01 · Bridging finance
Bridging finance
Short-term loans secured on property, for when the timing of a deal does not fit a mortgage. We arrange unregulated bridging for investors, landlords, developers and business owners across the UK.
When a bridge is the right tool
- Auction purchases. Completion is due 28 days after the hammer falls. A bridge can be agreed in principle before you bid and completed inside the deadline.
- Refurbishment and conversion. Property a mortgage lender will not accept as it stands: no kitchen, structural work, change of use. Borrow to buy and to fund the works, then refinance or sell.
- Buying before you sell. Chain breaks on investment property, or buying the next one before the last has completed.
- Development exit. Cheaper money once a scheme reaches practical completion, giving time to sell the units without a development lender's clock running.
- Raising capital. A charge against property you already own, to fund a deposit, a business need or a purchase elsewhere.
- Refinancing an expensive or expiring loan while a longer-term facility is put in place.
Typical terms
| Loan size | £75,000 to £5m (larger by arrangement) |
|---|---|
| Term | 3 to 24 months; no minimum term with most lenders, so you pay only for the months you use |
| Loan to value | Up to 75% of value on purchases; up to 70% on refinances; higher with additional security |
| Interest | Typically 0.55% to 1.1% per month, depending on loan to value, property type and speed. Usually retained or rolled up, so there are no monthly payments |
| Arrangement fee | Typically 2% of the loan, added to the loan |
| Other costs | Valuation, your solicitor, the lender's solicitor, sometimes an exit fee. We list all of them in the written terms |
| Security | First charge, or second charge behind an existing lender with their consent |
| Property | Residential investment, semi-commercial, commercial, land with planning, HMOs, mixed portfolios |
| Borrower | Individuals, limited companies, LLPs, SIPPs and SSASs (subject to lender), overseas borrowers on UK property |
Figures are typical market ranges in 2026, not an offer. Your terms depend on the property, the loan to value, your exit and how fast you need to complete.
What it actually costs: a worked example
A £300,000 bridge for 9 months at 0.85% a month with a 2% arrangement fee: interest £22,950 and fee £6,000, so roughly £29,000 plus valuation and legal costs of £3,000 to £5,000. Against that, the question is what the bridge lets you do: buy at a discount at auction, add value through works, or avoid losing a purchase. If the sums do not work, we will tell you before you spend anything on a valuation.
Speed
Indicative terms usually within 24 hours of the outline. Completion in 7 to 14 working days is realistic when the valuation can be booked quickly and both sets of solicitors are responsive; three to four weeks is more usual. The things that slow a bridge down are almost always legal: title problems, missing planning documents, an existing lender that is slow to confirm a redemption figure. We chase all of it.
The exit
Every bridging loan is repaid by one of three things: a sale, a refinance onto a term mortgage, or cash from elsewhere. Lenders underwrite the exit as carefully as the loan, and so do we. Where the exit is a buy-to-let or commercial mortgage, we can arrange it at the same time so the two are lined up.
What we need to give you terms
- The property address and what you are paying, or what it is worth
- How much you want to borrow and for how long
- What the money is for and how you will repay it
- Who the borrower is (you, or a company) and a short note on your experience
That is enough for a first conversation and indicative terms. The full application asks for ID, proof of deposit, a schedule of any works and, for a company, the incorporation details.