Over the last decade, the value of an average home in the UK has increased manifold. This is truly reflected in the prices prevailing in the UK. An average home in England and Wales now costs £179,935. A year ago, this figure was less by £15,003. And, if you are living in London the home price is even more. An average London home costs £333,785 - nearly £154,000 more than the average for England and Wales. If your home has appreciated enormously, it means that you have far more equity in your home as compared to previous years. So, obviously you can borrow more.



Secured loans very much depend on the equity in your home. The equity, in turn, is affected by the fluctuations taking place in the real estate market. The value of your home may increase or decrease with the market trends. Even if you have already taken one secured loan, you can again take out another secured loan by utilising the increase in the value of your home. Thus, secured loans are really beneficial for homeowners.

Secured loans can ideally get you up to £250,000. But, there are many determinants that decide what exactly you can get. As a rule, the higher the equity in your home, the higher will be the loan amount. But, if you have bad credit history and a very low credit score, you may not be able to get big loan. Even the rate of interest would be high than in normal instances. So, your individual circumstances, lender’s credit policy, the amount required, duration of loan, credit score, etc., are the relevant factors that influence the terms and conditions of a loan.

Secured loans can be used for a number of purposes. You can take out secured loans to improve your home, to buy your favourite car, to consolidate your debts, etc. There is no restriction. However, you should not rely too much on loans. There is an element of risk in case of secured loans. By pledging your home to the lender, you actually give an option of foreclosure to the lender. Foreclosure is a process by which a lender can deprive you of your property due to failure to repay the loan. Lender can repossess and also sell your home to recover the outstanding loan amount. To avoid this risk, many borrowers prefer to take out payment protection insurance policy. This insurance policy can save you in case you become unable to repay your loan amount. However, this insurance policy has limited application as it can bail you out only in some cases like job loss, permanent inability to work, prolonged illness, etc.

Normally, lenders give 80 per cent of equity as a loan. However, some lenders allow up to 125 per cent LTV (loan-to-value). But, this is not a standard in the UK financial market. You will have to convince the lender and compensate him with other things like a good credit score and an exceptional repayment record.

Now, here is a bit of caution for you. You should not necessarily take the first loan that comes your way. As a borrower, you should shop around and settle for one of the best secured loans available in the UK financial market. You can take help of the Internet in getting loan quotes from several lenders. You need to fill an online application form and lenders will send you several offers as per your individual circumstances. Compare these loan quotes and select one of the best secured loans that suit your requirements.