Edinburgh · UK-wide · expat & international
An FCA-regulated mortgage and protection brokerage, based in Edinburgh and advising across the whole of the UK. We specialise in the cases that do not fit a high street tick-box — self-employed and complex income, limited company and portfolio buy-to-let, commercial mortgages, bridging, agricultural finance, adverse credit, and British expats buying UK property.
The first conversation is free. Regulated mortgages — buying or remortgaging a home, including adverse credit, self-employed and expat cases — start at £495. Where your case is a regulated mortgage contract, our fee is capped at 1% of the loan. All other lending — buy-to-let by way of business, commercial mortgages, bridging and development finance, portfolio and agricultural finance — starts at £695, up to a maximum of 1.5% of the loan. On smaller loans the minimum fee applies in place of the percentage. Your fee is always quoted in writing before any work begins. Part is payable when you ask us to start, the balance on production of your formal mortgage offer. We are also paid commission by the lender, which we disclose to you. There is no fee for protection advice. Full fees and terms.
In short
We are a mortgage and protection brokerage in Edinburgh. We advise on residential mortgages for first-time buyers, home movers and remortgages; buy-to-let in personal name or through a limited company; commercial mortgages and bridging finance; and life, critical illness and income protection insurance.
Our office is at 30 Melville Street in Edinburgh's West End. We advise clients across the whole of the UK and overseas, and appointments can be held in person, by phone or by video.
The initial consultation is free. Regulated mortgages — buying or remortgaging a home, including adverse credit, self-employed and expat cases — start at £495. Where your case is a regulated mortgage contract, our fee is capped at 1% of the loan. All other lending — buy-to-let by way of business, commercial mortgages, bridging and development finance, portfolio and agricultural finance — starts at £695, up to a maximum of 1.5% of the loan. On smaller loans the minimum fee applies in place of the percentage. Part is payable when you ask us to begin work, and the balance on production of your formal mortgage offer. We are also paid commission by the lender, which we will disclose to you. There is no fee for protection advice.
Yes. Prime Mortgages is a trading style of Mortgage Force (UK) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our Financial Services Register number is 843041, which you can verify on the FCA register.
What we do
Mainstream and specialist. If a lender exists for your situation, our job is to find it — and to tell you plainly when one does not.
Agreement in principle, Home Reports, offers over and LBTT relief — the Scottish process explained properly.
Read moreWhole-of-market rates compared honestly against your existing lender's own offer.
Read morePort your rate or start fresh, and options for buying before you sell.
Read moreRental stress testing, the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement, HMOs and student lets.
Read moreOffices, retail, industrial, care homes and hospitality — terms negotiated case by case.
Read moreAuction purchases, chain breaks and unmortgageable property, completing in weeks.
Read moreDental practices, GP surgeries, pharmacies, vets and care homes — up to 90% LTV.
Read moreBuy, expand or refinance a day nursery — 60%–75% LTV over terms to 25 years.
Read moreSPV structures, SIC codes, personal guarantees and whether it beats personal ownership.
Read moreFour or more mortgaged properties, background portfolio testing and refinancing at scale.
Read moreOne year's accounts, retained profit and day-rate contracting.
Read moreProfessional schemes lending 5x to 6x income, bank and locum shifts, newly qualified accepted.
Read moreDefaults, CCJs, debt arrangement schemes and discharged trust deeds.
Read moreFor UK and overseas investors — structure, yields, tax and the finance that makes a deal work.
Read moreBritish expats, foreign nationals and applicants with no UK credit history.
Read moreLife cover, critical illness and income protection, with no advice fee.
Read moreFree tools
No sign-up, no credit check. Built for Scotland, so the tax figures are LBTT and ADS rather than English stamp duty.
Eight questions, about sixty seconds. An adviser comes back with what is realistically achievable for your circumstances.
Start nowSee the realistic range across cautious and generous lenders, and the purchase price it reaches once your deposit is added.
Open calculatorScottish property tax including first-time buyer relief and the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement.
Open calculatorWhat it costs each month, what it costs in total, and what happens if rates rise by one, two or three per cent.
Open calculatorThe maximum loan a property’s rent will actually support, at 125% or 145% coverage.
Open calculatorFor UK and overseas investors: structure, yields, the real acquisition cost, and how the finance works.
Read the guideWhy Prime Mortgages
We are not owned by a lender and we are not restricted to a panel of favourites. We search the market and recommend what is right for your circumstances.
Home Reports, offers over, missives, dates of entry, LBTT and the Additional Dwelling Supplement. National call centres get these wrong; we do this every week.
Straightforward residential cases are welcome, but so are the ones other brokers turn away — complex income, adverse credit, commercial, portfolio and expat.
You deal with the same person throughout, not a call queue. Your case is chased to offer and we come back to you before your rate ends.
Lenders
High-street banks, building societies and specialist lenders, including many whose products are only available through an intermediary. A selection of those we work with:
“I can’t recommend Richard highly enough. He helped me out last year and was great to deal with, and always went the extra mile.”
Paul Sandie — January 2023Common questions
You can go direct, but a bank can only offer you its own products and its own income assessment. A broker compares the whole market and, more importantly, knows which lenders treat your particular circumstances favourably — which matters enormously if you are self-employed, a landlord, or have any adverse credit. Many of the best rates are also only available through intermediaries.
Regulated mortgages — buying or remortgaging a home, including adverse credit, self-employed and expat cases — start at £495. Where your case is a regulated mortgage contract, our fee is capped at 1% of the loan. All other lending — buy-to-let by way of business, commercial mortgages, bridging and development finance, portfolio and agricultural finance — starts at £695, up to a maximum of 1.5% of the loan. On smaller loans the minimum fee applies in place of the percentage. Part is payable when you ask us to begin, and the balance on production of your formal mortgage offer. Some brokers charge nothing and rely on lender commission alone. We also receive commission from the lender, and we disclose the amount to you.
An agreement in principle usually takes 24 to 48 hours. A full mortgage offer typically follows two to three weeks after a complete application is submitted, though it can be faster on a straightforward remortgage and slower where a valuation raises queries or income is complex.
Frequently, yes. A decline is usually a mismatch between your circumstances and one lender's criteria, not a judgement that you are unmortgageable. Tell us who declined you and why, and we will identify lenders whose criteria you do meet — without making further speculative applications that damage your credit file.
No. The initial consultation is free and carries no obligation. We will tell you honestly whether we can help before anyone commits to anything.
A twenty-minute conversation will tell you what you can realistically borrow, what it will cost and whether it is worth doing. It is free, and we will tell you honestly if the answer is no.