How HMO Mortgages Work: A Plain-English Guide
HMO mortgages aren’t just buy-to-let with extra bedrooms. Lenders value the property differently, cap borrowing at 70-75% loan-to-value, and stress-test the rent before they’ll lend. Get the licensing wrong and none of that matters. If you are looking to buy ...
A Beginner’s Guide to HMO Property Investing
A house in multiple occupation can out-earn a standard buy-to-let by renting room by room, but the upside comes with more to manage. Before you buy, check whether the property needs a licence, whether an Article 4 direction blocks conversion ...
The 75% Trap: Why the Bridging Loan You Are Quoted Is Not the Money You Receive
A 75% bridge does not hand you 75% of the price. Fees and interest come off the top first, so your real deposit is usually closer to a third. Here’s the maths, and how one investor used a bridge to ...
JBSP Case Study – FTB Purchase with a Parents Income
Ella, a first-time buyer, had the deposit but not quite enough income to buy her £270,000 flat. Adding her dad to the mortgage as a joint owner would have covered the shortfall, but it would also have triggered a £13,500 ...
Boosting Affordability Without the Stamp Duty Trap
Helping your child onto the property ladder can backfire at the Land Registry. Put a parent on the title alongside their child, and HMRC treats the parent as buying a second home, adding a 5% stamp duty surcharge and cancelling ...
Helping Your Child Buy a Home: Five Routes, and Why One Often Wins
Want to help your child buy a home? You’ve got five options: Joint ownership boosts what your child can borrow, but it comes with a nasty tax sting (the 5% stamp duty surcharge, plus losing first-time buyer relief). A JBSP ...
Expat Mortgage Case Study: How a Dubai-Based Buyer Secured a Devon Cottage Without the Holiday Let Restrictions
Expat clients often assume that buying a UK home to live in part-time and let the rest of the year only leaves one route open: a holiday let mortgage. The case below shows why that isn’t always true, and why ...
Moving Back to the UK: Your Expat Mortgage Explained
Coming home does not end your expat mortgage on the day you land, but the clock starts running. You must tell your lender once your residence status changes, and because expat products are built for non-residents, your mortgage will need ...
Expat Buy to Let vs Holiday Let Mortgages
An expat buy to let lends against long-term rent, and the mortgage terms stop you staying there yourself. An expat holiday let lends against seasonal bookings and usually allows 30 to 60 nights of your own use. Holiday lets lost ...
Expat holiday let mortgages: how many nights can you stay?
A dedicated holiday let mortgage caps your own use of the property, usually somewhere between 30 and 90 nights a year, set out in the mortgage terms. An expat residential mortgage with letting permitted has no fixed cap, because the ...
Buy to Let vs Holiday Let Mortgages
A clear, straightforward guide from Drake Mortgages Choosing between a Buy to Let (BTL) mortgage and a Holiday Let mortgage can feel complicated, especially following recent tax changes. Below is a simple, updated comparison to help you understand how each ...
Is a Second Charge Mortgage Right for You? Your Complete Guide to Making the Right Borrowing Decision
When you’re looking to raise money against your home-whether for home improvements, debt consolidation, helping family, or funding a business-it’s important to understand all the mortgage options available. As a homeowner, you may come across terms like remortgage, further advance, ...
Incorporating a Personally Owned Holiday Let: Essential Considerations for Property Owners
As the holiday-let market evolves, many property owners are exploring whether transferring a personally owned holiday let into a limited company could offer long-term tax or operational benefits. While incorporation can be attractive in some circumstances, the process is often ...
Using an SPV Ltd Company for Your Holiday Let
The Director’s Guide to Tax‑Efficient Funding with Intercompany Loans For UK director-shareholders, holding a holiday let inside a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) limited company can be an efficient way to invest, manage risk, and optimise tax. A powerful, often overlooked ...
What Are Flying and Creeping Freeholds?
Flying freeholds occur when part of your property sits above a neighbour’s land or building. Creeping freeholds are the opposite, extending underneath. Most UK mortgage lenders will consider these properties, though some have restrictions on the percentage of floor area ...
Using Bridging Loans for Business Acquisition
When you spot the perfect business to buy, timing and being able to take action can make all the difference. Many business buyers find themselves stuck between spotting a great deal and getting the money together to make it happen. ...
Light vs Heavy Refurbishment: How Bridging Loans Differ
Buying a property that needs work takes careful planning, especially when it comes to funding. Whether you’re looking at a small makeover or major building work, bridging loans offer a straightforward way to finance these improvements. But there’s quite a ...
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Bridging Loans Explained
Property investment through a limited company makes good business sense, but finding quick finance can be challenging. When you spot the perfect property or win at auction, you need funds fast – and that’s where SPV bridging loans come in. ...
Is a Bridging Loan a Mortgage? Let’s find out.
Property finance isn’t one-size-fits-all, particularly in today’s complex UK market. As a mortgage broker with over 20 years of experience, I’ve seen countless situations where understanding the difference between bridging loans and mortgages has saved clients both money and stress. ...
Can You Extend a Bridging Loan?
Property projects rarely stick to schedule. Whether your renovation has hit unexpected snags or the perfect buyer hasn’t appeared within your planned timeline, timing issues with a bridging loan can be stressful. Missing your bridging loan repayment deadline isn’t just ...
Can you buy a house at auction with a mortgage?
The UK property auction market has transformed significantly over the past few years. Whether you’re eyeing a Victorian terrace ripe for renovation or a commercial unit with potential, understanding your financing options makes all the difference between winning a bid ...
Do I Need a Solicitor to Remortgage?
When considering a remortgage, you might question whether paying for a solicitor is really necessary. It’s understandable – legal fees add to your costs, and if you’re remortgaging to save money with a better rate, additional expenses aren’t what you ...
What are commercial bridging loans?
Business property opportunities often appear with tight deadlines. Traditional commercial mortgages can take months to arrange, leaving you at risk of missing out on valuable deals or paying premium prices due to financing delays. When time pressures threaten to derail ...
How quickly can you get a bridging loan?
Bridging loans are short-term financial solutions designed to help borrowers quickly access funds, typically for property transactions or business opportunities. When you need these loans, time is of the essence. The time it takes to secure a bridging loan varies, ...