Contractors & Creatives
TV & Film Production Lead with 2 Months Remaining on Contract
£550,000
Loan at 85% LTV
The Challenge: High-street branches refused the application because the buyer had only 8 weeks remaining on their current production contract. Despite earning £650/day, standard bank algorithms flagged high employment risk.
The IJ Solution: Senior Adviser Thomas Costelloe packaged 5 years of continuous industry track record and presented the case to a specialist intermediary underwriter. The lender assessed the borrower purely on their gross contract rate (£149,500 assessed income) and approved the mortgage within 10 days.
Outcome: Secured 5-year fixed rate with full borrowing power; completed on time.
Self-Employed Directors
Tech Consultancy Director with 1 Year Full Accounts & Retained Profit
£480,000
Loan with 14 Months Trading
The Challenge: The applicant had left full-time employment 14 months prior to found a boutique tech consultancy. Company profits were substantial (£135,000), but the director drew only a modest salary to minimize dividend tax. High-street banks demanded 2–3 years of accounts.
The IJ Solution: Independent James placed the application with a specialist building society that underwrites on 1 year's SA302 and factors in the director's 100% share of Net Retained Profit.
Outcome: £480,000 loan approved without forcing artificial dividend distributions or tax penalties.
Remortgage & Equity
London Townhouse Remortgage & £45,000 Debt Consolidation
£840/mo
Monthly Outgoings Saved
The Challenge: Following major house renovations, the owners held £45,000 across multiple high-interest credit cards (averaging 19.8% APR). Monthly unsecured payments totaled £1,320, creating severe household cash-flow stress.
The IJ Solution: Revalued the finished property (which had appreciated by £180,000) and structured a capital-raising remortgage at 65% LTV. The debt was rolled into the low mortgage rate, reducing monthly servicing from £1,320 to just £480.
Outcome: Net monthly saving of £840; credit cards cleared immediately.
Remortgage & Equity
Second Charge Secured Loan Preserving a 1.25% Lifetime Tracker
£120,000
Raised via Second Charge
The Challenge: The borrower needed £120,000 to construct a two-storey rear extension. Their existing first charge mortgage of £350,000 was on an irreplaceable pre-2008 lifetime tracker at Bank Base Rate + 0.50% (currently 1.25%). A standard remortgage would have destroyed this rate.
The IJ Solution: Arranged a standalone Second Charge mortgage ranking behind the primary lender. The client preserved their £350k ultra-low mortgage, avoiding tens of thousands in higher interest.
Outcome: £120k extension funds secured; lifetime 1.25% tracker fully intact.
Buy-to-Let & SPV
SPV Limited Company Buy-to-Let Portfolio Acquisition
£1,250,000
Multi-Unit SPV Facility
The Challenge: A landlord owning 6 properties in their personal name sought to acquire 4 new flats in Manchester. Higher-rate tax under Section 24 would have wiped out profit margins if bought personally.
The IJ Solution: Guided the client to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Limited Company. Sourced an intermediary-exclusive portfolio facility with an ICR stress test of 125% at 5.5%, allowing 100% mortgage interest deductibility against corporation tax.
Outcome: Portfolio expanded tax-efficiently; secured 75% LTV across all 4 units.
Contractors & Creatives
Freelance Brand Designer with Multi-Currency Royalties & USD Contracts
£620,000
Foreign Currency Earner
The Challenge: A successful creative designer received income in US Dollars and Euros alongside UK invoiced retainers. Mainstream lenders discounted foreign currency income by up to 50% under strict Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD) rules.
The IJ Solution: Placed the case with a specialist private bank lender who accepts hedged foreign currency earnings with only a 15% haircut, recognizing the borrower's 8-year global client retention.
Outcome: Full purchasing power recognized; secured dream property in Hackney.
Specialist & Protection
Urgent 48-Hour Decision in Principle Securing Sealed-Bid London Home
48 Hours
From Enquiry to Validated DIP
The Challenge: The clients discovered an unmissable Islington property going to sealed bids with a deadline 48 hours away. The selling agent required an immediate verified Decision in Principle from a recognized broker.
The IJ Solution: Principal James Carter completed urgent same-day document audits, stress-tested income across three Tier-1 lenders, and issued a verified broker DIP certificate within 24 hours.
Outcome: The clients won the sealed bid against two competing buyers.
Specialist & Protection
Home Purchase Following Historic Satisfied Utility Default
90% LTV
Secured with Clean Margin
The Challenge: First-time buyers discovered a historic £450 utility default on their credit file dating back 3 years during a change of tenancy. Automated high-street credit scoring failed them instantly.
The IJ Solution: Reached out to a specialist building society that uses human credit underwriters. Proved the default had been settled immediately upon discovery and presented 3 years of immaculate rental and banking history.
Outcome: Approved at 90% LTV without paying an adverse sub-prime interest rate.
Specialist & Protection
Green Mortgage Retrofit: EPC C to B with £1,000 Lender Cashback
0.20%
Interest Rate Discount
The Challenge: Homeowners embarking on an air-source heat pump and solar PV installation wanted to leverage their eco-improvements to reduce borrowing expenses.
The IJ Solution: Sourced a green mortgage scheme that rewarded the property upgrading from EPC rating C to B upon completion of the works.
Outcome: Secured £1,000 upfront green cashback plus an ongoing 0.20% rate discount over the 5-year fixed period.
Specialist & Protection
Key Person & Cross-Option Shareholder Protection for Growing Agency
£1,500,000
Cross-Option Policy in Trust
The Challenge: Two founding partners of a 25-person marketing agency had substantial personal wealth tied into company equity. In the event of death, surviving partners faced the prospect of working alongside an inexperienced beneficiary inheriting 50% shares.
The IJ Solution: Protection Specialist Lorna Stevens drafted a formal Cross-Option Agreement backed by £1.5M Key Person & Shareholder Protection written in trust, providing surviving directors the capital to buy back shares while providing immediate liquidity to the family.
Outcome: Company continuity ring-fenced; zero inheritance tax dilution.
