Recognise Bank has completed a £556,000 residential bridging loan to support the renovation of a central London investment property, while also releasing capital to assist the borrowers’ trading business.

The facility was arranged for a couple who own a period mews property in South Kensington. The property was undergoing renovation works to upgrade and modernise the home, with a longer-term plan to place it on the rental market once the works are complete.

The twelve-month loan was introduced by Justin Trowse and Seona Patton of Mortimer Street Capital and completed with retained interest.

Agreed at 27% LTV, the facility enabled the borrowers to release equity from an unencumbered property that had been purchased within the previous twelve months.

Alongside the property investment, the borrowers operate a trading cosmetics business in the UK and overseas. Funding was required at pace to support an imminent marketing campaign and to ensure renovation works could continue over the festive period.

The transaction was completed by Heather Mitchell, lending manager at Recognise Bank, and managed by Matt Dalton, lending operations manager, working alongside the wider lending team. This marked the first completed transaction introduced to the bank by Mortimer Street Capital.

Close coordination between the broker, valuer, solicitors, the clients and the bank enabled the funding to complete within a tight timeframe.

GROWTH MOMENTUM INTO 2026

The deal reflects a strong start to 2026 for Recognise Bank, following a successful 2025 in which it expanded its broker panel by 300% and increased the size of its lending team by 66%. The growth has supported a higher volume of cases and strengthened the bank’s ability to deliver funding quickly across a wider geographic footprint.

The bank’s proposition remains focused on providing short term, property-backed finance against residential and commercial security, alongside commercial term finance for both owner occupiers and investors.

Heather Mitchell (pictured), lending manager at Recognise Bank, said: “This case shows the importance of listening closely to the broker and understanding the client’s position from the outset. The borrowers had clear plans for the property and their wider business, and the funding needed to work around both residential and commercial elements.

“It was a relatively simple deal in structure, but the key factor was how quickly it needed to complete. Releasing capital for business purposes alongside a residential property is not something every lender will consider, so speed and clarity were vital.

“By taking a practical view of the property and the purpose of the loan, and by working closely with the broker and other parties, we were able to turn the deal around quickly and put a facility in place that kept everything moving.”

Justin Trowse, managing director at Mortimer Street Capital, added: “This was our first completed deal with Recognise Bank and the process was straightforward throughout. The team understood the urgency of the funding and stayed close to the detail from start to finish.

“This enabled the clients to proceed with both the renovation and their wider business plans without delay.”