Case Study –Limited Company with Foreign Income | Second Home Purchase

Value	£4,000,000
Loan	£2,000,000
LTV	50%
Achieved Rate	1.19%
Term	5-year fixed

The Situation

Our client, a successful UK national living and working abroad, sought to purchase a second home in London to serve as both a future base and part of a long-term wealth strategy. The client’s income was generated in full overseas through a senior executive role and structured via a complex remuneration package.

While the intention was to use the property as a second residence, the client also wanted to purchase it through a limited company, allowing for future flexibility, including potential rental use, asset separation, and intergenerational planning.

The Challenge

Several overlapping factors created complexity: Income was earned in a non-GBP currency and therefore, many lenders were unable to lend on this basis. The property was to be held in a corporate structure, yet was intended initially for personal use, creating ambiguity between second home finance and investment lending appetite. The client did not hold a UK address at the time of application, limiting the appetite of lenders. There was a requirement for interest-only terms to preserve liquidity, and the client wished to avoid using liquid assets as a primary security source. Most traditional lenders declined the case based on income jurisdiction, perceived residential use, and limited familiarity with limited company mortgages for foreign nationals without UK residence. Off-the-shelf second home finance solutions were misaligned with the client’s goals as no high street lenders would allow for the preferred ownership structure

The Solution

The Solution We approached this not simply as a mortgage placement, but as a bespoke structuring exercise. The key was positioning the client’s financial strength in a way that aligned with specialist lender criteria. Working closely with both the client and their international adviser, we: Identified a private bank with a flexible credit policy toward non-resident, foreign income clients. Positioned the application within the bank’s corporate lending division, using the limited company mortgage structure to frame the purchase as part of a longer-term asset strategy. Modelled foreign income across three years with currency conversion stability, presenting it in a way that met affordability metrics without reliance on asset depletion. Structured the borrowing on a long-term interest-only basis, secured against the UK property only, avoiding additional cross-collateralisation or personal guarantees beyond what was necessary. Through this approach, we were able to secure a highly competitive rate, full loan approval, and a flexible set of terms aligned with the client's objectives, all without compromising their international financial position or personal liquidity. Outcome The client successfully acquired the second home in London via their limited company, with funding in place despite earning exclusively abroad. The facility was structured with minimal administrative overhead and built-in flexibility for future letting or refinancing, should the client’s UK presence evolve. This case illustrates how second home finance, particularly where foreign income and corporate ownership intersect, requires not only lender access but intelligent positioning. With the right advisory input, even the most nuanced profiles can access lending that reflects their global financial strength.