Best Remortgage Lenders for High LTV Borrowers

Understanding LTV Thresholds and How They Affect Your Options

Most mortgage products are priced in LTV bands — for example, up to 60%, up to 75%, up to 80%, up to 85%, up to 90%, and up to 95%. Each band carries its own rate, with lower LTV bands typically offering the most competitive deals. As you move into higher LTV territory, the number of available lenders decreases and rates increase, reflecting the higher risk to the lender if the property were to be repossessed and sold.

For remortgage purposes, your LTV is calculated by dividing your outstanding mortgage balance by the current value of your property. If your property is worth £200,000 and you owe £170,000, your LTV is 85%. If you owe £180,000, your LTV is 90%.

At 85% LTV, a reasonable number of mainstream lenders are available, though the product range narrows compared to lower LTV tiers. At 90% LTV, the range narrows further but remains viable with the right lenders. At 95% LTV, options are limited primarily to government-backed schemes or specific lender products, and remortgaging at this level is genuinely challenging.

One important consideration for remortgagers — as opposed to buyers — is that some lenders apply different criteria for remortgage applications versus purchase applications at the same LTV. In particular, capital raising at high LTV is viewed differently from straight remortgages without additional borrowing.

Best Lenders at 85% to 90% LTV

Halifax: Halifax is consistently one of the most accessible mainstream lenders at higher LTV ratios. It offers remortgage products up to 90% LTV and maintains relatively competitive rates at this level compared to many competitors. Halifax's broad eligibility criteria also mean it can accommodate a range of borrower circumstances at high LTV, including some cases involving complex income.

Nationwide: Nationwide is another strong option at up to 90% LTV for remortgage applications. As a mutual building society, Nationwide takes a slightly different approach to risk and is known for responsible lending policies. It offers both remortgage and product transfer options at high LTV, and its rates at the 85% to 90% band are generally competitive.

Accord Mortgages: Accord (intermediary-only arm of Yorkshire Building Society) regularly features in the higher LTV space and offers remortgage products up to 90% LTV. As a broker-only lender, Accord is only accessible through a mortgage adviser. It is often worth checking alongside Halifax and Nationwide when exploring the 85% to 90% range.

Barclays: Barclays offers remortgage products up to 90% LTV and is competitive in this space. It also has a strong digital application process which can make the remortgage experience relatively smooth. Barclays does have some restrictions on capital raising at higher LTV, so borrowers seeking to release equity at 90% should check specific criteria before applying.

Santander: Santander participates in the 85% to 90% LTV remortgage market and has historically been flexible on some borrower circumstances at this level. Rates at 90% LTV are naturally higher than at lower tiers, but Santander can be competitive, particularly for borrowers with strong income and clean credit histories.

Options at 95% LTV: Springboard and Family Offset Products

At 95% LTV, the mainstream remortgage market becomes very restricted. Standard remortgage products at this level are rare, and borrowers in this situation often need to consider alternative approaches.

Barclays Family Springboard Mortgage: The Barclays Family Springboard mortgage allows a family member to provide 10% of the property value as a deposit into a Barclays savings account. This effectively provides additional security to the lender, allowing the borrower to access a mortgage at what is functionally a lower LTV. The family member's savings are returned after a set period (typically five years), provided all payments have been maintained. While originally designed for first-time buyers, the principle can apply to remortgage situations in certain circumstances.

Nationwide Family Assist Mortgages: Nationwide has offered family-assisted mortgage products that allow a family member's savings or property equity to be used as additional security. These products can help borrowers access mortgages at higher effective LTV ratios by reducing the lender's exposure.

Waiting for equity to build: In many cases, the most practical solution for borrowers at 95% LTV is to remain on their current lender's product transfer offering while waiting for a combination of mortgage repayments and property value increases to bring the LTV below 90%. Once below that threshold, the full mainstream market opens up. A broker can help calculate how long this is likely to take and what the total cost comparison looks like.

Overpayments: If your mortgage allows overpayments, making additional payments to reduce the outstanding balance can bring your LTV into a lower band more quickly. Even moving from 90% to 89% LTV can improve the available rates in some cases, and reducing below key thresholds like 85% or 75% can produce material savings on remortgage rates.

Capital Raising at High LTV: What Lenders Allow

Remortgaging to release equity — capital raising — is more restricted at high LTV than a straight remortgage without additional borrowing. Most lenders will limit or refuse capital raising above 85% LTV, and at 90% LTV, it is rare to find a lender willing to add to the borrowing.

Halifax and Nationwide will generally not permit capital raising above 85% LTV. Accord is similarly restrictive. For borrowers who need to release equity but are at a high LTV, the options narrow considerably to specialist lenders or secured loans (second charge mortgages) where the combined LTV remains within acceptable limits.

If capital raising is your primary objective and your LTV is above 85%, a secured loan may be a more viable route. Secured loan lenders sometimes have different LTV limits for second charge lending, and keeping your existing first charge mortgage in place avoids any early repayment charges. A broker can assess whether a remortgage or a secured loan is the more practical and cost-effective option given your LTV and objectives.

It is also worth noting that some lenders apply a cap on the total amount of equity that can be released as a percentage of the property value, irrespective of LTV. Understanding these limits before applying prevents wasted applications and credit searches. A whole-of-market broker will have access to the current criteria across all relevant lenders.