If you hold substantial assets or earn a large income, your borrowing should be assessed on your whole financial picture, not squeezed into a standard high-street affordability calculator. A high net worth (HNW) mortgage is residential lending arranged around the way wealthy individuals actually hold and generate wealth — multiple income streams, investment portfolios, business interests and assets that may sit across more than one jurisdiction.
Propertyze arranges HNW residential mortgages for individuals buying, remortgaging or refinancing in London and across the UK, working with private banks and specialist lenders whose underwriting is built for this kind of case. The aim is a structure that reflects your full balance sheet and your objectives — not an off-the-shelf product that overlooks most of what makes you creditworthy.
Key facts
- What it is: residential mortgage lending for individuals who meet a lender's high net worth criteria, underwritten on a wider view of income, assets and overall wealth.
- Who it suits: high earners, business owners, individuals with significant investment or property assets, and those with internationally held wealth.
- The HNW exemption: UK mortgage rules recognise a high net worth category — broadly, individuals with net assets of at least £3 million or annual net income of at least £300,000 — which can allow a lender to take a more tailored approach to affordability. Eligibility and how it is applied depend on the individual lender and your circumstances.
- Income assessment: can extend beyond basic salary to bonuses, dividends, retained company profits, investment income and foreign-currency earnings, depending on the lender.
- Loan size, LTV and rate: vary widely by lender and case; there is no single figure. Terms are shaped by the property, the loan-to-value, the strength of your wider asset position and how the case is presented.
- Regulated lending: a mortgage on a property you live in is FCA-regulated. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage secured on it.
How a high net worth mortgage works
The core mechanics are the same as any residential mortgage: you borrow against a property, and the loan is repaid over a term. What differs is the assessment. A mainstream lender typically runs a fixed affordability model driven largely by recent payslips and a standard income multiple. For someone whose wealth is complex — variable income, profits retained in a company, returns from an investment portfolio — that model can understate true capacity to borrow.
Where you meet a lender's high net worth criteria, the underwriter can consider the wider picture: the assets behind you, the durability of your income, and the overall risk the lending represents in the context of your balance sheet. In practice this can mean a more individually assessed view of affordability and, in some cases, a willingness to lend where a standard model would not. The outcome is always case-specific and decided by the lender — it is not automatic, and qualifying for the category does not guarantee a particular loan amount, rate or loan-to-value.
The regulatory reality
A mortgage secured on a property you (or an immediate family member) will live in is a regulated mortgage contract under FCA rules, and carries the full consumer protections that go with that. The "high net worth" route is not a way around regulation — it is a recognised category within the rules that allows certain affordability requirements to be applied more flexibly for borrowers who meet the asset or income thresholds.
It matters to be clear about which protections apply. Borrowing arranged purely for investment or business purposes — for example, lending to a corporate vehicle, or certain buy-to-let — may fall outside FCA regulation. Where your plans cross between regulated residential and unregulated investment lending, we will tell you which is which before you commit, so you understand the protections attached to each part. Propertyze conducts both regulated and unregulated business, and not all products we can arrange are regulated by the FCA.
Which lenders, and why a specialist broker helps
HNW residential lending sits mainly with private banks and specialist lenders rather than the high street. These lenders rarely publish standard rate cards for this work; terms are negotiated case by case, and access often depends on an existing relationship or a credible introduction. A borrower approaching cold may not get a meaningful conversation at all.
This is where broker positioning does the heavy lifting. The way a case is framed — how income is evidenced, how assets are presented, which lender is approached and why — materially affects the outcome. Propertyze works across a panel of more than 135 lenders and maintains relationships with private banks and specialist providers, so a case can be matched to the lender most likely to understand it and structured to put the strongest version of your position forward.
Common complications we handle
- Complex or variable income — bonuses, carried interest, dividends, retained profits and irregular earnings that standard models struggle with.
- Internationally held wealth — assets, income or residence spanning more than one country, where some lenders are far more comfortable than others.
- Asset-rich, lower-declared-income profiles — significant net worth that does not translate neatly into a conventional income figure.
- Large or unusual security properties — high-value homes, or properties that mainstream lenders treat cautiously.
- Wealth-backed structuring — using investment or other assets as part of the overall security or relationship, where a lender is willing to do so.
Alongside the borrowing itself, appropriate protection — for example life cover sufficient to clear the debt — is an important consideration on larger loans. We can discuss how this fits your wider planning, and refer you to suitable specialist advice where it falls outside our scope.
The process
- Initial conversation — we discuss your objectives, the property and an overview of your income and assets.
- Case assessment — we identify which lenders fit, and where the high net worth route may apply.
- Positioning and submission — we package and present the case to the chosen lender(s) and negotiate terms.
- Offer and completion — we manage the application through underwriting, valuation and legal work to completion.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as high net worth? Broadly, an individual with net assets of around £3 million or annual net income of around £300,000 may meet a lender's high net worth criteria. The thresholds apply to an individual, not a couple's combined position, and how a lender applies the category varies.
Is it harder to get a high net worth mortgage? Not necessarily — for those who qualify, the wider underwriting view can open options a standard high-street assessment would close off. The challenge is usually access and positioning, which is where a specialist broker adds value.
How much can I borrow, and what deposit do I need? There is no fixed answer. Loan size, loan-to-value and deposit all depend on the lender, the property and the strength of your overall position. Some lenders can take wider assets into account when assessing a case. We will give you a realistic view once we understand your circumstances.
Do I need life insurance? It is not a legal requirement, but on substantial borrowing appropriate protection is an important consideration to make sure the debt is covered. We can discuss how this fits your wider planning.
How does a broker help? By knowing which lenders suit your profile, how to present the case, and how to negotiate — particularly where there is flexibility to be earned in how your circumstances are framed.
Speak to Propertyze about a high net worth mortgage structured around your full financial picture. Call 020 7126 8574 or request a call back and we will aim to respond within one working day.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage secured on it. We conduct both regulated and unregulated business, so not all products we arrange are regulated by the FCA.
Related specialist lending
Million pound mortgages · Large mortgage loans · Private bank mortgages · Limited company director mortgages · International mortgages