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No advice fee. No application fee. No fee on completion. We’re paid by the lender and we’re FCA regulated, so the advice is held to the highest professional standards.
Kensington’s property market is unlike almost anywhere else in the UK, and the mortgage decisions that follow from it are genuinely specialist.
Holland Park draws ultra-high-net-worth buyers to large Victorian villas on private roads, with prices regularly reaching £8m to £20m or more. Where finance is used at all, it is almost always through private banking rather than standard residential products.
South Kensington is heavily international in character, with strong demand from French expat families due to the proximity of the Lycée Charles de Gaulle, and from corporate and diplomatic tenants. Mansion blocks and converted Victorian terraces dominate, and the area sees a high volume of flat purchases and buy-to-let applications. Short leases on older conversions are common and worth checking early.
Earl’s Court (SW5) offers the most accessible entry point on the Kensington side of the borough, with a greater concentration of purpose-built mansion blocks and smaller flats. Prices are lower than the northern core, though leasehold complications and service charges remain a consistent factor here too.
Leasehold flats account for around 75% of all transactions in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and nearly every property in the borough is leasehold. Most lenders require a minimum unexpired lease term of 70 to 85 years at application. On Victorian conversions where leases were originally granted for 99 or 125 years, a property that looks well-presented may still carry a lease that restricts your lender options significantly. Extension costs rise sharply once a lease falls below 80 years, so knowing the exact term before you apply matters. Major freeholders in the area include the Cadogan, Grosvenor and Ladbroke Estates, and some lenders hold specific positions on certain estate-held titles.
Listed buildings and conservation area properties are the norm in Kensington rather than the exception. RBKC contains over 3,800 listed buildings and around 70% of the borough falls within a Conservation Area. Unauthorised alterations, such as window replacements or basement works carried out without listed building consent, can hold up or prevent a mortgage offer. Specialist buildings insurance is recommended, and a fuller structural survey is often worth considering depending on the condition and age of the property.
First-time buyers in RBKC averaged £1,077,000 in May 2026 (ONS). A one-bedroom flat in Earl’s Court fringe starts around £600,000, while a two-bedroom flat in the W8 core or a South Kensington mansion block typically sits between £900,000 and £1,600,000. A three-bedroom house or maisonette runs from roughly £2m upward, and Holland Park villas start at £5m and climb well beyond that.
At these levels, even a 20% deposit leaves a loan of £860,000 on a £1,077,000 purchase. To borrow that amount at a standard 4.5x income multiple, you would need a gross income of around £191,000. Many buyers here need lenders offering 5x income or higher, or access to private bank facilities for loans above £1m. Getting mortgage advice in Kensington that covers the full specialist lending market, not just mainstream high-street products, is the practical starting point for most buyers here.
Kensington rewards careful preparation: the lease length, the freeholder, the listing status and the lender all need to align before you can get a mortgage in Kensington on terms that actually work for you.
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We’re used by clients across London and the wider UK, with 1,600+ verified 5★ Trustpilot reviews. You can read our independent reviews from people we’ve arranged mortgages for, which gives a good sense of how we work.
We compare around 14,000 mortgage products from more than 99 mortgage lenders, including high street banks and specialist lenders. London has its own mix of property types — period conversions, ex-local authority flats, Victorian terraces and new build towers are all assessed differently by lenders.
It’s not just about finding a rate. It’s about placing your mortgage with the right lender first time.
We don’t favour any one lender. With access to over 99 lenders, we’re spoilt for choice. We match your mortgage application with the lenders whose criteria best fit your circumstances. From your first enquiry through to your mortgage offer, you’ll have a qualified mortgage adviser managing the entire process, not a faceless call centre.
| Feature | YesCanDo Money | Typical Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | £0 | £300–£700 |
| Whole-of-market access | ✅ 99+ lenders | Not always — many use a limited panel |
| Mortgage products | ✅ 14,000+ | Restricted to their panel (Typically 10-60 lenders) |
| Dedicated adviser | ✅ Yes | Often passed between staff |
| Application handling | ✅ Fully managed | Varies by firm |
| Updates throughout | ✅ Proactive | Often only when chased |
| Communication | ✅ Phone, Email, Video & WhatsApp | Phone or email only |
| Trustpilot rating | ✅ 5/5 Stars - Rated Excellent | Industry Standard 4.1 out of 5 |
| Fee on completion | ✅ None | Some charge on top of lender commission |
Mortgage rates move regularly and the best deal for you depends on your deposit, the property and your circumstances. The rates below give a live snapshot of what’s available at 80% loan to value, but the headline rate is only ever part of the picture. We’ll compare the true cost across 99+ lenders and match your mortgage application to the one most likely to accept it.
THE SITUATION
A private equity associate and her partner, an orthopaedic surgeon, were buying their first home together: a two-bedroom mansion block flat on Onslow Gardens, South Kensington. Purchase price was £1,025,000, with a 10% deposit of £102,500, leaving a loan of £922,500 at a combined income of £196,000. That is a 4.71x income multiple, above the standard 4.5x cap applied by most high-street lenders.
THE CHALLENGE
The surgeon’s income mixed an employed NHS salary with self-employed private practice earnings, which several lenders treated inconsistently. On top of that, the flat carried 77 years of unexpired lease, below the level many mainstream lenders prefer at application. Finding a lender willing to accept both the elevated multiple and the short lease ruled out the majority of the high-street panel immediately.
WHAT WE DID
We identified a specialist lender comfortable with professional borrowers at 5x income or higher and whose lease criteria accepted 77 years remaining, subject to a confirmed solicitor instruction to begin the lease extension process. We structured the income assessment to present the surgeon’s blended earnings in the format the lender required, avoiding the self-employed seasoning issue that had blocked an earlier approach. The rate secured was 4.95%.
THE OUTCOME
Mortgage offer came through in 9 days. Completion followed with the extension process already instructed, giving them a cleaner starting point from day one. They paid no broker fee throughout.
THE SITUATION
A senior wine buyer owned a mansion block flat on Onslow Gardens, SW7, valued at £1,175,000 with £715,000 outstanding on a five-year fix nearing expiry. With the lease at 72 years and the premium rising every year it shortened, she wanted to raise £38,000 alongside the remortgage to fund the statutory lease extension itself, bringing the total loan to £753,000. Her lender offered a product transfer at 5.32% without requiring a new application, but that route could not add the capital raise.
THE CHALLENGE
The product transfer looked convenient, but the rate was notably higher than the open market. She had recently moved from a salaried role to a retained consultancy arrangement, which meant some lenders would treat her as newly self-employed and restrict their offers. Finding a lender comfortable with her income structure while also accepting a capital raise on a 72-year lease required careful filtering, though the purpose helped: the raise would cure the very lease issue the lender was pricing.
WHAT WE DID
We ran a direct comparison between the product transfer and a full remortgage with a specialist lender experienced in both consultant income and short-lease leasehold stock. We identified a lender whose criteria accommodated the 72-year lease alongside her retained income, precisely because the raise funded the extension with the notice served on completion, securing a rate of 4.56% on the full £753,000 over 25 years. We checked the lease position upfront so there were no delays at valuation stage, and the formal offer came back in 15 days.
THE OUTCOME
On a £753,000 loan, switching from 5.32% to 4.56% reduced monthly payments from £4,543 to £4,207, a saving of £336 a month. The lease extension was funded and underway, and she paid no broker fee.
THE SITUATION
A senior investment banker and her partner owned a two-bedroom flat in South Kensington, purchased for £1,285,000, and were buying a four-storey Victorian townhouse on Lansdowne Road, on the Holland Park side of Notting Hill, for £3,575,000. Their combined income was £545,000, and their existing mortgage balance was £1,060,000 at 4.18% with two years remaining on the fixed term.
THE CHALLENGE
Leaving the existing rate early would trigger an ERC of £8,600, and the £2,575,000 total loan sat at 4.72x their income, needing a lender comfortable at that level on a seven-figure balance. The question was whether porting the £1,060,000 at 4.18% and taking a separate top-up of £1,515,000 at 4.93% would beat remortgaging the full amount at the best available 4.80%. The sale was a probate one, with executors requiring exchange within six weeks.
WHAT WE DID
We modelled both options side by side. Porting produced a blended rate of approximately 4.62% across the full £2,575,000 loan, giving monthly payments around £266 lower than the clean remortgage at 4.80%, and it meant the £8,600 ERC never applied. The numbers made the decision obvious, so we submitted the ported application and the top-up together, keeping both on a single timeline.
THE OUTCOME
Formal mortgage offer arrived in 17 days, exchange met the executors’ deadline, and the family moved into Lansdowne Road without paying a penny in broker fees or early repayment charges.
THE SITUATION
A tax consultant was purchasing a two-bedroom mansion block flat on Cromwell Road in South Kensington as a buy-to-let investment. The purchase price was £1,025,000, with a 25% deposit of £256,250, leaving a loan of £768,750. Expected monthly rent was £4,560, reflecting the strong corporate and diplomatic demand in the area.
THE CHALLENGE
The standard 145% rental coverage test at a 5.5% notional rate required monthly rent of £5,109 to pass. At £4,560, the application fell short by £549 a month and was declined by two high-street lenders on income coverage grounds alone. The flat’s lease also had 76 years remaining, ruling out a further tranche of mainstream lenders whose criteria prefer longer terms at application.
WHAT WE DID
We identified a specialist buy-to-let lender offering top-slicing against the applicant’s earned income and assessing rental coverage at the actual pay rate of 4.85% with a 125% threshold. At that rate, the required rent was £3,884, comfortably cleared by the £4,560 expected income. The same lender accepted the 76-year lease with a lease extension undertaking confirmed by the solicitor, unlocking the application entirely.
THE OUTCOME
A formal mortgage offer came through in just over three weeks, with no broker fee. The landlord completed knowing both the rent coverage and the lease extension path were secured from day one.
Every mortgage situation has its own quirks. We’ll find the lender that fits. Get Free Advice →
We work with high street banks as well as specialist lenders that only accept applications through brokers. Some deals simply aren’t available if you go directly to a bank.
We tell you upfront how a lender is likely to view your mortgage application and what’s genuinely achievable. No jargon, no vague answers and no surprises down the line.
We chase the mortgage lender, deal with queries and coordinate with the valuer and your solicitor so things keep moving without it landing back on you.
We identify where your case fits before submitting anything. Self-employed earnings, contractor rates, bonus income and commission can all affect which lenders say yes.
You’ll never be left wondering where things stand. We contact you when decisions are made and flag anything that needs your attention straight away.
Phone, online meeting or WhatsApp, whatever suits you best. Most clients never need to meet us in person and the advice is exactly the same either way.
With 1,600+ five-star reviews on Trustpilot, we’re ranked among the top 10 mortgage brokers in the UK. That comes from taking every case seriously and making sure every client feels looked after from the first conversation right through to completion.
Buying your first home in London means navigating leasehold flats, shared ownership schemes and new build developments. We handle the mortgage side from start to finish, including shared ownership and Help to Buy.
If your deal is ending or you want to check you’re on the right rate, we search across 99+ lenders and handle everything. It costs nothing to find out if you can do better.
Moving home in London often means properties lenders assess very differently. Whether porting (transferring your current mortgage to your new home) or getting a new deal, we compare both options and manage everything through to offer.
London has one of the strongest rental markets in the country, with high tenant demand across every borough. Rental income calculations and lender criteria need to be right from the start.
A mortgage is a long term commitment. We advise on life cover, critical illness cover and income protection so that if something unexpected happens, your home isn’t left exposed.
Kensington sits in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the most expensive borough in England and one where mainstream lending assumptions rarely apply. Understanding the local property market, its leasehold complexities and its specialist lender landscape matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country.
For buyers who can afford it, Kensington is hard to fault on paper, though the entry price means most people are making significant financial compromises to get here.
Kensington is stucco terraces, garden squares and mansion blocks set around one of London’s finest parks. Holland Park itself is the green heart of the area, flanked by some of the most valuable residential streets in the country. South Kensington brings the museum quarter, with the Natural History Museum, V&A and Science Museum sitting within the neighbourhood itself. It is urbane, quiet by inner-London standards and heavily international in character, particularly around the French Lycée Charles de Gaulle, which draws a consistent cohort of French expat families to the area.
Three Zone 1 Underground stations serve the area: High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road and South Kensington, all on the District and Circle lines. Westminster is roughly eight minutes by Circle line. Victoria is around thirteen. Heathrow is reachable in approximately thirty-five minutes on the Piccadilly line from South Kensington or Gloucester Road, which matters a great deal to the internationally mobile buyers this borough attracts.
The schools that drive catchment demand in Kensington are well established, and competition for addresses near the strongest primaries is real and reflected in prices. Families also come for the parks: Holland Park, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park together form an extraordinary run of green space. Weekend life here leans toward galleries, farmers’ markets and independent restaurants rather than the chain-heavy high streets of outer London.
The price is the catch. First-time buyers in RBKC averaged £1,077,000 in May 2026 (ONS provisional), and that is the entry point, not the midpoint. Kensington does not suit buyers looking for yield, value growth in the near term or a straightforward mortgage application. Flat prices across RBKC fell 11.0% in the year to May 2026 (ONS), so buyers should enter with realistic expectations about short-term capital performance.
Specialist, leasehold-dominated and at price points that take most buyers outside standard residential lending territory.
Flats account for around 75% of transactions, and approximately 99% of the market is leasehold. Victorian conversions and mansion blocks dominate, particularly in the W8 core and South Kensington. Lease length is the single most consistent mortgage complication here: many Victorian properties now carry leases under 85 years, which narrows the lender panel significantly, and extension costs rise sharply once a lease falls below 80 years. The ONS mortgage-buyer average across RBKC was £1,280,000 in May 2026. Rightmove’s trailing sold price average for W8 specifically was £1,951,845, reflecting the weight of cash transactions at the top of the market.
Borough-level prices fell 10.7% in the year to May 2026 (ONS/HM Land Registry). New-build flats were hit hardest: Kensington and Chelsea new-build flat values fell 17% in 2025, the steepest fall among prime central London boroughs (Hamptons, January 2026). Most lenders cap LTV on new-build flats in prime central London at 75 to 80%, and any developer incentives must be declared and will reduce the assessed purchase price.
Average private rents in RBKC reached £3,596 per month in June 2026 (ONS), well above the London average of £2,302. Year-on-year rental growth was effectively flat at minus 0.5%. Gross rental yields are the lowest of any London borough at 3.4% (Benham and Reeves, June 2026), so buy-to-let here is a capital preservation play, not an income one. Standard BTL stress tests frequently fail at these yield levels unless the deposit is very large, making top-slicing against personal income a common requirement.
If you are looking to get a mortgage in Kensington, the lender shortlist, lease checks and income structuring need to happen before you make an offer, not after.
A short call to understand your situation and goals — income, deposit, the property and anything that might affect lender choice. From there we give you a clear picture of what’s realistic.
We search across the market, including lenders you can’t reach directly. Once you’re happy with the recommendation, we secure the rate, arrange an agreement in principle and submit the full application.
When the lender is satisfied, they issue the formal offer. We stay involved right through to completion, and if a better rate appears before then we’ll look at whether switching makes sense.
No charge for the initial discussion — we’ll explain the options before anything moves forward.
★★★★★ Rated Excellent · 1,600+ reviews
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Kensington sits in the most expensive borough in the UK, where the average first-time buyer pays over a million pounds and roughly three in every four transactions involve a leasehold flat. Lease length is the single most common mortgage complication here: Victorian conversions on streets like Vicarage Gate and Sheffield Terrace regularly carry leases that have worn down below 85 years, and getting the lender selection right before you fall in love with a property can save weeks of delay and real money.
We’re a family-run, FCA regulated mortgage broker, not a call centre. You deal with a real adviser throughout, someone who takes the time to understand your situation and works out the best route forward before any paperwork is started.
In Kensington, the rate matters far less than the lender. Loan sizes in this borough routinely exceed the caps that rule out most high-street names, lease quirks eliminate others, and conservation area or listed building complications narrow the field further still. Getting that match right from the first application is what makes the difference.
