Featured Snippet: Articus Finance helped secure an interest-only mortgage self-employed UK solution, achieving 80% LTV on a high-value London home. This case study outlines how careful structuring and specialist lender relationships delivered approval where mainstream banks would not.
Introduction
Securing an interest-only mortgage self-employed UK client is often a complex endeavour. Mainstream lenders prefer predictable employed income and lower loan-to-values, especially when applicants want interest-only repayment structures. For self-employed individuals, even those with high earnings, their income is often considered too irregular or too complex to underwrite. This case study reveals how Articus Finance delivered a bespoke, lender-approved mortgage solution despite these challenges.
Client Background
Our client represents the type of sophisticated borrower frequently underserved by high-street lenders:
- Profile: A self-employed UK national with existing residential and buy-to-let investments.
- Property Goal: Acquire a prime London property valued in excess of ÂŁ750,000.
- Mortgage Requirement: Secure an 80% loan-to-value mortgage on largely interest-only terms, providing financial flexibility.
- Client Objective: Limit monthly capital repayments and maximise investable liquidity.
The Challenge
Mainstream banks and large lenders have limited appetite for self-employed borrowers who request high loan-to-values on interest-only mortgages. Typical criteria include significant liquid wealth outside the property, extremely low gearing, or a traditional payslip-backed income profile. Our client, despite strong financial health and a track record of asset ownership, fell outside of these rigid boundaries.
Common barriers included:
- High loan-to-value request (80% LTV) with limited capital repayment.
- Self-employment income deemed “less secure” compared to PAYE income.
- Limited mainstream lender flexibility on interest-only underwriting.
Without expert brokerage input, this case would have resulted in rejection and loss of opportunity in a fast-moving London property market.
Our Solution
Articus Finance took control of the process by leveraging deep relationships with specialist lenders and building societies willing to take a more holistic approach.
- Specialist Lender Selection: Identified a niche building society with proven track record for self-employed and complex applications.
- Detailed Financial Assessment: Submitted operating accounts, profit performance, and validated income evidence from accountants.
- Case Structuring: Negotiated an arrangement where the mortgage was primarily interest-only but incorporated a manageable capital repayment element.
- Risk Mitigation: Presented detailed repayment strategy supported by asset holdings and future income streams, providing lender confidence.
- Result: Approval for an 80% LTV, two-year fixed mortgage at competitive rates, otherwise unavailable from retail banks.
Key Highlights
- Client: Self-employed professional, UK national.
- Property: Prime London residence valued over ÂŁ750,000.
- Mortgage Type: 80% LTV, interest-only majority, two-year fixed rate, small capital repayment element.
- Lender: Specialist building society offering bespoke underwriting.
- Outcome: Successful mortgage approval on terms tailored to self-employed affordability.
Why Articus Finance Delivered
Our track record in arranging interest-only mortgage self-employed UK solutions demonstrates why discerning borrowers and introducers trust us. By focusing on holistic affordability and tapping into non-standard underwriting, we deliver outcomes that appear unattainable through mainstream channels.
- Self-Employed Mortgage Expertise: Decades of experience advising entrepreneurs, consultants, and directors with non-standard income.
- Interest-Only Structuring: Deep knowledge of lender appetite, ensuring successful submissions.
- Lender Relationships: Exclusive links to building societies and private banks who assess full financial pictures, not narrow criteria.
- Concierge Service: From complex paperwork to repayment strategies, our brokers ensure transparent guidance from start to finish.
Where other brokers fall back on stock responses, Articus Finance identifies niche pathways, enabling property acquisition on terms suited to the client’s needs.
Context for Self-Employed Clients
Self-employed professionals generate wealth differently from salaried employees. Cash flow management, company assets, dividends, and retained profits often form a more complex profile. Lenders unequipped to evaluate such diversity typically penalise entrepreneurs, despite their ability to service debt comfortably. Interest-only mortgages, already specialist products, become even more unattainable. Articus Finance bridges this gap, ensuring self-employed borrowers achieve fair access to lending structures that align with their ownership needs and investment ambitions.
Explore Related Insights
- Self-Employed Mortgages
- Interest-Only Mortgages
- High Net Worth Mortgages
- Private Bank Mortgages
- Case Studies Library
- Mortgage Services Overview
- Self-Employed Mortgage Guide
- Financial Conduct Authority (external)
Final Thoughts
This case study demonstrates that an interest-only mortgage self-employed UK scenario, often dismissed by traditional lenders, can be achieved with the right expertise. By working collaboratively with specialist lenders and structuring the case to highlight affordability and long-term repayment, Articus Finance turns complexity into opportunity. For self-employed borrowers seeking flexibility, we provide tailored outcomes where others struggle to deliver.
