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.

Bank’s home loan lending rules can change. Having your loan turned down by your bank can be a reflection of their current credit policy, which can change based on shifts in market conditions. This means when you may have had no issues getting a home loan from your bank in better economic times, but you might be turned down today because it's a tougher financial climate.

A lot of small debts can balloon into one big headache. A simple way to get things under control could be to refinance your home loan to consolidate debt. So – is it right for you? Debt consolidation is combining all your debts into one single debt with a single monthly payment.

When you are thinking about your first home, finding out you should be thinking about saving for a 20 per cent deposit can seem really overwhelming. The good news is that for some of the big non-bank lenders like Pepper Money, a minimum deposit required on some products can be as little as five percent of the purchase price of the property, but it’s always a good idea to have a deposit of 20 per cent or more if possible. So let’s look at how to get there.

If you’ve saved less than 20 per cent there are lenders who can help, but deposits of that size may require Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). This adds more fees and another layer of assessment of your suitability because LMI providers are separate businesses and often have quite strict rules.

When taking out a mortgage, many people forget to consider the associated fees and expenses. Here are some of the extra costs that you’ll need to consider when you take out a home loan.