Vida Homeloans Reviews 

Great lender and very good experience. Got BTL offer really quickly with no silly questions. Will definitely use them again. Special thanks to Barry, the underwriter.

After waiting several weeks, Vida instructed a surveyor who significantly downvalued the property compared to clear local comparables. Despite providing strong evidence and going through a formal appeal, the valuation was dismissed with no meaningful engagement or explanation.
The process was slow, opaque, and costly. While this dragged on, I was left paying ongoing interest with no resolution in sight. Once Vida’s surveyor decided on a figure, it became clear that the appeal process was little more than a formality.
If time, certainty, and fair treatment matter to you, I would strongly advise caution. This experience caused unnecessary delays, stress, and financial cost.

dealt with Barry Lindsay as the underwriter. It was a bit of an awkward case with additional documents and surveys required but Barry bent over backwards to help push it through to offer. He extended the deadlines as well which was very helpful over the festive period. All round easy to deal with and provided updates by phone and engaged in conversation to help push the case though to offer

Responsive underwriting - Especially Guy Todd. Helpful staff always available on the phone as and when required.

Quick and easy to use. Good that the underwriter contacts you directly rather than having to go through numerous people to get an answer. Barry Lindsay was the underwriter on my case, he kept me informed throughout and picked up the phone if he had any questions

I have dealt with Vida on numerous occasions now and always have a good experience, however my last application with Lisa Dowson as the underwriter was an absolute breeze and possibly the smoothest specialist case I have ever had! Lisa has been efficient and has kept me updated throughout and has provided an excellent experience for me and my clients. Thank you so much!!

Underwriter Matthew Wildman handled the application in an exceptionally efficient manner. He responded promptly to all my questions and requests, which was crucial as the case required a swift assessment due to the applicants’ tight completion timeline. I’m very pleased that I was able to support my client through a challenging situation, and this was only possible thanks to the support of Matthew and Vida.

If I could give a score of zero I would, this is the worst lender in the entire intermediary market. Every single case that has been placed with them has taken months to progress due to the incompetence and inefficiency of Vida.
The latest a case being declined after 3 months as they didn't like the clients country of residency, given that this was provided at the outset and they continually asked for verified proof of address for said country, I wasted HOURS speaking to the team and working on this case.
I was promised the offer for over 4 weeks to receive a voicemail stating they didn't want to proceed.
Avoid at all costs.

Barry Lindsay was extremely helpful and quick with any response.
It would help my job if all underwriters were like Barry

I am very happy with my experience. Best Underwriter i have ever dealt with.
Barry Lindsay was very efficient.

Had a fantastic experience with underwriter Barry. He was very professional, helpful and very efficient securing the offer for us before the festive break!
Thanks Barry!

Raymond Smith Underwiter

I have recently worked with Ray on a case for a client that required a little extra care and attention to detail. Ray took his time to ask the necessary questions and allow me to explain the clients circumstances in more detail. The case offered in good-timing and the client is over-the-moon with the result.

Thank you, Ray, for your patience, guidance, and understanding.

I had couple of complex cases with the lender . The the underwriter ( Jodie) and the Vida BDM team done the best to simplify the process and work closely with me to get the mortgage offers promptly.

⚠️ EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED – CLEAR PATTERN OF CUSTOMER DETRIMENT

I am writing this review as both a customer and a direct victim of the practices described below.

I am an experienced property investor and have engaged with a number of UK mortgage lenders across buy-to-let and other property finance transactions several years. This has given me a clear basis for comparison in terms of underwriting standards, valuation practices, transparency, and customer treatment.

Among all the lenders I have dealt with, this company stands out as exhibiting the most concerning , untrustworthy and questionable conduct.

Publicly available Trustpilot data shows that approximately 24% of customer reviews are one-star or zero-star. In practical terms, this means that nearly one in four customers report a severely negative experience after engaging with this company. For a regulated lender, this proportion is highly abnormal and cannot reasonably be dismissed as coincidence.

A clear and recurring pattern emerges from both public reviews and my own experience. Customers are required to pay substantial valuation fees and booking or application fees upfront. In many cases, the lender is fully informed of the complexity and material circumstances of the application at an early stage, and in some instances even issues a Decision in Principle, creating a reasonable expectation that the case is viable.

However, applications are then declined only after the valuation has been completed, with refusals relying on minor, arguable, or clearly foreseeable issues that are raised post-valuation. Customers are left asking why these matters were not identified or addressed before fees were taken.

The valuations themselves are frequently perceived as being conducted at disproportionately high cost and assessed in an excessively conservative or subjective manner, resulting in customers incurring significant and often non-recoverable financial losses before rejection.

Taken together, this creates a widespread and reasonable perception that financial risk is systematically transferred to applicants, while upfront fees are retained, rather than applications being assessed fairly, proportionately, and transparently at the outset. Many customers, myself included, reasonably question whether this outcome is structurally embedded within the company’s operating model.

Having dealt with multiple lenders recently, I can state that this pattern is materially different from standard market practice. No other lender I engaged with demonstrated such a high concentration of post-valuation refusals following the collection of upfront fees.

I consider myself fortunate to have recognised these warning signs at an early stage and to have limited my losses by stopping the process in time. Unfortunately, based on the volume, consistency, and similarity of one-star and zero-star reviews, many other customers were not as fortunate.

I have now formally issued written complaint letters to all relevant parties, explicitly requesting a full refund of all fees paid.
In the absence of a timely and satisfactory response, I am fully prepared to pursue all available legal and regulatory remedies without hesitation, including escalation through formal regulatory channels.

Given the seriousness and consistency of the concerns raised, extreme caution is strongly advised for any prospective customer considering engaging with this company.

Brilliant lender! Smooth process from start to finish. Was kept informed every step of the way, highly recommended

Dont even think of using these sharks. Delayed redemption to force extra fees, don't reply or send send emails, dont reply to calls, terrible call centre with 45 mins- 1hr wait, don't confirm redemption, change their bank details frequently to make redemption complicated. Worst lender ive ever experienced. Aggressive, extortive lending, from

I pay round about £600 for house valuation and.....Today after 3 weeks of house valuation they refuse my mortgage.
Reason: To many transactions
You remember after 3 weeks of the house valuation

Overall a seamless experience and Vida have really picked up their service over the past 2 years. Underwriter Barry was on it from the beginning and made it easy and smooth throughout.