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If you’re looking to purchase a property at auction – perhaps to refurbish, or to acquire the land to build upon – then you may need finance to complete the transaction.
100% NET
01 Day
0.65%
Minutes
100%
£200k
£100M+
OMV
With our knowledge and experience, we are able to present lending cases to our panel in a format which is most likely to increase your chances of being offered attractive development finance. By following a comprehensive due diligence process with each client we make it possible to find the right development loan in the UK, quickly and efficiently – from the right lender.
We’re also proud to work with most of our clients on a repeat business basis – by proving the value of our service at every turn and by building long-term relationships with our developer clients. Whatever your level of experience, size of project or development loan need, you can be guaranteed of a superb experience with the team of friendly and helpful experts at Hank Zarihs Associates.
What’s more, we are able to add value at every step of the process, with in-depth knowledge and guidance, designed to help our clients match up with the right lender, for the ideal loan. We recognise that development loans are usually complex, so our service ensures that clients are best placed for acceptance from our lending panel.
We can save you money too, as we work with property development finance lenders who offer specific deals on development finance for intermediaries – cutting-out the middleman and meaning that our clients can access even more attractive deals on their borrowing – with our help, expertise and support at every step of the way.
Ready to apply for finance? We work with a tried and trusted panel of development lenders who are actively lending. The deals that we can recommend to our clients are updated daily, so you have complete peace of mind that you are receiving details of the best possible development finance products on the market in real-time.
A bridging loan will be offered at a range of different interest rates, depending on the lender and the borrower’s own situation. To find out the latest / typical finance rates on your bridging mortgage, we have created a handy calculator that allows you to get an indication of what your repayments would be.
Bridging loans are a speciality finance project and new borrowers should proceed with caution if they are new to property finance or development, or are unclear about the features of this short-term bridging finance product. Tips for success include:
Many borrowers will use a bridging finance broker because this type of product isn’t usually available through a high street lender. Look for a broker who can provide access to best in class lenders – many of whom will only offer finance through brokers and who don’t deal directly with customers. Find a broker with a panel of trusted lenders and experience in the field. A quick process and ready access to funding, without lots of paperwork or hassle, is also crucial for most borrowers!
Look out for a bridging finance provider which offers options for zero exit fee bridging loans. Exit fees can be expensive and are charged on top of the bridging finance administration fee and interest charges. Use the online bridging loan calculator at Hans Zarihs to see the effect that different interest rates, loan terms and fees have on the total cost of borrowing. This total cost is important when weighing up different products.
Look out too for flexible features such as the ability to roll over, deduct or service interest payments depending on your needs. Open and closed bridging finance deals may also be of interest to you, depending on whether you expect to be receiving sale proceeds or a mortgage income at a certain defined point, or you wish to keep the bridging loan facility open on a more flexible basis, pending confirmation of your redemption arrangements.
A good bridging loan intermediary or provider will always be committed to great customer service and will take the time to explain unfamiliar terms and to ascertain your individual needs in order to provide the right product. At Hans Zarihs, we only need a few minutes to gather all relevant information in order to send you an instant range of bridging loan quotes from our panel of tried and tested lenders. The finance process is then extremely quick and we manage it for from start to finish, packaging up your application and managing the paperwork for your lenders so that you don’t need to spend lots of time on form-filling!
We have also invested in the latest digital systems that allow us to operate on a slick, efficient and fast basis for the benefit of our customers. Not only does it just take around 20 minutes to return your personalised list of bridging loan quotes from our panel, once you submit your needs, but your finance can be made available in as little as 3 days, depending on the lender that you prefer and the bridging finance product that best suits your needs. We strive to be as rapid and as efficient as possible at all times, smoothing the process with our expertise and experience so that your funds will be with you as soon as possible. If the standard 3-7 day turnaround time isn’t quick enough for your project, please get in touch anyway and we will see what is available!
Hank Zarihs Associates streamlines your financing journey with tailored solutions, fast approvals, and expert guidance, connecting you to trusted lenders for project success
Bridging finance exists to plug the financial gap for property transactions. It is commonly used with property purchases such as:
| Product | Max LTV | Up to 50% LTV | 50.01 – 65.00% LTV | 65.01 – 75.00% LTV | Term & Repayment | Arrangement Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential
Including Light Refurbishment
|
Up to 75%
Lower of PP or MV |
0.43% pm | 0.53% pm | 0.60% pm | Maximum term 24 months No minimum interest or ERCs Interest Fully Rolled Up, Part-Rolled Up or Serviced (subject to affordability) The net advance will be less total potential interest over the term with the gross loan calculated as interest for the entire term and the arrangement fee added. |
1% -1.5%
Full fee added to
the loan. |
| Semi Commercial
Including Light Refurbishment
|
Up to 75%
Lower of PP or MV |
0.6% pm | 0.6% pm | 0.6% pm | ||
| Commercial
Including Light Refurbishment
|
Up to 70%
Lower of PP or MV |
0.75% pm | ||||
| Residential
Heavy Refurbishment
|
Up to 75%
Lower of PP or MV |
0.60% pm | 0.65% pm | 0.7% pm | ||
| Commercial and Semi Commercial
Heavy Refurbishment
|
Up to 70%
Lower of PP or MV |
0.83% pm | 0.83% pm | 0.7% pm | ||
Bridging loans don’t really work like they do in retail banking or with a personal mortgage whereby a decision is made solely on your personal credit history. Our panel of lenders tend to judge a client on their individual circumstances and, actually, it’s usually more important for you to be able to demonstrate a successful track record over a certain term.
Lenders will also sometimes ask for a business plan or a redemption plan that shows what you intend to do with the bridging loan and what the money will be spent on so that they can see if it fits their risk profile.
Ultimately, to get an affirmative application with a lender we recommend speaking to our team of experienced bridging finance brokers who can help you with all of this and assist you in putting together an affirmative plan that’s likely to be accepted.
This will depend according to your circumstances and will be depending on a number of factors. Primarily lenders will want to know things like what your Gross Development Value (GDV) is, what the Loan To Value (LTV) percentage is as well as things like your credit past and your record with property development.
Typically, however, you can obtain fast bridging loans that would provide up to 70%-80% of the value of the property, and anywhere between £250,000 to £50,000,000 depending on the lender.
Many bridging loans are offered on receipt of a business case, redemption plan or other types of evidence that show how the finance will be used, what the plan is to repay it and that the plan for doing so is workable and in line with the lender’s risk profile. For example, more experienced property developers will naturally be able to borrow larger bridging loans at short notice than a first-time auction buyer. Speak to your broker to present your case in the best possible way, so that lenders can offer you the best deal. At Hans Zarihs we do this for all of our clients so that they can receive the right bridging loan offers for their needs. We are always clear, transparent and helpful – providing tailored illustrations and all necessary information to help with decision-making. Whatever queries you might have, we are here to assist.
You may have heard about bridging loans in the context of property investment or moving house, but what exactly are they? Basically, bridging finance is a type of short-term loan that allows a buyer to purchase a property before their existing home or investment property is sold. As the name suggests, it ‘bridges’ the funding gap in the lag between purchase and sale – offering rapid access to the necessary purchase funds for a brief period of time.
Borrowers can access from £5,000 to £250 million, depending on applicant status, the value of the property and other lender criteria. Higher lending amounts are typically reserved for borrowers who can put up several properties as security. Quotes are provided on a Loan to Value (LTV) of 65%-80% in most situations.
The bridging finance market has grown rapidly, with a number of small and focused lenders now on the market, catering for specialist property finance needs. The market has changed because large high-street lenders have become less willing (and sometimes less able) to lend ever since the financial crisis of 2008.
As to whether a bridging loan for property development, auction purchase or private home buying is a good idea, it depends on a variety of factors. Bridging loan requirements vary by lender, but each will have certain common features that need to be considered.
The most notable feature of this type of finance is that the interest rate is likely to be high. At the same time, there are typically high administration fees applied to the loan. Because of this, it is essential to proceed very carefully and with a full view of the facts. Borrowers have been burned by this type of loan in the past, in instances where transactions have fallen through, or where lenders have turned out to be unscrupulous and untrustworthy.
Benefits of instant bridging loans
1. Rapid access to money
2. Ability to borrow large sums – often up to £250 million depending on applicant status
3. Options for flexible borrowing.
Possible downsides of bridging loans:
1. Failure to understand the unique features of these loans can result in financial risk
2. Bridging finance is secured against your property; meaning it can be sold if you can’t meet the repayment terms
3. A costly option with fees and higher interest
Bridging finance interest rates will vary by lender. However, interest costs of 1.5% a month are not unusual, which can equate to an annual percentage rate of 18%.
Bridging loans may have fixed or variable interest rate features. Fixed interest rates are ideal for customers who want stability, as they offer the same amount of interest for the duration of the term. The rate is pre-agreed, but there may be a premium for this security.
The other choice is to have a variable rate bridging loan which can change with the base rate. However, you can save money if the base rate decreases. Borrowers who are less concerned about security sometimes prefer the variable rate option if they believe that the financial markets will travel in their favour. Knowledge and market insight is required here, along with a thorough understanding of personal risk tolerance. If interest rates appear to be rising, most customers will choose the fixed interest rate to lock it in and avoid further increases in the event of a base rate rise.
Bridging loan periods tend to be for several months and there are usually different options for paying the interest portion.
Monthly repayments
The customer repays the interest every month as a separate payment, rather than adding it to the outstanding balance
Rolled-up bridging finance deals
The compound interest is calculated monthly but added to the outstanding loan balance and paid together when repayment is due.
Retained interest
The monthly interest payment due is covered up to a predefined date so that the full sum is only repaid when monies are due.
As well as interest payments, there will be an arrangement fee for the set-up of the bridging loan, which is usually around 1-2%. A repayment fee for exit paperwork may also apply, along with valuation fees for the cost of the surveyor.
Remember, this type of finance is designed to be short-term. As soon as it extends beyond the agreed interim or bridging period, penalties can rapidly stack up. Typically, bridging finance is available for 1 – 18 months.
Yes, there are two broad types: closed bridging finance and open bridging finance.
With closed bridging finance you will tell the lender how you will repay the loan – with what funds and when. These loans usually complete within a few months and the clear exit plan is required as a lending condition.
Open bridge finance won’t usually need this type of exit plan, and it is typically the loan of choice when funds are needed urgently to complete a property transaction. No detailed plan is needed to explain how the debt will be settled, and the finance tends to be offered for up to a year. Of course, it’s important to note that interest will keep being applied throughout this period.
There are also first charge bridging loans and second charge bridging loans.
If you have a loan against a property which is already mortgaged, you’d take out a second charge loan. An example of this would be if you were planning to finance a property extension to improve the property. The categorisation tells the lenders who will have legal priority for repayment if the loan was unable to be paid off at the term-end.
First charge loans apply if the new loan is the first secured on the property.
Bridging loan requirements will depend on the lender. Often, lenders will require that:
Customers must also take out their property mortgage with them too, providing the bridge finance as an interim measure before the standard mortgage comes into play.
Property is put forward as security against the loan. Some lenders expect applicants to have more than one property in order to be eligible for their bridging finance products, but this will depend on the lender and the size of the loan.
Applicants show proof of income – although, interestingly, as loan interest isn’t repaid monthly, some lenders do not request this.
The applicant shows evidence of their property investment track record if they are planning to develop their purchased property.
The applicant can show a business plan if they are using the bridging loan for commercial purposes.
Development loans are another type of short-term property development loan. They are repaid in stages and calculated on the gross value of the development. Personal loans are another option, as are remortgages when timescales are more flexible and a long-term loan is desirable.
Use a bridge loan calculator
Ask for your lender to provide a tailored bridge finance example or illustration around your particular borrowing needs.
Think carefully about the type of bridging loan that you need – whether open bridge finance or closed bridge finance.
Know whether the loan is a first or second charge type.
Clarify whether the interest rate is fixed or variable.
Review products from several lenders.
Be clear on your security.
Read the small print!
Bridging loans are offered by banks, building societies, specialist lenders and brokers. They aren’t widely advertised and usually require a direct application by the customer to find out the product features and offers.
Once you have made an application, a decision will usually be made within 24 hours. The funds then will take around two weeks to be issued, including time for checks to be carried out, the valuation and the actual transfer.
Hank Zarihs are highly experienced and specialist financial intermediaries operating in the property development market. We work with a tried and tested panel of over 60 trusted lenders and can provide excellent bridging finance with attractive features. Contact us to find out more.
Hank Zarihs Associates streamlines your financing journey with tailored solutions, fast approvals, and expert guidance, connecting you to trusted lenders for project success
