Development finance covers the money that turns a site, a plan, or a run-down property into something worth considerably more. Whether you’re building from scratch, converting an existing building, buying land, or need short-term funds to move quickly, the right structure changes how smoothly a project actually runs.
We work with specialist development and bridging lenders across the UK, matching the finance to the project rather than fitting your project around whatever one lender happens to offer.
Short-term property lending is a well-established part of how UK developers and investors fund projects. The bridging loan book across the industry stood at around £13.4 billion at the end of 2025, according to the Bridging & Development Lenders Association, with average monthly rates on bridging loans sitting around 0.84%. Development finance itself is typically sized against the value of the finished project, with loan-to-gross development value commonly capped at around 65%, giving lenders room to absorb cost overruns or a softer sales market.
Full funding for new-build projects, from land acquisition through to practical completion, released in stages as the build progresses.
Funding to buy and renovate a property, covering both light cosmetic work and heavier structural projects, with an exit onto a sale or a standard mortgage.
Fast, short term funding for situations where timing matters, from auction purchases to broken chains, typically arranged in weeks rather than months.
Funding to acquire land, whether it already has planning permission or you’re buying with a view to obtaining it.
Most development and bridging finance for business purposes falls outside FCA regulation, since it’s used to fund a commercial project rather than to buy a home to live in. Bridging secured against a borrower’s own residence can fall under regulated mortgage contract rules, specifically Article 61 of the Regulated Activities Order. We’ll always be clear with you about whether a particular loan is regulated and what that means for your protections.
Research from the Home Builders Federation has consistently highlighted a decline in the number of active SME developers over the past few decades, with access to finance repeatedly cited as one of the barriers. A conversation with a broker who understands development lending often opens up options that a first approach to a single high street bank wouldn’t.
An experienced renovator had completed several refurbishment projects and wanted to take on a first ground-up scheme: three new-build houses on a plot with planning permission already in place. We arranged development finance structured against the gross development value, with funds released in stages following valuer sign-off, giving the developer the confidence to move from renovation into new-build without overstretching cash flow.
Development finance funds a build or major conversion, with money released in stages as work progresses. A bridging loan is typically a single advance for a shorter, more immediate need, such as completing a purchase quickly. Some projects use both: a bridge to secure a site, followed by development finance for the build.
Not always, though it affects which lenders will consider your application and on what terms. Many lenders will work with first-time developers, provided the project is well planned and the numbers make sense. See our Ground Up Development page for more detail.
Most lenders appoint a monitoring surveyor who visits the site periodically and confirms work has been completed to the expected stage before releasing the next drawdown. This protects both you and the lender against overpaying against unfinished work.
Most lenders appoint a monitoring surveyor who visits the site periodically and confirms work has been completed to the expected stage before releasing the next drawdown. This protects both you and the lender against overpaying against unfinished work.
Development finance is not like a standard mortgage. Funds are released in stages as the build progresses, the facility needs to match your project timeline, and the exit strategy has to be solid before a lender will commit. We work with specialist development lenders and put the right structure in place from the start. Talk to a development finance adviser.
Whether you are on your first project or your fiftieth, the lender needs to see that the numbers work. We help you present the appraisal in the right way, identify which lenders suit your project and your experience level, and make sure the facility is structured so the drawdowns fit your build programme. Tell us about your project.
