Important: This article is for information only and does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation. The information is correct as at 12 October 2026. Before making any decision about a second charge mortgage, you should seek independent financial advice tailored to your personal circumstances, or contact us for a free initial consultation. Published 12 October 2026. Figures and lender panel information are correct as at this date. Yes. A second charge mortgage — also called a secured loan or homeowner loan — sits behind your main mortgage and leaves it untouched. Second charge mortgages secured on your home are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, in the same way as your main mortgage.
How much can you borrow against your home without remortgaging?
Typical loan sizes run from £30,000 to £150,000. How much you can borrow depends on your equity: lenders look at your main mortgage and the second charge together, as a share of what your home is worth.
Lenders on our panel typically go up to about 90% combined loan to value, counting your main mortgage and the second charge together. That figure is indicative, checked September 2026, and what you can borrow depends on your circumstances. All of it is subject to affordability and to the lender's criteria — equity sets the ceiling, it does not set the amount.
General positions across the lenders we work with, checked September 2026. Not the terms of any one lender, and not a recommendation.
How long does it take?
Typically around four weeks from application to funds. The steps are a valuation, your main lender's consent, the lender's own underwriting and the legal work.
Do you need your main lender's permission?
Usually yes, and we handle it as part of the process. Your main lender is asked to consent to a second charge being registered against the property.
What happens to your existing mortgage?
It stays as it is. Consent does not change your existing mortgage — your rate, term and monthly payment stay as they are. The second charge is a separate loan with its own rate and term. Which costs less depends entirely on the figures in your case — the early repayment charge, the fees and the total cost over the term — which is the comparison we run before recommending anything.
Can you borrow with adverse credit?
In many cases, yes — we work with clients who have adverse credit, though nobody can guarantee an outcome. The second charge market includes lenders who underwrite by hand and who will look at what happened, when, and whether it has been settled, rather than declining on a credit score alone.
Can you use it to consolidate debts?
You can, though it needs care. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
Consolidating debt into a loan secured on your home can reduce what you pay each month, but spreading it over a longer term means the total amount you repay can be considerably more. Before consolidating debts, you should seek independent financial advice to ensure this is the right option for your circumstances. Second charge mortgages can be right for some borrowers and wrong for others. Before proceeding, consider seeking independent financial advice to ensure this product suits your circumstances.
How do we help with a second charge?
We can advise on your second charge ourselves, or introduce you to a specialist if that suits your situation better. There's no fee to you if we introduce you.
If we advise you ourselves: Our standard fee is £495, payable when your application is submitted. In some more complex cases, an additional broker fee of up to 1% of the loan may apply. The first conversation is always free, and we always confirm your total fee in writing before any work starts. We are also paid a procuration fee by the lender if your case completes, and we will tell you what it is before you proceed.
If we introduce you, it is to a specialist firm that is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and they will give you advice. If you go ahead, the firm we introduce you to pays Lawes Financial a referral fee. You don’t pay it, and it doesn’t affect the advice you receive or the terms you’re offered.
What if you live abroad?
If you own a home in the UK but live abroad, a second charge on it may still be possible. Some lenders can accept income paid in another currency. How much you could borrow, and the maximum loan to value, depend on the country you live in, the currency you're paid in and the lender. Your main lender's consent may also work differently when you live abroad, depending on the lender.
If that is your situation, tell us where you live when you get in touch, and we will check which routes are open to you.