Hampshire Trust Bank has completed a £5.5 million semi-commercial refinance for a high-net-worth entrepreneur expanding a mixed-asset property portfolio in the North West of England.
The borrower, an established business owner, used the facility to release capital from residential and semi-commercial assets to fund further acquisitions and put in place a more formal long-term investment strategy.
The transaction involved multiple securities across a mixed-use portfolio and represented the borrower’s move into leveraged funding at this scale.
The case was introduced by Maxim Cohen, group ceo at The UK Adviser Group, and was led for HTB by Wes Baker, regional account director, specialist mortgages.
The portfolio required preparation before submission, with the broker working with the client to organise financial information and implement appropriate lease structures.
HTB assessed the application across multiple securities and progressed it through valuation, legal and structural stages. The bank said the structure and pricing reflected the complexity of the portfolio and the borrower’s requirements.
The facility was delivered using HTB’s panel solicitors, Arch Law, with title insurance used to reduce overall transaction costs compared with a traditional external legal approach.
The transaction was also supported by Melanie Franks, completions officer, and Stephen Mettler, underwriter, at HTB, with Arch Law working alongside the broker team to manage the legal process through to completion.
Baker (pictured) says: “This was a case where the underlying position was strong, but the borrower needed to take a more structured approach before it could move forward.
“Moving into leveraged funding at this scale brings additional requirements around how the portfolio is presented and assessed, and getting that right early on was key to progressing the transaction with confidence.”
Cohen adds: “This was a complex case, both in terms of the portfolio and getting the client into a position where the deal could actually proceed. A big part of our role was making sure everything was properly structured and presented so it could move forward in the right way.
“Once that was in place, HTB engaged closely with the detail. They worked through the issues with us and approached it as a partner, which made a real difference to the outcome for the client.”
Alex Upton, managing director, specialist mortgages and bridging finance at HTB, says: “Cases like this are less about complexity on paper and more about getting the structure right from the outset.
“For borrowers looking to expand more strategically, that often means taking a step back, working through the detail early and making sure the funding is aligned to what they are trying to achieve over the longer term.
“When that process is done properly, it gives both the broker and the client the confidence to move forward and build on that position.”
