Make it Possible is an enhanced affordability range at Nottingham Building Society, which is available for home purchases. It combines a loan to income multiple of up to 6.5x, lending to a maximum age of 85, terms up to 50 years, and up to 75% of variable monthly income considered.
6.5x loan to income
Maximum age 85
Term up to 50 years
75% variable monthly income
Home purchases only | No minimum income requirements
It is designed to suit employed & self-employed first-time buyers and homeowners who can afford a mortgage but may find standard affordability calculations don’t offer quite enough flexibility, even though they can sustainably manage homeownership.
Compare our criteria and use our affordability calculator to understand if this solution fits your needs. All applications are individually assessed to ensure suitability and responsible lending.
How Make it Possible compares with a typical standard assessment.
| Criteria | Core residential range |
Make it Possible range |
| Loan to income | Up to 4.49x for income under £50k. 5.50x for income over £50k. |
Up to 6.5x. |
| Maximum age at end of term | 75. | 85. |
| Maximum term | 40 years. | 50 years. |
| Variable monthly income (bonus, overtime, commission) | Up to 50%. | 75%. |
| Minimum time to expected retirement | Not applicable. | 10 years. |
| Maximum proportion of term in retirement | Not applicable. | 50%. |
| Repayment | Capital repayment and interest only. | Capital repayment. |
To check your clients’ affordability, please use our calculator before submitting a case.
Select the Make it Possible calculator from the dropdown.
Accurate figures at this stage mean fewer surprises later. If income or commitments differ at full application, the outcome can change.
Affordability calculator
Make it Possible products. Available for purchases only.
| Maximum LTV | 2 year fixed |
5 year fixed |
||
| Initial rate/product code | Product fee* | Initial rate/product code | Product fee* | |
| 80% | 5.79% - MAF00P | £999 | 5.89% - MAF00T | £999 |
| 85% | 6.19% - MAF00Q | £0 | 6.19% - MAF00U | £0 |
| 90% | 6.15% - MAF00R | £999 | 6.25% - MAF00V | £999 |
| 90% | 6.25% - MAF00S | £0 | 6.35% - MAF00W | £0 |
Products last updated on: 10 September 2026.
For applicants nearing retirement:
Extending the mortgage term, borrowing into later life, or borrowing at a higher income multiple may increase the total cost of borrowing and mean your client builds equity more slowly. Brokers should assess the suitability of the recommendation and whether the mortgage is likely to remain affordable throughout the full term, including where this extends into retirement.
The term is a starting point, not a fixed outcome. Your client can overpay up to 10% of the balance each year without an early repayment charge, and as the worked examples below show, a modest monthly overpayment can bring a 50-year term down to under 30 years. Nottingham Building Society customers also have the option to change their term during their mortgage subject to an affordability assessment.
Every Make It Possible case is capital and interest, so your client is paying the balance down from the first payment rather than just servicing it.
Some clients can clearly afford the mortgage they need. A standard calculation just doesn't show it.
It's usually about how their income is counted. A standard assessment takes half of any overtime, bonus or commission, and stops the term at 40 years.
Make it Possible does the sums differently. We count 75% of variable monthly income, lend up to 6.5 times income, and offer terms up to 50 years where suitable. So more of what your clients earn counts towards what they can borrow.
Nikhil is a widower who rents in the catchment for his children's schools but can't buy there on a standard assessment. Uprooting his children's lives to a different school, or taking on a longer commute, doesn't feel worth the hassle.
With variable monthly income recognised at 75% and a 50-year term, Make it Possible brings Nikhil's three-bedroom home within reach.
Purchase £400,000, loan £350,000, 50 year term, current rent £2,150/month.
| Rent | Standard capital and repayment | With overpayments | |
| Monthly mortgage | £0 | £1,933 | £1,933 + £100 overpayment |
| Mortgage payments over 5 years | £0 | £116,014 | £116,014 |
| Total overpayments over 5 years | £0 | None | £6,000 |
| Rent paid over 5 years | £129,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Interest paid over 5 years | £0 | £110,277 | £109,237 |
| Equity gained after 5 years | £0 | £5,737 | £12,777 |
| Loan repaid after | N/A | 50 years | 38 years, 2 months |
Worked example using illustrative figures based on a 5 year fixed rate, at 90% LTV, initial rate of 6.35% with no product fee, over a 50-year term, for a three-bedroom house in Tonbridge. Equity gained after 5 years excludes any changes in house price value. Not an offer of lending; actual figures depend on the rate, term and full affordability assessment. Overpayments are subject to product terms. Figures correct on 27 July 2026.
Leena and Kalpesh rent in central London, as this location is where Leena is most likely to be considered for well paid projects.
Kalpesh's job is more flexible, but Leena earns significantly more and cannot afford to live outside central London because of the impact on her career earnings. Purchasing their desired 3-bedroom house in Clerkenwell will provide the security and stability they're looking for before trying for a family.
Purchase £825,000, loan £742,500, 50 year term, current rent £4,500/month.
| Rent | Standard capital and repayment | With overpayments | |
| Monthly mortgage | £0 | £4,101 | £4,101 + £300 overpayment |
| Mortgage payments over 5 years | £0 | £246,116 | £246,116 |
| Total overpayments over 5 years | £0 | None | £18,000 |
| Rent paid over 5 years | £270,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Interest paid over 5 years | £0 | £233,945 | £230,825 |
| Equity gained after 5 years | £0 | £12,170 | £33,291 |
| Loan repaid after | N/A | 50 years | 35 years, 3 months |
Worked example using illustrative figures based on a 5 year fixed rate, at 90% LTV, initial rate of 6.35% with no product fee, over a 50-year term, for a three-bedroom house in Clerkenwell, London. Equity gained after 5 years excludes any changes in house price value. Not an offer of lending; actual figures depend on the rate, term and full affordability assessment. Overpayments are subject to product terms. Figures correct on 27 July 2026.
Tom rents a two-bedroom flat on Standard Hill in Nottingham city centre, convenient for his job in financial services as well as his sport and socialising.
He has the option to buy a similar flat in the same building or continue to rent. He loves Nottingham, so is happy to invest. He earns £24,500, so a higher income multiple and a 50-year term could make the purchase work.
Purchase £175,000, loan £157,500, 50 year term, current rent £1,025/month.
| Rent | Standard capital and repayment | With overpayments | |
| Monthly mortgage | £0 | £870 | £870 + £155 overpayment |
| Mortgage payments over 5 years | £0 | £52,206 | £52,206 |
| Total overpayments over 5 years | £0 | None | £9,300 |
| Rent paid over 5 years | £61,500 | £0 | £0 |
| Interest paid over 5 years | £0 | £49,624 | £48,012 |
| Equity gained after 5 years | £0 | £2,581 | £13,493 |
| Loan repaid after | N/A | 50 years | 26 years, 6 months |
Worked example using illustrative figures based on a 5 year fixed rate, at 90% LTV, initial rate of 6.35% with no product fee, over a 50-year term, for a two-bedroom flat in Nottingham. Equity gained after 5 years excludes any changes in house price value. Not an offer of lending; actual figures depend on the rate, term and full affordability assessment. Overpayments are subject to product terms. Figures correct on 27 July 2026.
Each case study demonstrates how Make it Possible supports suitable customers, with clear controls around affordability and later-life borrowing.
No. There’s no minimum income requirement to reach our higher multiple, and your client doesn’t have to take a long-term fixed rate to qualify for it. What matters is the strength of the underlying affordability: income, expenditure, credit commitments and whether the payments stay sustainable across the full term. A client on a modest salary gets the same 6.5x as everyone else.
Terms up to 50 years are available for suitable customers, subject to robust affordability checks.
Terms of up to 50 years are available where suitable. The term available to a specific client is set by their age and their expected retirement age, not by the maximum, so 50 years is a ceiling rather than a starting assumption.
A younger first-time buyer may qualify for the full term, while an older applicant will qualify for less.
Longer terms can make monthly payments more manageable, but may result in higher total interest overall.
We recognise 75% of monthly bonus, overtime and commission in affordability for the Make it Possible range. Our standard residential assessment is up to 50%, so for clients whose pay is genuinely variable this could be the difference that makes the purchase work.
Start a decision in principle through our Inviting Difference In (IDI) portal, if you haven’t used the portal before it’s easy to register and login. Your business development manager is on hand to support you with any application queries, and they have direct access to a specialist underwriting team to discuss your cases before submission.
Please refer to our packaging guide.
Yes. A longer term reduces the monthly payment, but the client pays interest for longer, so the total cost of borrowing is higher and equity builds more slowly in the early years. The worked examples on this page show the figures with and without overpayments.
This is why the term should be treated as a starting point. Overpayments can bring the term down well before the original end date. Brokers should make sure the client understands the trade-off before proceeding.
We’ll lend to a maximum age of 85 at the end of the mortgage term, with retirement income considered. Three controls apply.
Yes, Make it Possible has a separate product range and is detailed above or in our overall product literature
Yes. every application is individually assessed for suitability and responsible lending.