First Time Buyer with CCJs

How old do my CCJs need to be before I can apply for a mortgage as a First Time Buyer?

There’s no rock-solid rule about how old a CCJ has to be, even for first-time buyers. But here’s the thing: the older they are, the better your chances. You’ll have more lenders to choose from, and hopefully, you’ll see better interest rates too.

They become much less of an issue after about three years, especially if you’ve paid the CCJ off. And after six years, they disappear from your credit report completely.

If a CCJ has appeared in the last 12 months, getting a First-Time Buyer mortgage will be a bit trickier. It’s still possible, but you’ll probably need a bigger deposit.

If it’s from the last 24 months, we’ve got more options, mainly if satisfied. We can even help arrange mortgages for First-Time Buyers with a CCJ that’s only six months old, though that’s definitely the hardest scenario and will require a higher deposit. It’s tough, but you can do it.

How soon can I apply for a mortgage as a First Time Buyer once my CCJs are settled?

If you’re not desperate to buy right away, wait at least six months after you’ve paid off your CCJs. Waiting a year or two would be even better for improving your mortgage chances as a First-Time Buyer with past credit hiccups. But we know waiting isn’t always practical when you’re ready to buy.

Instead of stressing about the exact timing, the smartest move is to talk to a mortgage broker. We’ll look at your situation, get into the details, and give you solid advice. That way, you can decide whether buying now or waiting makes more sense for you.

Does the value or number of CCJs affect my chances of being approved for a mortgage as a First Time Buyer?

The number of CCJs will affect how easy it is to be approved as a First-Time Buyer for a mortgage. The fewer CCJs you have and the lower the value, the less of an issue there is.
For instance, a single £250 CCJ from four years ago that’s been paid off isn’t going to be a big problem. But if you have five CCJs, all from last year, adding up to £10,000, that’s a different story. There’s a whole range of possibilities in between.

If you’ve got multiple CCJs, ideally you don’t want any registered in the last year – two years would be even better. You can still get a mortgage, but the number and size of those CCJs will affect which lenders we can go to. And that directly impacts the interest rate you’ll likely pay on your first-time buyer mortgage.

There’s almost always a lender who will consider you, but it depends on whether you have the deposit needed and whether you’re okay with the initial interest rate while your credit gets back on track.

Are government schemes available to help First Time Buyers who have CCJs?

The Lifetime ISA is a government scheme that First-Time Buyers with CCJs can still use (this information was correct in May 2025). You can save £4,000 a year and get a bonus from the government when you use it for your first home deposit.

Apart from that, there aren’t many other big government schemes for First Time Buyers anymore. But having a CCJ doesn’t necessarily stop you from using the schemes available with your first mortgage. Again, it all comes back to the details of the CCJ – why you got it, when, how much it was for, etc. We’d need to look at all that to see if a scheme could work for you.

Will I need a bigger deposit for a mortgage as a First Time Buyer because of my credit history and CCJs?

Often, the answer is yes. If you’re a First Time Buyer with CCJs or a patchy credit history, chances are you’ll need a bigger deposit than someone who has perfect credit and just needs 5% of the property price.

Again, it depends on when that CCJ happened, how much it was, and how much deposit you can put down. Ideally, you should aim for 10% or more. Think of it like this: the bigger your deposit, the more recently a CCJ might be accepted by a lender. If you only have a 5% deposit, you’ll have to wait quite a while before you can buy. But if you have a decent chunk of deposit and a relatively recent CCJ, that might not necessarily stop you from buying your home.

Will I have to pay a higher interest rate as a First Time Buyer because of my CCJs?

Yes, you’ll most likely face a higher interest rate than what a standard high-street bank might offer someone with perfect credit.
That said, depending on the details of your CCJ (when it happened, amount, paid-off status), there might still be options from lenders who are just a step away from the main high-street names. You might not get the best rate initially, but the main goal here is buying your first home.

Ultimately, getting your foot on the property ladder is the big win. Even if you do start with a higher interest rate on your First-Time Buyer mortgage because of CCJs, it’s not forever. We can look at remortgaging later on. By then, hopefully, the CCJ will be much less of a concern or maybe even gone from your report.

Can I remortgage later to get a better deal once my credit improves?

So you’ve had a CCJ, and we’ve got you a mortgage. The interest rate may not be as great as you would hope, but it’s not the be-all and end-all because you can renew that mortgage when your credit profile improves.

Once the CCJ has become less of an issue, we can remortgage to get a better deal. This is really important, particularly for First-Time Buyers, because they can worry about things. A CCJ might be weighing heavily on your shoulders, but this is not forever. It’s to get you over a bump in the road. Down the line, we’ll get you onto a better deal.

Can I improve my chances by applying for a mortgage with a guarantor or a co-applicant?

This is a question I get quite often, where one person may have a CCJ and their fellow borrower may not.

Unfortunately, mortgage lenders don’t balance one against the other. If one person has a CCJ and the next person’s credit profile is absolutely perfect, one doesn’t offset the other. A mortgage lender will always work to the worst credit profile.
But don’t panic about that. You can still improve your chances, because it gives the lender more certainty of repaying this mortgage. There’s still the fact of the CCJ, but it’s not necessarily a barrier.

How can a mortgage broker help me with my first time buyer mortgage application if I have a CCJ?

When people have something on their credit profile, they sometimes overthink it. Ultimately, as mortgage brokers, we’re here to understand and not judge. Life happens, things go wrong. That’s just how it is.
It’s about being open, upfront, and honest with your broker. We’ve got access to many lenders that people, particularly First-Time Buyers, may never even have heard of. Perhaps you’ve tried yourself online and been declined. But there are options out there.

Having a CCJ or a less than perfect credit profile doesn’t stop you buying a home. The best thing to do is pick up the phone and speak to a broker. It’s never a no. It might be ‘not right now’, but never a no. Even if we can’t get you a mortgage today, we can put a plan in place to get you a mortgage in future. There’s no bad outcome here.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP WITH YOUR MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS.