Your finances can get a bit out of control sometimes, for all sorts of reasons. Illness, divorce, redundancy – sometimes, just getting overwhelmed with things to do and accidentally missing a bill payment. The end result can be that you get put in the bad credit basket. So while you may see yourself in the clear after clearing debt, others might not.

When you’re self-employed you know only too well, your income can vary each month and that makes saving up for a home pretty tough going. If you really want to show potential lenders you’re a good candidate for a home loan, having a history of steady, regular savings is a really great place to start. Here are six ways you can amp up your ability to put that money aside.

An alt documentation loan (alt doc) or a low documentation loan (low doc) are mortgages that can be taken out using different sorts of paperwork to the kind needed for a full documentation (full doc) loan. Self-employed borrowers, who can find it difficult to provide standard documentation as proof of their income, often use these sorts of alternative loans.