Who this covers: anyone who has started a new role in the last six months, is on probation, has moved industries, or is between a resignation and a start date.
What lenders do differently
Probation
Many lenders lend during probation where the role is permanent, the industry is the same, and there is a letter of offer with the salary and start date; some wait for probation to end, some for three months of payslips. The first payslip is the usual minimum.
Same industry, or not
A move within the same field after years in it is read as continuous. A change of industry is read more cautiously, and a lender may want six months in the new role, especially where the pay is higher than before.
Fixed-term and contract
A fixed-term contract of a year or more, or a renewal history, is counted by most lenders. Short contracts and day-rate contracting are assessed on the pattern over one to two years.
Between jobs
A signed letter of offer with a start date a few weeks away is accepted by some lenders for a purchase settling after the start; a gap of months is read as unemployment until the first payslip.
Worth knowing before applying
A pre-approval taken before the move usually lapses on the change of employer and has to be re-run; a pay rise in the new role counts from the first payslip at the new rate; and the borrowing capacity calculator shows what the new salary supports at the assessment rate.
The tools that fit
Policies on all of the above differ lender to lender and change without notice; the value of the conversation is knowing which lender's policy reads your payslip best on the day. Understanding how your income is read before you apply is what makes the application calm.