Optimise review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Optimise is a UK broker for property-backed lending, built for homeowners whether mortgaged or owning outright, and for borrowers with a poorer credit history. Borrowing of £10,000 to £500,000 is available at 9.49% to 12.6% APR, with terms of 36 to 360, though a broker fee of 0% to 12.5% can be added on completion.

Key facts

Best for
Property-backed borrowing for homeowners with a weaker credit file.
APR
9.49% to 12.6% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
£10,000 to £500,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Term
36 to 360 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
No upfront fees; broker fee added on completion (up to 12.5% of secured loan) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Soft prequal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Funding time
Funds typically released within two weeks (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Representative example
Borrow 30,000 over 180 months at 9.25% fixed for 5 years then 9.75% variable; 12.6% APRC, total payable 64,878.60 incl. broker fee 3,750 and lender fee 600 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rate type
Variable (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Broker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
Homeowners (mortgaged or own outright); employed, self-employed, retired or benefits-based incomes; all credit scores considered (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Origination fee (%)
0% to 12.5% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Secured, Personal, Debt-consolidation, Business, Bridging (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit needed
Poor (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Optimise Finance (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2009 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
Fixed rate
Official website
optimisefinance.co.uk

Mortgages

Initial rate
6.59% to 26.3% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APRC
12.6% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Fixed period
5 years (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Product fee
£3,750 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage, First-time-buyer, Buy-to-let, Equity-release (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Broker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Optimise Finance (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2009 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Loans of £10,000 to £500,000 at 9.49% to 12.6% APR, with terms running 36 to 360.
  • A fixed rate for 5 before the pricing changes, which suits planned work.
  • Every credit score is considered, and the credit profile that fits is poor, so a thinner file is still workable.
  • Retired and benefits-based incomes are eligible, alongside employed and self-employed ones.

Cons

  • A broker fee of 0% to 12.5% is added on completion, so the total cost sits above the quoted rate alone.
  • The eligibility criteria cover property owners, mortgaged or outright, which narrows the pool of applicants considerably.
  • Money moves slowly: Funds typically released within two weeks, so this is no route to funds in the same week.
Optimise

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Scored 9.0 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Homeowners with a mortgage or a home owned outright, funding home improvement work.
  • Borrowers whose credit profile is poor, since all credit scores are considered.
  • Employed, self-employed, retired and benefits-based earners in the UK.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Renters and first-time buyers with nothing to pledge: eligibility is limited to homeowners who are mortgaged or own outright.
  • Borrowers chasing a quick fix, because Funds typically released within two weeks sets the wait.
  • Readers who want a lender's own rate table: Monzo Flex publishes 10% to 23% directly, an easy side by side check.

How your money is protected

Optimise is a broker, broker, so the loan is made by a lender on its panel rather than by Optimise itself. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under 724841, and registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under Z1952834. The representative example shows a long repayment, a fixed rate first and a variable rate after, with broker and lender fees inside the total.

The company behind it

The legal entity behind the brand is Optimise Finance, based in the United Kingdom and trading since 2009. Support runs on email and phone, so a named adviser answers by email or phone while the property work is arranged. The Financial Conduct Authority registration is 724841, and the Information Commissioner's Office registration is Z1952834.

How Optimise compares

Where Optimise is available

Available
United Kingdom
Licence in United Kingdom
Financial Conduct Authority (724841), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United Kingdom
Information Commissioner's Office (Z1952834), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What rate will I pay, and what does the APR include?+

Advertised rates run 9.49% to 12.6% APR, and the worked example is shown at 12.6% APRC. The APRC is the figure that folds in the broker and lender fees, so it is the better number to compare, while the rate itself is what drives the monthly payment.

Is there an arrangement fee or upfront charge?+

There are no upfront fees. What you pay is a broker fee added on completion of 0% to 12.5%, plus lender fees, and the homeowner loans page quotes a product fee of £3,750. The cost does not appear in your first payment, so the completion stage is where it lands.

How long does it take to get the money?+

The stated timeline is Funds typically released within two weeks, so Optimise is planned borrowing rather than an emergency facility. The credit check runs as a soft prequalification at soft prequal, which means nothing is finalised at the application stage.

Who can borrow from Optimise?+

Eligibility covers homeowners who are mortgaged or own outright, and covers employed, self-employed, retired and benefits-based incomes. All credit scores are considered, and the credit profile that fits is poor, with borrowing of £10,000 to £500,000 available.

Is Optimise regulated?+

Because Optimise is a broker, broker, the loan comes from a lender rather than from Optimise, so the terms shown belong to that lender. The Financial Conduct Authority authorisation is 724841, and the Information Commissioner's Office registration is Z1952834.

Does the rate stay the same for the whole loan?+

The product is a fixed rate: fixed rate describes the model, and the rate holds for 5 before it moves to a variable rate. That is a fair trade, since the first stretch is predictable and the remainder depends on where rates sit afterwards.

Can I borrow for anything other than home improvements?+

Yes. secured, personal and debt consolidation covers the lending the broker places, and the mortgage side of the business covers purchase, remortgage and first time buyer. Homeowner loans are the product described here, so the broker fee above applies to the secured loan rather than to a mortgage.

Sources

  • optimisefinance.co.uk checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: APR, Credit check, Headquarters, Initial rate, Legal entity, Lender type, Loan types, Pricing model, Arrangement fee, Origination fee (%), Rate type, Representative example, Support channels

    “Low Rate Loan ... overall cost of 9.49% APRC; Representative Example ... overall cost of 12.6% APRC”

  • optimisefinance.co.uk/about checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Credit needed, Founded

    “Loans available for good, average, and poor credit profiles”

  • optimisefinance.co.uk/legal-information checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Licences

  • optimisefinance.co.uk/services/homeowner-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, APRC, Eligibility, Fixed period, Funding time, Product fee, Term, Use cases

    “Exclusive Homeowner Loans From 10,000-500,000”

  • optimisefinance.co.uk/services/mortgages-and-remortgages checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Purpose

    “Tailored mortgage solutions to reduce your current rate, consolidate debt, carry out home improvements, or help your children onto the property ladder”

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Optimise

Optimise

Property-backed borrowing for homeowners with a weaker credit file.

9.0/10See alternatives

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