Howe Commercial Finance Ltd

30/07/2026

The best time to put a working capital facility in place is when you don't urgently need it.
Lenders are more relaxed. Rates are better. Terms are easier. You're negotiating from a position of choice, not pressure.

Wait until you urgently need it, and you'll get a quicker yes from someone, but it'll cost you more and it'll be on less flexible terms.

That's just how the market works.

If you've been ignoring the signs, even small ones, this might be the conversation worth having.

Full breakdown here: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/five-signs-you-need-working-capital/

16/07/2026

Most commercial lenders want a seasoned landlord, long leases and a fully let building. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼?

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺.

I recently helped a first-time commercial landlord buy a 14-unit industrial estate for £2.7m. The high street declined on experience alone. We secured a £1.5m interest-only mortgage, fixed for five years, with a 10% annual capital repayment allowance built in.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

Full breakdown here:
👉 https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/case-studies/commercial-mortgage-case-study/

How we secured a £1.5m interest-only commercial mortgage at 56% LTV for a first-time landlord buying a 14-unit industrial estate, after the high street said no.

30/06/2026

Same monthly cost. £𝟱𝟬𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚.

A growing Staffordshire firm came to me with a £200k loan offer already on the table from another broker. The pay rate was north of 22%. For a business that good, it looked expensive.

We took a closer look, did the work properly, and secured £250k at 10.5%, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘺. That's a full £50k more to grow the business.

Here's exactly how we did it:
👉 https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/case-studies/business-loan-case-study/

17/06/2026

“Paul, I’m just going to wait six months and see what rates do.”

Fair enough. Sometimes that’s exactly the right call.

But waiting has a cost. I saw a property development deal fall apart recently for that very reason. Between the first agreement in principle and the actual application, build costs rose about 20%. By the time the valuation came in, the numbers no longer stacked up and the lender got cold feet. A deal that worked a few months earlier was suddenly dead.

Before you decide to wait, ask yourself one question: what’s it costing me to hold off?

I’ve written the whole thing up here: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/fixed-rate-or-variable/

Should you fix your commercial mortgage, go variable, or wait? Paul Howe breaks down the trade-offs, fees and refinancing in plain English. No jargon.

14/06/2026

The cheapest rate on day one isn’t always the cheapest deal.

A buy-to-let investor I helped recently compared two products. One had no arrangement fee but a higher rate, and would only lend him £100k. He needed £150k.

The other had a 7% fee but a much lower rate, and lent the full £150k. Total cost?
Virtually identical. Only one actually got him the money he needed.

When you compare a fixed against a variable, or one lender against another, look past the headline rate:
→ Monthly payment today
→ Monthly payment if rates rise 1%, 2%, 3%
→ Arrangement, legal and valuation fees
→ Early repayment charges
→ Total cost over how long you’ll actually hold the loan

That last one is the one most people skip. It’s also the one that matters most.

Full breakdown here: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/fixed-rate-or-variable/

Should you fix your commercial mortgage, go variable, or wait? Paul Howe breaks down the trade-offs, fees and refinancing in plain English. No jargon.

09/06/2026

“Should I fix my commercial mortgage now, or wait?”
I get asked this more than almost anything else at the moment.

Here’s the thing. There isn’t one right answer. There’s a right answer for your business.

Fix if you need certainty and your cashflow can’t take a sudden jump.
Go variable if you’ve got headroom, you might refinance soon, or you genuinely think rates are coming down.

Wait only if waiting isn’t quietly costing you more than fixing today would.
And don’t try to time the market. The owners who try usually lose more than they save.

I’ve broken the trade-offs down properly here, in plain English: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/fixed-rate-or-variable/

Should you fix your commercial mortgage, go variable, or wait? Paul Howe breaks down the trade-offs, fees and refinancing in plain English. No jargon.

01/06/2026

Not every funding problem needs the same solution.
Sometimes it is about speed. Sometimes it is about works and build costs. Sometimes it is simply cashflow pressure.
That is why getting the right type of finance matters just as much as getting finance at all.

Full blog here: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/when-the-banks-say-no/

11/05/2026

'I just want to do something I actually enjoy for once.'

That’s what I hear most from people in their 50s who are thinking about starting a business.

What often holds people back isn’t the idea. It’s not knowing what they don’t know about running a business, and worrying that the financial side will get on top of them.

I’ve written a blog on how to handle both: the funding and the knowledge side, so neither one gets in the way of what you want to build.

Read it here: https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/how-to-fund-a-passion-business-in-your-50s

Thinking about turning a passion into a business later in life? A plain-speaking guide to funding it properly without the financial stress.

05/05/2026

Here's something that causes a lot of confusion.

Business owners often say: "I just need a loan."
But different situations need different types of finance. And using the wrong one can cost more and create the wrong kind of pressure.

For example:
Buying premises → commercial mortgage
Buying machinery → asset finance (often better than a loan, even if a loan feels simpler)
Waiting for customers to pay → invoice finance
Moving quickly on a property deal → bridging finance

I've written a guide explaining how commercial finance works and when businesses typically use each type.

👉 https://howecommercialfinance.co.uk/what-is-commercial-finance-business-owner-guide

The question isn't whether finance can help. It's how you use it.

30/04/2026

Most business owners don't start by asking:
"What is commercial finance?"

They usually start with a problem.

The bank won't fund the premises
A big order lands but cashflow is tight
Customers take 60 days to pay
A property opportunity needs to move fast

That's usually when commercial finance enters the picture.

I've written a straightforward guide explaining what commercial finance actually means, how it works in real situations, and why different types of finance exist.

👉 Read the article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-commercial-finance-practical-explanation-ahqdc

It's not about borrowing more money. It's about using the right type of finance for the job.

Most people don't wake up thinking about commercial finance. Usually the question only comes up when something happens in the business.