We work with lenders who regularly lend on flats above shops, offices, cafes and other commercial premises, including the sort of case the high street lenders won't consider.
One-minute enquiry. A specialist adviser calls you back, usually the same working day.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
You've found the flat, the price stacks up, and on paper you're exactly the sort of buyer a lender wants. Then they see a shop, a cafe or a takeaway on the ground floor, and things change. Some cap how much they'll lend, some ask for a much larger deposit, and some won't lend at all.
The frustrating part is that there's usually nothing wrong with the flat, or with you. At that point the lender isn't really assessing your income. It's assessing whether the building would be easy to sell again if it ever needed to be. A commercial unit below raises questions about noise, smells, opening hours, fire, pests and resale, and lenders weigh those up very differently.
That's why two almost identical flats can get two completely different answers. One above an estate agent goes through without a problem, one above a chip shop is declined. Approach the wrong lender and you can lose weeks, pay for a survey and instruct solicitors, only to be turned down at valuation. Knowing which lenders to approach before you apply is exactly where we come in.
At Bluebell Mortgages, we arrange mortgages on flats above shops, cafes, offices and other commercial premises all the time. We take the time to understand the property, the business below it and your circumstances before recommending where to apply, so your application goes to a lender who is genuinely comfortable with it.
This is about criteria, not credit. Usually the applicant isn't the issue, but the building is, so the job is knowing which lenders rule out which types of business, which insist on a separate entrance to the flat, which set a minimum number of flats in the block, and which simply go by what the valuer says. Get that right from the start and a case that looked unmortgageable becomes straightforward.
You deal with one named adviser throughout. We handle the lender research and the paperwork, keeping you updated at every stage.
Fill in the one-minute form with a few details about you and the property.
A specialist rings you back, usually the same working day, to understand the building and your plans.
From 100+ lenders, we shortlist those genuinely comfortable with a commercial neighbour and present your case correctly.
A dedicated team handles the paperwork and liaises with agents and solicitors, right through to completion.
Over 100 lenders, including those comfortable lending above retail, offices, salons, cafes and, on the right terms, pubs and takeaways. Using the right lender from the start makes your application far more likely to be accepted first time, rather than declined or capped, which protects your credit file and keeps your purchase on track.
We know how lenders assess the business below the flat and what they will ask for. Once we have reviewed the property and your circumstances, we can point you at the lenders most likely to consider it, protecting your time and avoiding unnecessary credit checks.
We handle the research, lender selection, application and paperwork. A dedicated administration team supports your case, liaising with estate agents and solicitors to keep things moving, which means fewer delays.
We regularly help people whose bank has said a flat above a shop isn't acceptable. A decline from one lender doesn't mean the property is unmortgageable. We review why, then assess whether another lender may take a different view.
You deal with a real person throughout, never a call centre, so you don't have to explain your case to several different people. Your adviser explains what's needed, why it matters, and which lenders may consider your particular building. We can communicate via video call, phone, email or face-to-face, whatever suits you.
Fill in the one-minute enquiry, or call us and speak to an adviser directly.
Fill in the one-minute enquiry and a specialist adviser will call you back, usually the same working day.
Prefer to talk now? Call 01473 213312 and speak to an adviser directly.
Pop your details in, a real adviser will call you back, usually the same working day.