I was turned down for a mortgage because I’m ‘too old’ – my wife and I were left furious

A COUPLE were left furious after being turned down for a mortgage on their dream home – because they were “too old”.

Gary Das, 71, and his wife Elizabeth, 62, were repeatedly knocked back by big banks – despite one of them being below the retirement age.

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The pair longed to leave their fast-paced lives in London in favour of a cosy home on the coast, but were able to secure a loan due to their age.

Retired consultant surgeon Gary claimed that lenders either point-blank refused their applications, charged huge interest rates or capped the amount they could borrow.

And it turns out their maturity was the factor holding the couple back – as the majority of mortgage lenders have age limits.

Many also don’t even accept pension cash to pay off the balance.

It means older Brits can be left struggling to find the funds to pay for property, with most borrowers only accepting applications from 55 to 85-year-olds.

Gary told the Mirror: “I wanted to live in Devon or Cornwall, as having seen it, I was just desperate to go back.

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“At first I thought getting a mortgage should be straightforward because I’d never had a problem before, but this time I found people were talking a different sort of language to me because I’m not 35, or even 55, anymore.

“The arrangement fees and interest rates were high and the amount they wanted to lend was miserly,” he continued.

“We couldn’t even have afforded the garage of the place we were trying to buy.”

But the 71-year-old and his wife were offered a lifeline by specialist lenders LiveMore, who focus on providing payment options for the over 50’s.

Former NHS nursing practitioner Elizabeth added: “If you pass the age of 50 in this country, it can feel like you’re useless or you’re just stuck in a home and discarded.

“Other lenders would look at our pensions and say, ‘there’s nothing we can do’.

‘ABSOLUTELY SNOOKERED’

“We were absolutely snookered and the whole thing felt very negative. Fortunately, LiveMore was the other side of the equation.”

After finally being accepted for their mortgage application, the duo quickly got the wheels in motion to secure the move.

They realised they could even rent out their current flat and still get the house they wanted in Cornwall.

Gary said: “I felt elated, euphoric when I realised it was possible.

“We’ve always loved travelling but it’s lovely here, especially summer in Cornwall.

“As I look to the left there are rolling fields and Canadian geese flying past. It’s wonderful,” he said.

“Really, we just haven’t had the urge to go anywhere since we moved to be honest.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk