UK Mortgage Brokers

Yes, non-UK residents can get mortgages for UK property, including residential and buy-to-let homes.

Specialist lenders are often required, and terms may vary based on your income, currency, and residency status. Enness has access to private banks and international lenders not available on the open market.

High-net-worth mortgages are available if you have an annual income of more than £300k or a net worth of £3 million, excluding your principal residence. If you meet these criteria, you can usually opt out of regulated oversight. Lenders will base your mortgage eligibility on your net worth, asset base, family position and other factors. You also won’t get tied down in income, expenditure and affordability analysis.

Complex Income Mortgages or Asset Rich, Low Income

You may not meet the “standard” income requirements many banks require for regulated mortgages. Perhaps you:

• Have complex income structure
• Are self-employed
• Have overseas income
• Rely on trust or investment income
• Have recently retired
• Are recently self-employed
• Have directors’ loans/ retained profit
• Have bonus income
• Are an entrepreneur who has sold a business
• Are retired but asset rich
• And so on

​​​​If you fall into one of the above categories (or a similar one), you will want a broker who has the experience and understanding to secure a mortgage for you. Enness knows this area of the market inside out. Enness’ broker will help you prepare your application and will always negotiate the best terms on your behalf.

Enness’ team will make sure your mortgage offer is granted based on the entirety of your circumstances, not just what it says on your last tax return. Enness can use one year’s income, retained profit, a variable bonus history, pre-paid mortgages, high-net-worth exemptions, sole borrower joint proprietor and all manner of other mechanisms to get you the mortgage you need.

Self-Employed and Entrepreneur Mortgages

People claim self-employed mortgages are complicated and hard to secure. Enness begs to differ. Self-employed mortgages can be straightforward. In fact, the process isn’t that dissimilar to what employed borrowers need to follow. The only difference is that lenders will consider some additional factors. If you are self-employed:

• Your mortgage will be based on an average of your last three years of tax returns

• Some lenders will base your mortgage on your average net profit, plus your director’s salary
• A small number of lenders will factor director’s loans and other elements in their calculations
• Your underlying company will need to be profitable with a stable track record. Some lenders will take the time to understand the effect investment, growth, debt and planning has on your situation

Usually, you will need to have been self-employed for one year or more, or have one tax return, or have one year’s accounts to secure a mortgage if you are self-employed. There are some separate rules if you have moved from an employee to a partner/self-employed in the same industry or company that you may be able to benefit from.

Enness understands how to arrange mortgages for entrepreneurs, business owners and self-employed people and have a track record to match. Your broker will always ensure you are offered the best mortgage, based on your hard work and profile.

Buy-to-let mortgages are based on the rental income you will generate letting the property out. They are generally unregulated, although, in some circumstances, they will be regulated. Most lenders will need your property’s rental income to exceed the mortgage by 110% to 150%. The rate at which this is calculated may not be the actual rate you will pay. As you can see, buy-to-let mortgages are anything but straightforward!

To add to the complication, many lenders will want you to have a certain level of income. You may also need to showcase you have some experience in owning buy-to-let properties. Other lenders may be concerned if you have a portfolio of buy-to-let properties on the basis more properties could add more risk. The rules are also different if you are buying in a limited company or an LLP where you will need a specific structure, personal guarantees and other elements.

If the rental income isn’t sufficient to cover the mortgage, some lenders take your personal income into account to determine how much you can borrow. This is called “top-slicing.” It is helpful for low yielding properties, high-value properties or if you have a very large income.

The buy-to-let mortgage market is hugely technical and very competitive. There are more lenders here than you can imagine, and each will have individual quirks or oddities in their lending criteria you will need to navigate.

Enness will help you secure the best buy-to-let finance based on your property and circumstances.

Many high-net-worth individuals structure property purchases through offshore companies or trusts for tax planning. Specialist lenders can accommodate these structures, and Enness regularly arranges mortgages on this basis.

Yes, it’s possible to get a UK mortgage even if you don’t have a UK credit file, particularly if you're a foreign national or relocating to the UK. While most high street banks may reject applications without domestic credit history,

Enness works with lenders who assess global wealth, income, and assets instead. We present your international financial profile to private banks that are comfortable lending without relying solely on UK credit checks.

This makes it easier to secure financing for residential, investment, or buy-to-let properties as a new arrival or overseas investor.

Many high-net-worth individuals have complex income structures—such as dividends, bonuses, trust distributions, or foreign earnings—which traditional lenders often struggle to assess.

Despite strong financial positions, these clients can be declined by retail banks that rely on standard salary-based criteria.

Enness works with private banks and specialist lenders who understand non-traditional income and global asset profiles. We structure applications to reflect your full financial strength, giving you access to large mortgage loans, interest-only options, and flexible underwriting.

This custom approach helps secure better rates and terms for clients with unconventional or global income sources.

The deposit required for a UK mortgage in London depends on several factors, including whether you are a UK resident, your income structure, the property value, and the lender’s criteria.

UK residents with straightforward income profiles may access mortgages with deposits starting from around 10%, although higher-value properties often require larger deposits. For non-UK residents, complex income structures, or prime and super-prime London purchases, deposits are typically higher and often start from 25% or more, depending on the overall financial profile.

High-net-worth individuals may also benefit from specialist lending solutions where affordability is assessed using assets, investments, or global income sources rather than standard salary multiples. Working with a specialist broker helps identify lenders that are comfortable with international profiles and larger loan requirements, ensuring the most suitable structure is considered.