Independent commercial mortgage advice, from first call to funding.

Two main types

• Owner-occupier: you operate from the property while securing an investment asset.
• Commercial investment: you buy to generate rental income.

What they can be used for

• Units, warehouses and shops
• Mixed-use (commercial ground floor, residential above)
• Large HMOs (10+ bedrooms)
• Purpose-built student blocks and PRS blocks
• Portfolio lending with cross-charging

Affordability and deposits

Lenders look at your business’s EBITDA rather than personal income. Deposits depend on the property, current or potential rent, borrower and tenant strength, and, for owner-occupiers, affordability.

Paperwork to have ready

• Last three years’ accounts or tax returns
• Current and projected performance figures
• Recent bank statements
• Details of directors, shareholders and company structure
• Personal asset and liability statements
• Tenant or lease details (investment mortgages)

Who can apply

Limited companies, partnerships, offshore companies, sole traders and LLPs. Trading experience, industry, property type and location can all influence eligibility.

Need speed? A bridging loan can be followed by a commercial mortgage once the sale completes.

Like an initial mortgage, a remortgage is handled case by case. It differs from a residential remortgage because the property is used for business: offices, retail space, warehouses.

Advantages

• Release equity to fund investment or growth
• Lower interest rates to ease cash flow
• Shorter terms to pay off sooner
• Switch type: owner-occupier to commercial investment
• Switch between fixed and variable rates

Things to weigh up

• Early repayment charges on your existing loan
• The costs of the new option
• The impact on cash flow and long-term goals

Owner-occupier mortgages tend to carry lower rates than commercial investment mortgages. A low outstanding balance can make finding a lender harder, and we work with specialist lenders in those cases. Sometimes the best outcome is staying with your current lender, and we will tell you if so.

What we offer

• Rates from as low as 0.49% per month, with lower rates available above £1m
• Funds in 10 working days, subject to circumstances*
• Terms of up to 3 years
• Rolled-up interest (no monthly payments) or interest retained from the advance
• Desktop/automated valuations with partner lenders
• Business bridging for HMRC tax bills, land, premises or acquisition deposits

Good for

• Keeping your place in a sale chain
• Renovation, conversion or refurbishment
• Rebridging (extending an existing bridge)
• Downsizing, upsizing or securing a new property
• Buying at auction

How it works

1. A specialist broker reviews your background and goals
2. We review your exit strategy and documents
3. We search the market and secure an Agreement in Principle
4. Underwriting, then a conditional offer with valuation
5. Full offer to your solicitor and completion

You need a clear exit, such as a sale, remortgage or refinance. Bridging lenders usually require their own solicitors at the borrower’s cost, and we can recommend trusted ones. If the loan is secured on another property, failing to repay could put that property at risk.

Benefits

• Lower rates than ongoing development loans
• Extra time to sell your completed development
• Improved cash flow, and freedom to begin new projects
• Repayment often tied to the sale, letting you retain some proceeds

How much can I borrow?

Typically up to 75% LTV, and up to 100% with additional security. Generally no monthly payments, with the loan settled on sale.

Criteria

Open to all developers, including first-timers. Properties usually need to be wind and watertight, not fully complete.

Costs

Tailored to each project: arrangement or facility fee, drawdown or admin fee, redemption fee on your current loan, exit fees, valuation and legal fees, and broker fees.

Process

Initial consultation, application, valuation, due diligence, loan offer, legal checks, then funds released so you can repay your existing development finance.

Designed for landlords with at least four investment properties. Some of our advisors have been active since modern residential Buy-to-Let began, and we have advised on portfolios of over 50 properties, including complex group and subsidiary structures.

Stress testing

Under the PRA’s 2017 rules, holding four or more mortgaged properties makes you a portfolio landlord. Lenders apply a higher Interest Coverage Ratio to existing and proposed lending, and run affordability checks across the whole portfolio.

Suitable properties

• Houses and flats, including flats above shops or restaurants
• HMOs and mixed-use properties
• Blocks of flats, including Multi-Unit Freehold and Split Freehold
• Student accommodation

What lenders assess

• Property and personal income (tax documents)
• Deposit amount and source
• Equity, via valuation reports
• Credit history, assets and liabilities, and existing mortgages