Guide
How Much Can You Borrow Against Your Asset?
The amount you can borrow against a luxury asset comes down to two things: what the asset is realistically worth, and the loan-to-value a lender will advance against it. Here is how both work.
Last updated: 7 June 2026
Loan-to-value, explained
Loan-to-value (LTV) is the percentage of an asset’s value that a lender will advance. If a watch is worth £100,000 and the LTV is 60 per cent, the loan is £60,000.
The value used is realistic resale (open market) value, not insurance replacement value, because that is what the asset would achieve if it ever had to be sold. At SAFE Lending Co we lend from £61,000 to £2,000,000, typically at 40 to 70 per cent LTV.
Typical LTV by asset type
LTV depends mainly on how liquid an asset is, meaning how quickly and predictably it can be sold for a known price. More liquid assets support higher LTVs.
- Gold and bullion: at the higher end, because value is transparent and tied to the spot price.
- Blue-chip watches (Rolex, Patek Philippe) and certified diamonds: high LTV, deep and well-documented markets.
- Signed jewellery and important coloured stones: strong, with origin and certification supporting the figure.
- Fine art: typically more conservative, as realisation can take longer and is less predictable.
- Classic and collector cars: mid-range, depending on marque, model and provenance.
What affects your figure
Within each asset class, several factors move the value and therefore the loan.
- Authentication and documentation: certificates, grading reports, box and papers, service history.
- Condition and originality: unpolished watch cases, matching-numbers cars, untreated stones.
- Provenance: ownership history, exhibition record, concours or auction-house pedigree.
- Current market: live auction and dealer data at the time of valuation.
Worked examples (indicative)
These illustrate the arithmetic only and are not offers. A £150,000 Patek Philippe at 65 per cent LTV supports a loan of around £97,500. A £400,000 contemporary painting at 50 per cent LTV supports around £200,000. A collection of three watches valued together at £90,000 might support around £58,500 at 65 per cent.
Because our minimum loan is £61,000, a single lower-value item may need to be combined with others to qualify. We regularly lend against collections and mixed portfolios.