An individual voluntary arrangement does not close the market to you. Lenders treat an IVA that is still running differently from one that has been completed, and that difference decides more than anything else in your case.
The IVA itself is one line on your file. These are the things that change what a lender will offer.
While the IVA is live you are still making the agreed payments, and a smaller number of specialist lenders will work with that. Choice is narrower and the rates reflect it.
Most lenders want a stretch of clean credit after completion before they will consider a standard deal. How long depends on the lender rather than on a single industry rule.
Cases involving an IVA usually need more of the property's value upfront. Your adviser will tell you what the lender expects before you apply.
Two documents do most of the work, and both are straightforward to get hold of if you know where to ask.
If the IVA has ended, lenders want the completion certificate from your supervisor. Ask your insolvency practitioner for a copy if you do not have one.
Check the IVA's start date and that any related defaults are recorded correctly. Errors are common and worth correcting before an application.
Whether you are buying or remortgaging, an adviser can work back from your deposit and income to what a lender will actually offer.
What people ask us most when an IVA is on their credit file, answered plainly.
It is possible, with a smaller number of specialist lenders and typically at higher rates. An adviser can tell you whether your circumstances fit before you apply.
Most high-street lenders want several years of clean credit after completion. Some will consider an application sooner, which is why a specialist adviser is worth speaking to.
It stays on your file for six years from the date it started, whether or not the IVA has finished.
Usually yes. Cases with an IVA typically need more of the property's value upfront, and the exact figure depends on the lender.
Free, no-obligation introduction to an FCA-authorised adviser who works with IVA cases.
Reviewed by Charlotte Wood, Adverse Credit Mortgages, updated November 2026