Mortgages Over £1 Million: How High Earners and Executives Secure Larger, Smarter Lending

TL;DR:

Mortgages over £1 million are assessed differently, particularly for executives with complex income structures. High earners often benefit from broker-led access to specialist and private lenders. Firms like Well Financial help structure income, select the right lender, and secure larger, more flexible mortgages aligned with long-term financial goals.

For senior executives, partners, and business owners, securing a mortgage over £1 million is rarely about affordability alone. It’s about complex income structures, lender perception, and choosing the right route to market.

At this level, the challenge isn’t earning enough - it’s ensuring lenders understand how you earn.

Why Mortgages Over £1 Million Are Assessed Differently

Once borrowing moves beyond £1 million, mortgage underwriting becomes more nuanced.

Lenders typically apply:

• Enhanced affordability stress testing

• Deeper scrutiny of income sources

• Stricter views on sustainability and risk

• More conservative treatment of non-basic income

High-street banks can still be an option, but they often struggle to accommodate modern executive pay structures without specialist input.

Understanding High and Complex Income Structures

Many high earners do not receive income in a simple PAYE format. Instead, earnings are often split across multiple sources.

Common executive income structures include:

• Base salary plus large annual or quarterly bonuses

• Deferred compensation or golden handcuffs

• Equity, RSUs, or share vesting

• Partnership drawings

• Dividends from trading companies

• Overseas income

• Retained profits or uneven annual earnings

While perfectly legitimate, these income streams are not always fully recognised by standard mortgage affordability models.

How Lenders View Executive Income

Different lenders treat complex income very differently.

For example:

• Some high-street banks will ignore bonuses entirely

• Others may average bonuses over several years

• Certain lenders cap the percentage of variable income used

• Some private banks assess total wealth, not just income

This is why two lenders can produce dramatically different outcomes for the same applicant. The issue is more often "lender fit" than eligibility.

Higher Mortgages Require Smarter Structuring

For larger loans, how an application is structured is just as important as the numbers themselves.

Key considerations include:

• Which income streams to include and how

• Whether joint or sole borrowing is optimal

• Deposit vs liquidity trade-offs

• Term length strategy

• Interest-only vs repayment options

• Future income trajectory

Poor structuring can result in reduced borrowing, higher rates, or unnecessary decline.

High Street Bank vs Private or Specialist Lender

For mortgages over £1 million, borrowers are no longer limited to traditional high-street routes.

Options often include:

• High-street banks (with broker-led positioning)

• Specialist lenders with flexible affordability

• Private banks offering bespoke lending

• Hybrid solutions linked to assets or investments

Each route has advantages but selecting the wrong one early can limit options later. If you're looking for an adviser who specialises in these kinds of mortgages you can book a call with me here.

Why High Earners Use Well Financial

At Well Financial, we specialise in helping senior professionals secure large, intelligently structured mortgages that align with both current income and long-term financial strategy.

Our role is not simply to “find a lender”, but to:

• Translate complex income into lender-accepted formats

• Identify lenders that actively support executive profiles

• Access private and specialist banks not available direct

• Structure applications to maximise borrowing without unnecessary risk

• Manage the process discreetly and efficiently

We understand how lenders think and more importantly, which lenders think differently.

Discretion, Strategy, and Long-Term Thinking

High-value mortgages require:

• Discretion

• Precision

• Forward planning

Whether you’re purchasing a prime residence, upsizing, or refinancing, the right mortgage structure can preserve liquidity, optimise cash flow, and support wider wealth objectives.

This is where specialist advice becomes invaluable.

Final Thoughts: Larger Mortgages Need the Right Partner

For executives and high earners, securing a mortgage over £1 million is rarely straightforward but it is achievable with the right approach.

The difference is not income. The difference is expertise, lender access, and strategy.

At Well Financial, we exist to bridge that gap. Let me know if you need any further assistance with your mortgage needs, Thanks for reading,

Dan.

Book a call here