Who large loan lending is for
- Buyers of £1m+ homes needing borrowing beyond mainstream large-loan limits
- Business owners and entrepreneurs whose income arrives as dividends, retained profits or exit proceeds
- Professionals with substantial bonus, commission or carried interest elements
- Clients with complex or international income, including foreign currency earnings
- Asset-rich borrowers whose wealth sits in investments or property rather than salary
- Existing large-loan borrowers whose deal is ending and needs remortgaging on proper terms
The common feature is that a standard income-multiple calculator undervalues the true position. Large-loan underwriting is built to look further.
How lenders assess £1m+ mortgages
- The full income picture: Salary, bonus history, dividends, partnership drawings, investment and rental income - weighted by each lender's own rules
- Assets and liquidity: Portfolios, property and cash reserves strengthen a case and can support lending directly with some private banks
- The property: High-value and unusual homes need lenders comfortable at the price point and with the property type
- The structure: Interest only with a credible repayment strategy is common at this level; term, currency and repayment shape are negotiated rather than fixed
- The relationship: Private banks price cases individually and may consider the wider connection with the client
Certain borrowers at this level can also be treated by lenders as high net worth exempt customers under FCA rules, which allows more flexible contract terms. Where that route is relevant we explain exactly what it means before anything proceeds.
Private banks and specialist lenders
The £1m+ market splits into three pools, and the right one depends on the case:
- High street large-loan desks - competitive on clean, income-strong cases up to their limits
- Private banks - manual underwriting, bespoke pricing and comfort with complex wealth; some look for a broader client relationship, others lend standalone
- Specialist lenders - flexible on income type, property and structure where the mainstream will not stretch
Access matters: much of this lending is not advertised and some lenders deal only through intermediaries. Our whole-of-market position covers all three pools, so the case goes to the desk genuinely suited to it.
Structures available
- Interest only and part-and-part - standard requests at this level, against investments, sale plans or bonus flows
- Large remortgages - existing £1m+ borrowing refinanced at deal end, with free valuation and legal fees as on all our remortgages
- Capital raising against a high-value home - for investment, business or family purposes
- Bridging at scale - short-term funding for purchases that cannot wait, with the exit built in
- Buy to let at large loan sizes - portfolio and premium-property landlord lending
Related reading: interest only mortgages, remortgaging to release equity and bridging finance - each applies at this scale with the numbers moved up.
Costs and fees
Large-loan costs follow the same shape as any mortgage - lender arrangement fees (often percentage-based at this level), valuation and legal work - with pricing frequently negotiated case by case. On remortgages, the valuation and legal fees are free, as on every remortgage we arrange.
Our broker fee is typically £1,250, or up to £1,495 for specialist lending, confirmed with you in writing before you commit to anything. Full details are in our regulatory statement.
Why use LifePro?
- Whole-of-market reach across private banks, large-loan desks and specialist lenders
- Complex income presented properly - the case is packaged before any lender sees it
- Discretion as standard
- CeMAP qualified advisers with 20+ years' experience
- One adviser across the mortgage, any bridging and the protection that sits alongside it
Borrowing at this scale usually deserves protection to match - our mortgage life insurance team arranges high-sum-assured cover so the mortgage dies with neither of you carrying it.
