Most high-value property is too expensive for people to buy just using savings or cash. Buying in cash may also not be advantageous from a fiscal perspective or when it means you put all your money into a property but have no remaining liquidity. Mortgages are loans that lenders offer to allow individuals to borrow funds to buy a property if you can’t or don’t want to buy it outright. You repay the lender over several years.

For most mortgages, you will need to put down a cash deposit. You will owe the remaining amount to your lender, and you will repay the loan in monthly instalments over a set period (known as the loan term). If you cannot repay the loan, your lender can repossess your home.

Some first-time buyers can put down deposits of 10% – 15%, but generally deposits sit in the 20% – 25% range, especially if you are already on the housing ladder or are looking to upsize. 

If you are borrowing a significant amount, a lender may require you to put down a larger deposit. A lender may let you put less down in other cases, but this will tend to be for VIP borrowers and those with a very high income in combination with a significant net worth. Some private banks offer 100% mortgages if you can put forward relatively significant assets under management, for example. It is worth noting that sometimes, you may find it advantageous to put down a larger deposit if it means you benefit from better rates in the long-term – your broker will be able to explain your options on this.

The shortest mortgages have terms of 2-3 years, but these tend to be rare and used in particular scenarios. At the other end of the scale, it is sometimes possible to have 40-year mortgages, but these tend to be offered to mainstream borrowers with good income looking to maximise what they can borrow, rather than the norm for high-net-worth individuals.  

For high-net-worth individuals, mortgages with terms of 5 to 25 years are typical, although mortgages in the 5-to-15-year range tend to be the most usual.