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Specialist Finance comes in many forms.

As more people blend lifestyle businesses with residential living, in addition to clients seeking better returns and alternative approaches to property investment, we are seeing a rise in cases involving a mix of asset type, sector or property use class.

This can take the form of equestrian centres, kennels, catteries, doggy day-care operations, smallholdings, and mixed-use homes that defy conventional underwriting and spread further into part investment assets, part owner occupied, mix use class and more. With over three decades of experience, at Omega we specialise in helping clients who don’t fit neatly into boxes.

We know these properties can quickly become a placement headache for our introducing partners. Traditional residential lenders often decline them outright, while commercial lenders may consider the loan too small or the business too “lifestyle-driven” to fit their appetite.

This is where specialist residential and semi-commercial expertise becomes essential.

The benefit of Omega’s lender relationships

We have access to specialist lenders who understand these properties are not simply homes with quirks, they are lifestyle assets with commercial potential. They take a fundamentally different approach, looking at the entire property rather than trying to force it into a standard residential template. There can be multiple sources of income across asset classes, outside employed income combined with trading entities operating on-site and even existing businesses run from home offices.

Some clients look to combine start-up businesses with established income across the borrowers or even split assets where the applicant(s) reside within the security but the majority is let out, this can include holiday lets, HMOs or even commercial businesses, agricultural ties, change-of-use requirements, or mixed-use classifications. This is where our knowledge of where to place and how to present these cases and clients are crucial.

Example scenarios that need specialist support

• A client buying a home with 10 acres, stables, and an arena, currently used for livery.
• A couple running a kennel and cattery business from their home, looking to refinance.
• A family purchasing a property with equestrian centre forming the majority of the proposed security.
• A semi-commercial property where the residence sits above or beside a unit let to a third-party business
• A smallholding with mixed agricultural and residential use.
• Event Spaces and Wedding venues forming part of the title on which the primary residence sits

Case Studies

1. Clients wanted to buy a property to live in a flat on the first floor, the ground floor offering commercial space which they intended to gain planning permission to convert to a holiday let. The ground floor unit post conversion offered an additional income source for the couple to supplement their day to day earnings. We were able to help the clients secure the purchase on a term mortgage with the property ‘as is’ and allow time to plan for the change of use on the ground floor unit.

2. Client had undertaken a full refurbishment and conversion of a large house into multi-let income producing units formed of multiple HMOs. They still intended to reside in one of the units, the additional income source was planned to future proof their earnings as they moved into retirement and allowed a passive income stream which they could manage directly ongoing.

The risk of forcing cases with the wrong lender

Trying to force a specialist property through mainstream lending criteria usually results in weeks of wasted time, repeated declines, frustrated clients, down-valuations, last-minute rescue attempts, and ultimately a loss of confidence in the advice process. We support our partners and clients and encourage early conversations to improve the client experience, speeding up the process by only approaching the lender best placed and who actively understand and regularly complete this type of business.

Finance products for Specialist Residential & Semi Commercial Lending

The good news is you don’t need to become an expert in equestrian valuations or kennel licensing to service your clients, you simply need to get in touch with our team and let us utilise those specialist lenders to obtain terms for you and your clients.