May 2, 2018
Individuals and businesses can find themselves in need of short-term funding in all sorts of situations: whether it’s for buying a property, getting a new build or other business project off the ground, or meeting refurbishment costs.
In situations like these, there are a number of options available for gaining the funding fast, but an increasingly popular one is the bridging loan.
As the name suggests, a bridging loan is designed to bridge a specific funding gap. Here, we take a closer look at this specific type of short-term finance — and highlight how a bridging loan can help property professionals put their project plans into practice.
Outside the world of professional property development, bridging loans have long been a go-to means of keeping property purchases on track when snags occur. This covers the classic “broken chain” scenario: if the sale of their property is held up, the owner uses a bridging loan as a short-term fix to complete a house purchase. This loan is repaid once the funds from the sale eventually come through.
But bridging loans aren’t just for fixing broken chains. The characteristics of this type of loan mean that bridging finance provides a useful option for developers and entrepreneurs who find themselves faced with a temporary funding gap. Here are some of the reasons why:
So how exactly can bridging loans help? Here are some of the situations where fast, flexible, short-term finance can be especially beneficial.
If you have just bought your target property at auction, the deposit is generally payable immediately – with the balance payable within 28 days. Traditional lenders can take their time to process applications – so this timetable can prove tight. Bridging finance can enable you to seal the deal while you wait for your development finance lender to finalise arrangements.
As we’ve seen already, bridging finance provides a useful funding option in the case of non-mortgageable properties (e.g. those that are uninhabitable), giving you the financial backing you need to get them up to scratch for longer-term finance. Also, the “broken chain” scenario can affect property development businesses and private buyers alike.
In fact, whatever your specific circumstances, if you need a short-term cash injection to fix a snag or prevent you from missing out on a development opportunity, don’t overlook bridging finance as a possible solution.
To issue development finance, lenders very often want to see planning permission in place. If you’re confident that permission will be granted but it’s yet to be “rubber stamped”, bridging finance can offer a stop-gap solution. You can switch to a longer-term development finance once that permission is granted.
During renovation and new build projects, businesses can find themselves faced with cash flow issues – sometimes triggered by an unforeseen need to purchase additional equipment or draft in extra help. A bridging loan can be the ideal vehicle to help you meet this need.
If you’re still not exactly sure what a bridging loan is, take a watch of this short video.
For a chat on bridging finance, a meeting to discuss opportunities, or just talk over that more complicated deal on your desk - give our experienced team a call today on 020 8731 5333 or drop us a line.
This information is intended for professional intermediary use only and must not be distributed to potential customers.
Enterprise Finance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm Reference Number: 302964. Certain types of loans are not regulated, for example loans for business purposes or certain buy-to-lets. Enterprise Finance Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioners Office.
Registration Number: Z6765361 Enterprise Finance Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 04440152. Registered Office Address: The Edward Hyde Building, 38 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JW.
This information is intended for professional intermediary use only and must not be distributed to potential customers