everything I can to make the whole process as stress-free as possible.”
Let’s Talk About Your Mortgage
The bad credit mortgage process
1
Step 1
First Chat
Contact us for a judgement-free chat about your credit history and your goals. We’ll review your credit reports together and tell you honestly where you stand.
2
Step 2
Research
We’ll match your circumstances against specialist and high-street lender criteria to find the right bad credit mortgage before anyone runs a hard search.
3
Step 3
Application
Once you’ve chosen a mortgage, we’ll handle the application process, liaising with the lender on your behalf.
4
Step 4
Completion
After approval, we’ll ensure a smooth transition to your new mortgage, keeping you informed at every step.
About
Our approach.
Why choose HTG Mortgages?
Adverse credit covers everything from a single missed phone bill to CCJs, defaults, debt management plans, IVAs and bankruptcy. Lenders care about three things: what the issue was, how long ago it happened, and whether it’s been settled. The situations we help with most include:
CCJs & Defaults
Specialist lenders will consider CCJs and defaults that high-street banks decline, in some cases from just 12 months after registration, whether satisfied or not.
IVAs & Bankruptcy
Options open up once an IVA completes or a bankruptcy is discharged, and improve every year that passes. After six years, most issues leave your credit file altogether.
Missed Payments & DMPs
One or two late payments rarely stop a mortgage, and some specialist lenders accept an active debt management plan with 12 months of clean conduct.
Rebuild & Remortgage
Start on a specialist deal, keep your payments clean, and remortgage to a mainstream rate as your credit record recovers. It’s a stepping-stone plan we build from day one.
How HTG Mortgages Can Help
At HTG Mortgages, we know a credit score never tells the whole story. As an independent, whole-of-market broker we place bad credit mortgages with specialist lenders you won’t find on the high street. Here’s how we can assist you:
- Whole-Story Underwriting: We work with specialist lenders whose underwriters review your case manually, judging your circumstances and the reasons behind a credit issue, not just a number.
- Protecting Your Credit File: We review your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports and match you to lender criteria first, so you only apply where you genuinely fit, with no wasted hard searches.
- Broker-Only Access: Many adverse credit lenders don’t deal with the public directly. I compare mortgages across 120+ lenders, including specialists only available through a broker.
- A Route Back to the High Street: We structure your mortgage as a stepping stone, ready to remortgage to a mainstream deal as your credit history repairs itself.
Who bad credit mortgages can help
Bad credit mortgages exist for real life, not perfect credit files. They could be the right route if:
- You’ve had a CCJ or default registered within the last six years.
- You’ve missed payments on cards, loans, utilities or your mobile phone.
- You’re in a debt management plan or IVA, or have completed one.
- You’ve been discharged from bankruptcy.
- You’ve already been declined by a bank or another broker.
More than a million CCJs were registered across the UK in 2025 alone, so lenders see adverse credit every single day. With the right advice in Hampshire, Dorset or anywhere in the UK, a past problem doesn’t have to stop your next move.
Why use HTG’s mortgage services?
Available 24/7, so we are always there to help when you need us
We are an independently owned, whole-of-market mortgage broker offering first-charge mortgages
We provide unrivalled customer service, ensuring that you get the care you deserve
