Speed, when speed is the whole point.
Bridging exists for deadlines: an auction completion, a chain about to collapse, a property no mortgage lender will touch until it has a kitchen. It is expensive by design, and occasionally the cheapest decision you will make.
Short-term money against property, arranged fast
What this meansA short-term loan secured on property, usually for 3 to 18 months, used when timing matters more than the rate. It is expensive by design and only makes sense with a clear way of repaying it. is secured on property and typically runs 3 to 18 months. Interest is often rolled up rather than paid monthly, so nothing leaves your account until the loan is repaid. Completion in two to three weeks is normal; faster is possible when the legals are straightforward.
Every lender will ask the same first question: how does this get repaid? A sale, a refinance, funds arriving from elsewhere. Without a credible What this meansHow a short-term loan gets repaid — a sale, a refinance onto a longer-term mortgage, or funds arriving from elsewhere. No lender will agree bridging without a credible one., the answer is no — and it should be.
What bridging is genuinely good at
It solves timing problems. It does not solve affordability problems, and using it that way ends badly.
Typically a good fit when
- Auction purchases with a 28-day completion deadline
- Buying before selling, when a chain has broken
- Property that is unmortgageable until refurbished — no kitchen, no bathroom, structural work
- Releasing equity quickly to fund a separate opportunity
- Buying at a discount where speed is what secures the discount
What it costs, stated plainly
Bridging is priced monthly, not annually — commonly around 0.55% to 1.5% a month depending on the security, the loan to value and how straightforward the case is. Add an arrangement fee of 1–2%, valuation and legal costs, and sometimes an exit fee.
On a £200,000 bridge at 0.9% a month for six months, the interest alone is roughly £10,800 before fees. That is the number to weigh against the opportunity — and the number some brokers leave you to work out yourself.
Questions we are asked most
How quickly can bridging complete?
Two to three weeks is typical, and a week is achievable when the property is clean, the valuation is straightforward and solicitors move. The bottleneck is almost always legal work rather than the lender.
Do I make monthly payments?
Often not. Interest is usually rolled up and settled with the loan at the end, which keeps the property self-funding while you work. It also means the debt grows each month, so a slipping timetable costs real money.
What counts as a credible exit?
A sale with a realistic asking price, or a refinance you would actually qualify for — a commercial mortgage or a buy-to-let mortgage once the work is done.
"We will sell it" without a valuation, or "we will refinance" without checking whether a lender would take it, is not an exit. We will pressure-test yours before an application goes anywhere.
Working to a deadline?
Tell us the completion date and the exit, and we will tell you straight away whether it is doable.
Or email info@nemekfinance.co.uk · Call 07483 159369
No obligation, no credit check to talk, and a straight answer if finance is not the right move.