Heron Financial arranged a £337,000 mortgage with Halifax Intermediaries at an initial fixed rate of 4.55% on a 5-year fix for joint applicants buying a £375,000 detached home in Northamptonshire. With a 10% deposit, the case sat at 90% LTV. Heron recommended a 5-year fixed term to lock in payment certainty for the medium term.
The clients
The clients were a couple in their late thirties to early forties, with no dependants, buying a detached home in Northamptonshire. One worked as a Driver, the other as a Dental Nurse. They were committing 10% of the purchase price as deposit and wanted to move forward at 90% LTV rather than wait to build a larger deposit.
The case at a glance
- Buyers: Joint applicants, age band 35–44, no dependants
- Occupations: Driver and Dental Nurse
- Property type: Detached house
- Location: Northamptonshire
- Purchase price: £375,000
- Deposit: £37,000 (10%)
- Loan amount: £337,000
- LTV: 90%
- Lender: Halifax Intermediaries
- Product: 5-Year Fixed Rate
- Initial fixed rate: 4.55%
Why this case mattered
Higher-LTV joint cases sit in a different competitive landscape to low-LTV cases. At 90% LTV, fewer lenders compete, affordability calculations are tighter, and the case has to fit each lender’s specific rules. Where the household has mixed work backgrounds, those rules matter even more, because lenders treat employed and self-employed income differently and have varying appetites for combined-income applications.
The product choice also pulled its weight here. A 5-year fix at 90% LTV gives the household payment certainty through a meaningful period of the loan, particularly important when monthly payments are stretched against affordability. Locking the rate for five years removes the short-term refinance risk and lets the family settle into the property without an immediate review point hanging over them.
Halifax is one of the largest mainstream lenders in the UK and has a long-standing presence in higher-LTV residential lending. For a joint application at 90% LTV with a clean income picture and a sensible target property, Halifax Intermediaries was a credible match on affordability, criteria fit and pricing.
How Heron Financial approached the recommendation
The Heron adviser worked through affordability against the clients’ recorded household income, confirmed the deposit position against the £375,000 purchase price, and structured the mortgage around the higher-LTV approach. With the clients prioritising medium-term payment certainty over a shorter fix, Heron Financial recommended Halifax Intermediaries on a 5-year fixed rate at 4.55%. The application was submitted in February 2024.
The outcome
The formal mortgage offer was issued in February 2024, around two weeks after submission. Completion took place in February 2025. The clients moved into their new Northamptonshire home with a fixed monthly payment locked in for the next five years.
What this means for buyers in a similar position
For couples buying outside London with a 10% deposit, getting onto the property ladder at 90% LTV is achievable when affordability and income evidence are well-presented. The right lender depends on each borrower’s employment structure, the property type and the specific affordability profile of the household. A 5-year fix is often a sensible choice at higher LTVs, where payment certainty matters more, but the right term length always depends on the borrower’s plans rather than a default rule.
FAQs
Can joint applicants get a 90% LTV mortgage on a detached house?
Yes. In this Heron Financial case, joint applicants with a 10% deposit secured a £337,000 mortgage with Halifax Intermediaries at 4.55% to purchase a £375,000 detached home in Northamptonshire. Lender choice is the key factor at 90% LTV, where criteria vary more than they do at lower LTVs.
Is Halifax good for higher-LTV mortgages?
Halifax is one of the largest mainstream lenders in the UK and is regularly considered for residential cases at 90% and 95% LTV. Heron Financial assesses every case on its merits and selects a lender based on affordability, product pricing, criteria fit and service standards at the time of application.
Why might a couple choose a 5-year fix at 90% LTV?
A 5-year fix gives medium-term payment certainty, which can matter more at higher LTVs where monthly payments are stretched against affordability. It also avoids the need to refinance in two or three years if the rate environment is uncertain. The trade-off is reduced flexibility within the term.
How do lenders treat joint applications with mixed employment?
Lenders assess each applicant’s income according to their employment type. Employed income is usually evidenced by payslips and an employer reference. Self-employed income is evidenced by tax returns or company accounts, typically over two to three years. Heron Financial helps each household structure the application around the lender most likely to lend cleanly on the combined picture
What's the smallest deposit a joint application can use to buy a detached house?
Some lenders offer 95% LTV mortgages, meaning a 5% deposit. The trade-off is a higher rate and stricter affordability. In this Heron Financial case, the clients used a 10% deposit at 90% LTV, which is one of the more common entry-level positions for joint applicants buying a family home.
