Tim van Hulst

Most mortgage advisors don't start their career as a chef. Mine went exactly that way and it makes more sense than it sounds.

I've always been someone who wants to know what else is out there. From an early age, my mother took me everywhere with her, and that's how I discovered my love of travel: I've now been to 56 countries, and I still head out on trips with my partner. That same curiosity brought me into the kitchen. I started as a dishwasher, was soon allowed to help out, and after my culinary training I had my own kitchen. At a restaurant and catering company, I discovered something that never let go of me: the numbers. If you save one euro per person on catering for a thousand people, you save a thousand euros right away. Budgeting, calculating, and all the while listening to what the guest really wants — in the end, I found that more fascinating than the cooking itself.

After seven years in hospitality, I took a year-long trip around the world. That's when it clicked: how do you know what you love doing most if you've only ever done one thing? I've always been good with numbers, and I get my energy from people. But hospitality asked so much that there was little time left for anything else. I wanted work where numbers and people come together. That's when I saw the vacancy for junior mortgage advisor at A&H Finance.

Today, as a senior mortgage advisor, I advise on the biggest financial decision people make. And I basically tell clients the same thing I once discovered myself: look beyond the present moment. Most people buy a house but don't stop to think about their pension. I make sure your mortgage is sorted, and I also show you how to build a pension in a tax-friendly way. That way you know for certain you'll be genuinely better off in the long run.

I write articles for our website because a mortgage is full of choices that can seem big and complicated at first. With a clear explanation, I help you understand them, so you can make your choice with confidence.