Bridging & Property Finance Guides
Plain-English guides to UK bridging finance, development finance, mortgages and international property lending. Written from a broker's seat, updated for the 2026 market.
Every guide below is written by the brokers who actually place cases, not by marketers. They cover what borrowers genuinely need to know before taking a loan: the products, the costs, the criteria, the process, and the mistakes that catch first-time borrowers out.
Bridging guides
The Complete Guide to Bridging Loans in the UK (2026)
A definitive, in-depth guide to bridging finance in the UK. Written for property professionals, developers, investors and homeowners who want to understand the product before they take it.
Read the guide →Bridging vs Mortgage - When to Use Each
A clear decision guide for choosing between a bridging loan and a standard mortgage. Costs, speed, flexibility, and the scenarios where each is the right answer.
Read the guide →How Bridging Loan Exit Strategies Work
The exit strategy is the most-overlooked, most-important part of a bridging loan. A complete guide to how exits actually work, how lenders test them, and how to make yours fly.
Read the guide →First-Time Bridging Borrower's Checklist
A practical, no-nonsense checklist for borrowers taking out a bridging loan for the first time. What to prepare, what to ask, what to watch for and how to avoid the common traps.
Read the guide →Bridging Finance for the Care Sector
The broker's guide - CQC, EBITDA, and how care home bridging actually works.
Read the guide →The Investor's Guide to HMO Bridging Finance
From purchase through conversion to BTL refinance - how bridging works for HMO investors.
Read the guide →Refurbishment Bridging Finance - The Complete Guide
Light vs heavy refurb, works advances, LTGDV, and exit strategies - everything you need to know.
Read the guide →Pre-Planning Bridging Loans - The Developer's Guide
Acquiring sites before consent - how pre-planning bridges work, what lenders assess, and how to structure the exit.
Read the guide →Development Exit Finance - The Complete Guide
When to use it, how it works, and how much you can save versus extending your development loan.
Read the guide →Development guides
Complete Guide to Development Finance in the UK
Everything experienced and first-time UK developers need to understand about senior debt, mezzanine, JV equity, drawdown cycles, monitoring surveyors and exits. Updated for 2026 market conditions.
Read the guide →How LTGDV Works - Development Finance Explained
Loan-to-Gross-Development-Value is the dominant leverage metric on UK development finance. This guide walks through how it works, how it interacts with LTC, and how to use both to maximise leverage on your scheme.
Read the guide →Development Finance vs Bridging - Which to Use?
Both are short-term, both fund property, both come from specialist lenders. But the structure, leverage maths, drawdown mechanics and lender panel are fundamentally different. This guide walks through when to use which.
Read the guide →How to Prepare a Development Finance Application
What lenders actually need to see, in what format, in what order. The application pack walkthrough that gets indicative terms back in 24-48 hours instead of two weeks.
Read the guide →Development Finance for the Care Sector
Funding care home development, conversion, and extension - LTGDV, EBITDA, and specialist lenders.
Read the guide →Development Finance for Hotels & Hospitality
Funding hotel builds, pub conversions, and serviced accommodation developments.
Read the guide →Industrial Property Development Finance
Funding new-build industrial units, warehouse development, and trade park schemes.
Read the guide →Office Development & Conversion Finance
Development finance for office new build, PD conversion, and office-to-residential schemes.
Read the guide →Mortgages guides
The private bank mortgage guide
How private bank mortgages work in the UK - which banks lend, how they underwrite, when they are the right answer and when they are not, and what assets-under-management actually means in practice.
Read the guide →The complex income mortgage guide
A detailed look at how UK lenders treat self-employed, partnership, dividend, bonus, RSU, carried interest and multi-currency income, and how to find the lender whose policy actually fits your income shape.
Read the guide →The commercial mortgage guide
How commercial mortgages work in the UK. Owner-occupier vs investment underwriting, ICR explained, lender categories, use class restrictions, term and amortisation choices, and how to structure the right deal for the asset.
Read the guide →Buy-to-Let Mortgage Guide: Everything Landlords Need to Know
Complete UK buy-to-let mortgage guide for 2026: ICR stress tests, Ltd Co structures, HMO, portfolio landlord rules, and how to find the right BTL lender.
Read the guide →Expat Mortgages: How to Buy UK Property from Abroad
Complete guide to expat mortgages in the UK - buying property from abroad, lender criteria, foreign income assessment, country lists, and how to apply from overseas.
Read the guide →The Director's Guide to Getting a High-Value Mortgage
Complete guide to high-value mortgages for UK directors and HNW borrowers - income assessment, private banking, rates above £1m, and how to maximise your borrowing.
Read the guide →HMO Mortgages: The Landlord's Complete Guide
Complete guide to HMO mortgages in the UK - ICR on per-room income, licensing, Ltd Co structures, large HMO finance, and which specialist lenders to use.
Read the guide →How Much Can I Borrow for a Mortgage? UK 2026 Guide
How much can you borrow for a UK mortgage in 2026? Income multiples, stress tests, the factors that increase borrowing, and which lenders offer the most.
Read the guide →The Complete Guide to Getting a Mortgage in the UK (2026)
A step-by-step guide to getting a mortgage in the UK in 2026, from application to completion - eligibility, documents, lender types, and how to get the best rate.
Read the guide →How to Remortgage: When, Why and How to Switch
Complete guide to remortgaging in the UK - when to remortgage, how to compare deals, the process step by step, and how to avoid the most expensive mistakes.
Read the guide →Interest-Only vs Repayment Mortgages: Which Is Right for You?
Interest-only vs capital and interest repayment mortgages compared - monthly cost, total interest, equity building, and which structure is right for different borrowers.
Read the guide →Listed Buildings and Non-Standard Construction: Mortgage Guide
A complete guide to mortgages for listed buildings and non-standard construction in the UK, covering Grade I, II*, II, timber frame, concrete, steel and thatched property finance.
Read the guide →Mortgage After Bad Credit: What Are Your Options?
A complete guide to getting a mortgage with bad credit in the UK - CCJs, defaults, IVAs and bankruptcy explained, with the lenders to approach and how to maximise approval.
Read the guide →New Build Mortgages: What Buyers Need to Know
Complete guide to new build mortgages - exchange deadlines, developer incentives, offer validity, Shared Ownership, and how to avoid the most common new build pitfalls.
Read the guide →Portfolio Landlord Mortgages: Rules, Rates and Strategies
Complete guide to portfolio landlord mortgages in the UK - PRA rules, portfolio stress testing, which lenders accept portfolios, and strategies for growing your portfolio.
Read the guide →Second Charge Mortgages Explained: A Homeowner's Guide
Complete guide to second charge mortgages in the UK - how they work, when they are better than remortgaging, costs, eligibility, and how to access the market.
Read the guide →Self-Employed Mortgages: Complete Guide for 2026
The complete UK guide to getting a mortgage when you are self-employed. SA302s, one year's accounts, Ltd Co directors, contractors and net profit lending explained.
Read the guide →Business Finance guides
Asset Finance Explained: Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, and Sale-and-Leaseback
Complete guide to business asset finance in the UK - hire purchase, finance lease, operating lease and sale-and-leaseback explained. Which is right for your business?
Read the guide →How to Get a Business Loan with Bad Credit
Complete guide to getting a business loan with bad credit in the UK. CCJs, defaults, IVAs - what your options are, which lenders to approach, and how to maximise approval chances.
Read the guide →Business Loan Requirements: What Lenders Look For
Understand exactly what UK business lenders look for when assessing loan applications - turnover, profit, credit, security, DSCR and more. Improve your chances of approval.
Read the guide →How to Get a Business Loan in the UK: Complete Guide 2026
Everything you need to know about getting a business loan in the UK in 2026. Step-by-step guide covering eligibility, application, documentation and lender types.
Read the guide →Invoice Finance vs Factoring: What's the Difference?
Invoice finance and invoice factoring compared - how they work, what they cost, and which is right for your business. Clear UK guide for 2026.
Read the guide →Management Buyouts: How MBO Finance Works
Complete guide to management buyout (MBO) finance in the UK - how MBOs are structured, financed, valued and completed. Specialist MBO lenders from £250k to £50m+.
Read the guide →Merchant Cash Advances: Cost, Pros and Cons Explained
Complete guide to merchant cash advances for UK businesses. How MCAs work, what they cost, the factor rate explained, and when an MCA is right for your business.
Read the guide →The Director's Guide to Property-Backed Business Loans
Complete guide for directors using property as security for business finance. How it works, what's at risk, rates, terms, and how to get the best deal.
Read the guide →How to Use a Revolving Credit Facility for Your Business
Complete guide to revolving credit facilities for UK businesses - how they work, how to use them effectively, costs, eligibility and how to get the best deal.
Read the guide →Secured vs Unsecured Business Loans: Which Is Right for You?
Secured vs unsecured business loans compared - rates, amounts, speed, risk and eligibility. Find out which is right for your business in 2026.
Read the guide →Business Finance for Startups: Options When You Have No Trading History
Finance options for UK startups with no or limited trading history. Government loans, asset finance, director-secured lending and more - complete guide for 2026.
Read the guide →Working Capital: What It Is and How to Finance It
Working capital explained - what it is, how to calculate it, why it matters, and the best finance options for UK businesses in 2026.
Read the guide →Got a question a guide does not answer?
Send the scenario and we will come back the same working day with indicative terms, a lender shortlist, and a realistic timeline. No upfront fees on loans over £1m.