Client Overview
The client was a high-net-worth UK resident who owned a prime residential property in London valued at approximately £6.4 million.
Their existing mortgage facility was approaching expiry, and they wanted to refinance onto a more efficient structure with significantly lower ongoing borrowing costs.
Given the size of the loan and the client’s international financial profile, the transaction required specialist support within the high-value mortgage market.
Are you looking for specialist support with your refinance? Click here to get in contact with one of our experienced brokers today.
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The Challenge
The client required a refinance of approximately £4 million, equating to around 62.5% loan-to-value.
While there was strong equity within the property, the client had several key objectives:
- Reduce long-term borrowing costs
- Secure a more sophisticated interest structure
- Avoid tying up substantial liquid assets with a private bank
- Maintain flexibility around wider investment arrangements
Many private banks were willing to offer attractive pricing, but only subject to substantial assets under management (AUM) requirements — often requiring several million pounds to be transferred to the bank.
The client wanted access to private banking pricing without unnecessary restrictions on liquidity and investment management.
Click here for more information on how we can assist you with private bank mortgages.
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The Articus Finance Approach
Articus Finance reviewed both mainstream and private banking options before identifying a specialist private bank with appetite for high-net-worth residential refinancing.
After detailed discussions around the client’s profile and objectives, we structured a facility denominated in Swiss Francs (CHF) rather than Sterling.
This created access to a highly competitive tracker product linked to the Swiss National Bank base rate, which at the time was sitting around 0%.
Importantly, we negotiated the facility without any formal assets under management requirement — a significant advantage compared to many competing private banking structures.
Alongside the mortgage itself, we also advised the client around interest-rate exposure and longer-term refinancing strategy in the context of rising UK swap rates.
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The Solution
Articus Finance successfully arranged:
- A £4 million equivalent private bank refinance
- Facility secured against a £6.4 million London property
- Swiss Franc-denominated lending structure
- Tracker pricing linked to the Swiss National Bank rate
- No formal AUM or investment transfer requirement
- Flexible private banking structure aligned with the client’s wider financial arrangements
The refinance delivered substantially lower pricing compared to equivalent Sterling fixed-rate options available at the time.
Clients exploring sophisticated funding structures can learn more through our wider specialist mortgage solutions and high-net-worth financing services.
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The Result
- Significantly reduced borrowing costs
- Access to ultra-low CHF-linked pricing
- Retention of liquidity without major investment transfers
- Flexible long-term financing structure
- Successful completion through a specialist private bank
The refinance completed smoothly despite the specialist currency structure and private banking requirements.
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Client Outcome
By structuring the refinance through a CHF-denominated tracker facility, the client secured an extremely competitive funding arrangement not widely available through the mainstream market.
This case demonstrates the value of accessing specialist lenders and international financing structures when arranging larger residential transactions.
You can read more examples of complex refinancing transactions within our latest mortgage case studies.
