High value mortgages require more than a strong income. Lenders manually assess affordability, income sources, assets, and risk, especially for loans above £1 million. Working with the right broker early can make the difference between smooth approval and weeks of delays, reduced offers, or outright decline.
Dec 31, 2025
Getting a high value mortgage sounds straightforward. Bigger loan, bigger deposit, higher income.
In reality, once you move beyond £750,000 to £1 million plus, mortgages often become harder, not easier.
That’s because lenders stop relying on automated affordability checks and start manually assessing risk. Income structure, assets, liabilities, property type, and how the case is presented suddenly matter far more.
This guide explains how high value mortgages really work, what lenders look for, where applications typically fall apart, and how Mortgage Brokers Near Me helps clients secure large mortgages without unnecessary friction.
There’s no fixed definition, but in practice:
At this level, lenders are not just asking if you can afford the mortgage. They are assessing how resilient your finances are over time.
Many buyers assume banks are keen to lend larger amounts. Often, the opposite is true.
Most high street lenders are built for volume, not complexity. Once a case involves:
It stops being a tick-box exercise and becomes a manual underwriting decision. That’s where delays, reduced loan offers, or last-minute issues usually appear.
Lenders look beyond salary and may consider:
What matters most is consistency, evidence, and explanation. Two borrowers earning the same amount can receive very different offers depending on how that income is structured and presented.
For high value loans, lenders assess overall financial exposure, not just monthly affordability. Existing properties, investments, debts, and future commitments all form part of the decision.
High value properties often come with complications such as listed status, unique construction, large plots, or bespoke designs. Some lenders simply won’t consider these, regardless of income.
Standard income multiples still apply as a starting point, but flexibility increases with stronger profiles.
For high earners, borrowing limits are often driven more by risk appetite than income alone.
Most high value mortgages require:
At this level, loan-to-value is about lender confidence as much as risk.
Yes, but they are carefully assessed.
Interest only is common for high net worth borrowers whose wealth is tied up elsewhere. Lenders will require a clear and credible repayment strategy, such as the sale of property, investment portfolios, pension assets, or business exits.
This is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
High value buy to let lending is often structured around:
Stress testing, rental coverage, and exposure across the wider portfolio matter far more than headline rates. These cases benefit significantly from correct lender placement from the outset.
High value mortgages don’t fail because borrowers are weak. They fail because cases are poorly positioned.
At Mortgage Brokers Near Me, our role is not to simply compare rates. It’s to structure and place the case so the right lender understands it properly the first time.
Not every lender advertising large loans wants complex or high-value cases. We filter lenders based on loan size, property type, income structure, and overall risk, avoiding wasted applications and unnecessary credit checks.
Many high value clients earn well but not neatly. Salary, bonuses, dividends, retained profits, rental income, or overseas earnings are often misunderstood.
We break income down, explain it clearly to underwriters, and present it in a way lenders are comfortable approving, not questioning.
Listed buildings, unique homes, or non-standard construction can derail applications late in the process. We place these cases with lenders already comfortable lending on similar properties.
High value purchases often involve tight deadlines, chains, solicitors, accountants, and estate agents. We manage the process end-to-end so momentum isn’t lost once an offer is issued.
At this level, the cheapest rate is irrelevant if the mortgage doesn’t complete. Our priority is approval certainty first, suitable structure second, and competitive pricing third.
Purchase price: £1.5 million
Loan amount: £1.2 million
Deposit: 20%
Income: Salary plus dividends
On paper, the income appeared inconsistent. By restructuring how it was presented and placing the case with a lender comfortable with business owners, the mortgage was approved without reducing the loan amount or increasing the deposit.
The borrower didn’t change. The strategy did.
Most of these issues are avoidable with early advice.
You should speak to a broker early if:
At higher loan sizes, clarity early saves weeks later.
High value mortgages aren’t difficult because lenders are unhelpful. They’re difficult because the risk profile is different.
Handled correctly, they can be smooth, flexible, and competitive. Handled poorly, they become slow and unpredictable.
The difference is almost always the approach.
An Agreement in Principle (AIP) is a lender’s certificate showing how much you could borrow, but it is not a guarantee. Online AIPs can be misleading as they often don’t check your real income. At Mortgage Brokers Near Me, we verify your documents upfront so you know where you truly stand. AIPs usually last around 90 days, but lender rules or changes to your circumstances can void them sooner.
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Read ArticleIf you’re buying, moving, or remortgaging, speak with a MBNM adviser and get clear guidance on what’s realistically available to you, before you commit to anything.
Your Home (or property) may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debts secured on it.
Mortgage Brokers Near Me LTD is an Appointed Representative of The Right Mortgage LTD which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The guidance and/or information contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Will Writing and some forms of Trusts and Buy to Lets. A fee may be charged for mortgage advice. The exact amount will depend on your circumstances.
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