How Professional eBay and Vinted Sellers Can Get a Mortgage

For a growing number of people, selling items on digital platforms like eBay and Vinted is more than just a hobby - it’s how they make a living.

Being a professional seller on these storefronts has its benefits and can be lucrative and rewarding, but trading this way can put you in a challenging position when it comes to applying for credit agreements, such as mortgages.

Here we will explore when it’s possible to get approved for a mortgage based on income earned through eBay, Vinted and similar services, and how best to go about it.

Can professional eBay and Vinted sellers get a mortgage?

Yes. If you are just a hobbyist selling old clothes or used electronics on an online store for less than what you paid for them, you are unlikely to be able to declare these earnings as income for a mortgage, but being a full-time trader on such platforms is a different story.

If you are registered as a professional seller on eBay, Vinted or a similar service, the profits you generate can potentially be used to qualify for a mortgage. Mortgage lenders will class you as self-employed, but some might be concerned about the stability of your income.

With this in mind, lenders and their underwriters will apply extra scrutiny to your income and how it is evidenced. Proving it legitimately is your key to getting approved for a mortgage.

How to evidence eBay or Vinted income

Sending over a screenshot of your transaction history or PayPal receipts won’t be enough to convince a mortgage lender to offer you finance. You will need to officially prove that the income you earn from eBay or Vinted is sustainable, and that you earn enough of it.

The proof you will need is no different to other self-employed applicants, namely:

• Tax returns: Most lenders require at least 2 years of tax returns (SA302 forms) to prove you've declared the income and paid taxes on it.

• Bank statements: You'll need to show the money moving from the platform into a bank account consistently, usually over a 3-month period.

• Net profit, not gross sales: Lenders look at your profit after expenses (postage, fees, cost of goods). If you sold £50,000 worth of vintage gear but spent £40,000 to get it, most lenders will only "count" £10,000 of income.

Challenges you could face

If your main income comes from professional trading on eBay or another online platform, here are some of the challenges you might encounter when trying to get a mortgage:

1. The "new business" problem: If you just started reselling six months ago, most traditional lenders will say no. They usually want to see at least a 2-year track record to ensure your "side hustle" isn't going to disappear next month.

2. Income fluctuations: Online sales are notoriously seasonal (for example, high in December and low in August). Mortgage lenders often take an average of your last two years of earnings when calculating affordability to account for this.

3. Platform risk: Some conservative mortgage lenders are wary of income derived entirely from a third-party platform (like Vinted or eBay) because the service could technically ban your account or change its fee structure overnight.

Tips to help you get approved for a mortgage

Here are some tips to help you get approved for a mortgage if your main income comes from online trading:

1. Register as a sole trader/business: If you haven't already, registering for taxes is the first step to making the income "real" in the eyes of a bank.

2. Keep a separate bank account: Don't mix your Vinted payouts with your grocery money. Having a dedicated business account makes the "paper trail" much cleaner for a mortgage underwriter.

3. Talk to a specialist broker: Many high-street banks are "computer says no" regarding marketplace income. A mortgage broker who specialises in self-employment can find "manual underwriters" who actually look at your business model and take a wider view of your application and look at its individual merits.

Get started here for a free, no-obligation chat with a broker who specialises in arranging mortgages for self-employed professionals, including online traders.