About
About Before You Apply
Before You Apply is a UK educational publisher of mortgage preparation resources. It is not a lender, mortgage adviser or broker.
Why this site exists
Most people preparing for a mortgage application find the same problem: general information is easy to find, but it is scattered, often written to sell something, and rarely tells you what to actually do before you sit down with an adviser. Before You Apply was started to close that gap with plain-English, educational preparation content and a small set of free tools, not with advice.
It began as one person's attempt to write the guide she wished existed: something that explains what tends to matter, helps you get your paperwork in order, and is honest about the difference between preparation and advice. That is still the whole point of the site.
Who runs it
Before You Apply is written and edited in house by its founder and editor, Sarah Newbigging, who is responsible for the accuracy and tone of everything published here. Nobody writing for this site is a mortgage adviser.
Before You Apply is a trading name of Sarah Newbigging, a sole trader. It is not a company and has no registered office. For legal and correspondence purposes the operator is Sarah Newbigging trading as Before You Apply, reachable at hello@before-you-apply.com or by post at Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA, United Kingdom. There is no company number, because the operator is a sole trader rather than a company, and no FCA authorisation, VAT registration or other registration is claimed.
We are not mortgage advisers
Before You Apply is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is not a mortgage adviser, broker or lender. We provide educational preparation resources only. We do not give mortgage advice, recommend lenders or products, assess eligibility, arrange mortgages or introduce you to advisers. If you need advice about your own circumstances, contact a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser directly.
How the site is funded
A single paid preparation resource (£9) has been built, but public checkout for it is not switched on yet, so it cannot currently be bought. The long-term plan is to fund the site through educational downloadable resources — preparation packs, organisers and planners — sold directly to readers.The resources pages clearly distinguish the free checklist available now from any paid resource.
- No commission is earned from any lender, product or adviser firm.
- No referral fees are received or paid, in any direction.
- No lender, product or adviser is ranked or recommended. Where a lender is named as a factual example, it is labelled as that firm's own published criteria, not a national rule or an endorsement.
- If a commercial arrangement is ever introduced, it will be disclosed on the editorial policy page before it goes live, not after.
Our editorial approach
Content is written first, sourced second, and only published once it has been checked against that source or omitted. Every guide carries a clear editorial attribution and the dates of checks that have actually taken place. Statistics, regulator citations and specific claims are omitted rather than guessed at. Full detail is on the editorial policy page.
What is still outstanding
The following items are genuinely outstanding, and this page will be updated once each is resolved rather than presenting them as already sorted:
- Appointment of an independent editorial reviewerTo be confirmed