Fast Bridging Loans
Secure a Bridging Loan Quickly Using Brickflow
Compare loans from 50+ bridging finance lenders
See how much you could borrow against a specific project & at what rate
Check detailed eligibility criteria to avoid wasting time & money
Ensure your deal stacks & make smarter investment decisions
Secure a Bridging Loan Quickly Using Brickflow
- Instantly search live bridging loans from 50+ lender
- Compare lender's rates, fees and maximum LTVs
- Borrow between £25,000 - £100 million
- Planning, refurbishment, purchase, refinance or development exit bridging
- Check your deal stacks against actual borrowing costs
- Avoid wasting time chasing the wrong loan with our eligibility criteria filters
- Ultra-fast search process speeds up completion times
- Apply to multiple bridging finance lenders with one lender-favoured online application
How to Secure a Bridging Loan Quickly?
Brickflow is the quickest, most efficient way to secure the best bridging deal on the market.
- ENTER your project criteria and model deals
- COMPARE loans from 100+ lenders
- APPLY for a loan with your intermediary
Here’s how it works:
- Enter your property or project details into Brickflow’s bridging loan calculator – It takes just seconds.
- Instantly search the breadth of the market – There are over 50 bridging lenders on the Brickflow platform from the breadth of the market, including banks, non-banks and specialist lenders.
- Compare and shortlist your preferred loans – Your search results will show you live market loan options with details on maximum lender LTVs, interest rates, fees, deposit requirements and potential profit outcome.
- Submit to multiple lenders directly from the platform – With your broker, or a Brickflow broker partner, you can submit your loan application to multiple lenders using our digital application form, cutting out any repetitive form-filling.
- Receive your same-day DIP (Decision in Principle) – Our record for receiving a DIP back is 7 minutes!
- Apply online - After looking over your DIPs, apply to your preferred lender. Your broker will manage your application and ensure you’re happy with the loan terms. Lenders love applications from the Brickflow platform because we cover everything they need to know to make quick credit decisions. Missing or incorrect information can easily (and very often does) delay securing your bridging loan.
Criteria Requirements for a Bridging Loan
Bridging loans have become an essential finance solution for property developers and investors, facilitating transactions that other finance types simply can’t.
As with any finance solution, there are certain eligibility and criteria requirements for securing a bridging loan, and it’s helpful to know what they are:
| The borrower |
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| Employment status |
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| Income |
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| Credit History |
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| Loan amount |
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| Loan term |
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| Experience |
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| Security |
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| Loan to Value (LTV) |
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| Deposit |
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| Exit Strategy |
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| Interest |
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Benefits of Bridging Loans Compared to Other Finance Types
There are many benefits of using bridging finance when compared with other loan types, and they are particularly useful in certain property transactions.
Some of the key benefits of quick bridging loans include:
- Fast to arrange: Can complete in a matter of days, but typically completed within 1 – 4 weeks (traditional mortgages can take 10+ weeks)
- Creates market opportunities: Having a quick cash injection allows you to take advantage of market opportunities and gives you a competitive edge when purchasing contested sites
- Flexible: Most bridging loan lenders don’t charge exit fees or early repayment charges and require a fraction of the paperwork of a traditional mortgage
- Can facilitate purchases that other finance types can’t: for example, land without planning, uninhabitable properties, non-standard construction properties
- Less stringent lending criteria: assessed on the exit strategy rather than borrower income or credit history; where a bridging loan is unregulated, it doesn’t have to meet regulations set by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)
Bridging loans can also support other finance transactions:
Development finance: where a developer is completing a ground-up project on land without planning, a bridging loan can be used to fund the acquisition and planning stage before transitioning onto development finance. Likewise, at the other end of the development cycle, when a project is at or near Practical Completion (PC) but not yet sold, rather than extending the development finance loan, a development exit bridging loan can offer more flexible terms and lower costs.
Commercial mortgages: using a refurbishment bridging loan can fund the acquisition and development of an existing commercial property before transitioning onto a commercial mortgage, avoiding having to service a loan whilst the property is not generating an income.
As well as the benefits of quick bridging loans, there can also be less positive aspects – you can read more about the pros and cons of a bridging loan.
Scenarios Whereby You Might Require An Urgent Bridging Loan
The key selling point of bridging loans is that they’re fast and as most property investors know, there are many circumstances when fast bridging finance is crucial to securing a deal.
Some typical examples of when an urgent bridging loan would be useful include:
- Buying at auction: A successful auction bid requires you to immediately secure the property with a 10% deposit and normally complete the purchase within a 28-day period. Traditional property financing can’t meet that kind of timescale.
- Closing a deal quickly: Sometimes land and property sales are time-sensitive for various reasons, and an urgent bridging loan can get the deal completed on time.
- Preventing a chain break: You’ve found your next dream home, your own home has a sale lined up, and everything is running smoothly – until the buyer pulls out. A bridging loan can finance the gap between buying and selling, so you don’t miss out.
- A quick property flip: Sometimes opportunities present themselves when you’re not quite ready, like a prime location property in need of refurbishment – fast bridging finance can cover up to 100% of the costs of the works and 75% (gross) of the purchase price.
Tips for Securing a Fast Bridging Loan
When it comes to securing fast bridging loans in the UK, size really doesn’t matter – the process is the same for all unregulated bridging loans.
It comes down to the overall deal and any complexities with the asset or the borrower’s situation. A bridging loan for purchase will usually take longer due to the title searches required, but the process can be shortened if the lender accepts title indemnity.
There are a few things you can do to make the process as fast and efficient as possible:
Prepare all necessary documentation in advance
This includes ID, proof of address and your financial information. You’ll also have to provide details on how the loan will be used, with specifics on any building costs and completion timescales for the works. Respond quickly to any requests for further information from the lender.
Be upfront about credit issues
Poor credit history isn’t necessarily a barrier to getting a fast bridging loan, but if a lender uncovers credit issues mid-way through the application process, it certainly won’t help. Tell the lender about any missed payments, a previous bankruptcy or CCJs from the outset.
Have a viable exit strategy
The first and most important information lenders are looking for is how they will be repaid. Demonstrate a clear and viable exit strategy. If you plan to refinance, having a DIP in place for a mortgage gives lenders much greater confidence. For sales, show accurate market research and comparables that prove demand for this particular type of property in this area.
Work with a specialist broker
There’s no cheat-sheet for having an in-depth understanding of how bridging finance works. Brokers have spent years building their market knowledge and fostering relationships within the bridging market and they can leverage their networks on your behalf.
Choose the right lender
Lenders who specialise in bridging finance are more likely to have the skill and expertise to complete deals faster.
Choose the right solicitor
You might have an existing relationship with a lender from previous conveyancing, but do they have any expertise in bridging finance? Inexperience and uncertainty around procedure will inevitably lead to delays.
Forego better rates for faster borrowing
Lenders determine their rates based on risk – a quicker turnaround means less checks, more risks and therefore higher rates.
Forego the survey
Most lenders will give a quick decision after the initial survey which will also determine whether any further professional reports are required in order to proceed.
The survey provides lenders – via a third party – confidence that the property provides good security, but some might be willing to work on only a lender site visit and/ or desktop survey.
Read more about how long it takes to secure a bridging loan.
What are the advantages of a fast bridging loan?
Fast bridging loans give you an immediate cash injection, enabling you to fund property or land purchases that traditional finance couldn’t, or secure a site without having to wait for the lengthy process of arranging development finance.
They tend to be flexible, with an open-ended term and no early repayment charges and can bridge temporary funding gaps over the short term, from 1 – 24 months.
Are regulated bridging loans fast?
Regulated bridging loans have to adhere to the regulations set out by the FCA in the same way as a residential mortgage. Therefore, they are slower to arrange than unregulated bridging finance and will typically take 8 or more weeks.
Regulated bridging finance would facilitate transactions where the property will be used as residence by the borrower or their immediate family.
Is a property valuation necessary for securing a bridging loan?
Yes, lenders will carry out a professional property valuation on both the property being purchased with the loan and the property/assets used to secure it. The valuation helps a lender to determine their lending parameters.
Are commercial bridging loans fast?
Unlike some residential transactions, all commercial bridging loans are unregulated, meaning they will typically be arranged within 1 – 4 weeks.
Whether an unregulated residential bridging loan are fast commercial bridging loans, how quickly they are arranged depends on various factors, including;
- The lender
- The solicitor you use
- The viability of the exit strategy
- The borrower
How much can I borrow and in what timeframe?
Lenders on Brickflow offer bridging loans between £25,000 and £100 million. The typical timeframe is 7 days to 4 weeks, but in some circumstances, lenders can complete quicker.
Do I need proof of income for a bridging loan?
Generally, bridging loans are not serviced. Instead, the interest is rolled up and paid at the end of the term. Therefore income is not as important to the lender as your exit strategy, your proposed plan for the loan, the viability of your plans and your experience of successfully completing a similar project.
How quickly can you get an urgent bridge loan?
With desktop surveys, search indemnity and at low leverage, a loan can complete as fast as 2 to 3 days, but this is not the norm. Realistically, a minimum of 7 days is needed to complete a bridging loan, and anything up to 4 weeks is still pretty fast finance.
Can you get a fast bridging loan with bad credit?
Yes, however, lenders might mitigate their risks with higher rates, lower leverage or extra security, such as additional properties. In this case, further valuations would be required, which could delay the process.
Generally, bad credit shouldn’t prevent you from securing a bridging loan since the lender will primarily base their decision on the strength of your exit strategy, but you need to disclose bad credit at the outset.
Read more about securing a bridging loan with bad credit.