Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I borrow with a bridging loan?

We have extensive bridging finance facilities that can provide bridging loans from £100,000 to £5 million. We have further specialist facilities that specialise in providing commercial bridging finance for £5 million to £100 million.

What can I use a bridging loan for?

We can provide bridging loans for any legal purpose.

How long does it take to get a bridging loan?

It is possible to have your bridging loan within 48 hours! Just tell us when your bridging facility is required and we will work to that date. We are very fast and efficient, so if you need your bridging loan this week please give us a call.

Why is KIS Bridging Loans so quick at arranging bridging facilities?

This is due to many years of experience, access to a wide range of bridging loan facilities, very efficient processing systems and a hard working, well organised team.

What type of property can a bridging loan be secured against?

Our bridging loans can be secured on residential property, commercial property, building plots and land. Don't worry about the type of construction or the condition of the property, we are very flexible.

Can you arrange bridging loans for people with County Court Judgements, defaults and arrears?

We have a wide range of facilities and can provide bridging finance for clients who have County Court Judgements, defaults, arrears and also discharged bankruptcies.

Can you arrange bridging loans for limited companies and partnerships?

Yes we can, commercial bridging loans are a speciality, provided that there is sufficient security and the ability to repay the commercial bridging loan.

Can I use property that already has a mortgage secured on it as security for my bridging loan?

The bridging loan facilities can be secured as first or second charges, and in some circumstances even third charges, provided that there is still sufficient equity in the property.

Are there any upfront fees to pay on a bridging loan?

We do not charge any upfront or finder's fees for bridging loans. In the absence of a suitable valuation report, the only costs that may be required up front are valuation fees.

What costs are involved in having a bridging loan?

For bridging loans there is usually an arrangement fee which is only payable once you have your bridging finance facility. Therefore if you do not receive your bridging loan there are no arrangement fees to pay. We do not charge upfront application fees, however in the absence of a suitable valuation report a valuation fee maybe required. If a suitable valuation report is already available a valuation fee won't be required. Arrangement fees and also legal costs can usually be added to the bridging loan facility if required.

Once I have my bridging loan, if I require more funds will I be able to borrow more?

This will be possible provided that the existing bridging loan facility is not in default and there is sufficient equity available to secure the additional borrowing.

Once I have my bridging loan, can I make capital reductions?

Yes you can, this will reduce your outstanding bridging finance balance and also reduce your monthly interest charges.

Are my details and information about my application kept confidential?

Yes of course. We do not sell or pass any information to other companies for marketing purposes.

What is a closed bridging loan?

A closed bridging loan is one that is taken out when there is a guaranteed exit date, or date when the loan will be repaid. An example of a guaranteed exit date would be the date of completion for a property sale having exchanged contracts. When taking out a bridging loan under these circumstances a guaranteed exit date can be provided. This type of bridging loan is obviously less risky to both the lender and the borrower and this is reflected in the lending rates and charges.

What is an open bridging loan?

An open bridging loan does not have a guaranteed exit date and therefore a borrower can only indicate to the lender or guess how long the loan will be required. An example of an open bridging loan would be when funds are to be cleared following the sale of a property, but at the time of taking out the loan there are no confirmed buyers. Open bridging loans are a more risky proposition for both the lender, who does not know when to expect repayment of the loan, and also the borrower who does not know how long or how many monthly interest payments he will have to pay.

What is a bridging loan exit strategy?

A bridging loan exit strategy is your planned repayment method. The most common bridging loan exit strategies are either the sale of a property, or refinancing with a long term facility such as a mortgage or development finance product.

Do you have to make monthly repayments on a bridging loan?

No, you do not have to make monthly repayments on a bridging loan. Bridging is a short term finance facility where the capital and interest are paid off together at the end of the term. This is usually through refinancing or the sale of a property.

Can I make monthly repayments on a bridging loan?

Yes, you can get what’s called a ‘serviced’ or ‘interest only’ bridging loan. This means you pay off the interest each month to minimise the effects or rolled up interest.

What are bridging loan interest rates like?

For loans under £1 million, bridging loan interest rates can start from just 0.41% per month, depending on the loan to value. For bridging loans over £1 million, the interest rate could be even lower. Take a look at our bridging loan calculator to get an accurate guide on how much a bridging loan would cost you.

How can I use a bridging loan for property developments?

Bridging finance can be used for all sorts of property development – from light home refurbishments and extension builds to self-build projects and full commercial developments. Bridging can be used to fund work being done to a property you already own, or it can be used to both purchase the property or land and carry out works before being sold or refinanced.

Can you use a bridging loan to purchase a property at auction?

A bridging loan is ideal to purchase a property at auction. Bridging can be arranged quickly, sometimes in as little as 48 hours, so it is the perfect facility to finance your auction purchase within the shorter timeframe that auctions allow. Once the bridging loan has been used to complete the purchase as a cash buyer, the property can then be refinanced to a mortgage.

What’s the different between a first charge and second charge bridging loan?

A bridging loan is considered ‘first charge’ when it is secured against a property that doesn’t have a mortgage or any other borrowing secured against it already. A bridging loan is considered ‘second charge’ when it is secured against a property that DOES have a mortgage secured against it already.

Will I be eligible for a bridging loan?

Bridging has a much more flexible lending criteria when compared to longer term finance facilities. Your eligibility will be largely dependent on the property being used as security, the loan to value, and your exit strategy. As you do not have to make any monthly repayments, income and affordability are not assessed in the same way as other products.

Can you get a bridging loan if you have a bad credit score?

Yes, you can get a bridging loan even if you have a bad credit score. As no monthly payments are required, your borrowing history isn’t assessed in the same way as a mortgage or secured loan. As long as your property is suitable security for the loan and you have a watertight exit strategy, you should be able to get a bridging loan even if you have a bad credit score.

What is mezzanine funding?

Mezzanine funding is a method of raising finance for development projects. This type of finance facility is used by property developers to help fund a building project. Typically most of the funds will be provided by a main lender and the rest will be from the mezzanine lender and the developer. The mezzanine lender will take a second charge for security, after the main lender's first charge.

What is the difference between a bridging loan and development finance?

There are a number of similarities with bridging loans when compared to development finance. Both methods of finance are only intended as short term funding options and both can be used to finance building new properties or renovating and restoring run down and dilapidated ones.

Once the project has been finished a bridging loan or development finance facility will need to be repaid. This would be achieved by refinancing the completed property with a long term finance option such as a commercial mortgage, or the property is sold.

Development finance can be taken out for periods of up to 3 years, whereas bridging loans are usually up to a maximum of 1 year. For new build and restoration projects property development finance is often the better option because it can be cheaper due to better rates and the proceeds of the loan can be released as it is required as work progresses, allowing further savings on interest charges.

The development finance providers place a great importance on previous development experience, so if this is not available then a bridging loan maybe the only option.

What is asset refinancing?

Asset refinancing is a method of finance used by businesses to release some of the equity contained within an asset such as a piece of machinery, a vehicle, or some other equipment. Asset refinance is usually arranged on assets that are owned outright, although refinancing can be achieved when there is already a finance facility secured on the asset, provided that the existing facility is repaid from the money raised by the new facility. Assets that can be used to secure finance against need to be identifiable, meaning they need to have a serial number or other registration mark.

What is a buy to let mortgage?

A buy to let mortgage is a mortgage facility secured on a property that is rented out. Buy to let mortgages are a very popular method to finance the purchase and refinancing of investment property. Most of the buy to let mortgage providers make their affordability calculations based on the rental income potential of the property. Residential properties such as houses and flats are most commonly used to secure buy to let mortgage facilities.

What is a let to buy mortgage?

A let to buy mortgage is simply a specific term used to describe a buy to let mortgage facility that is being used to finance the mortgage holder's existing home. This would be in order to allow them to move out of the property and rent it to a tenant. Let to buy mortgages are popular methods of finance amongst people who want to move home, whilst at the same time retaining their previous home for investment purposes. Recently, let to buy mortgages have been popular due to the depressed property market, where let to buy mortgages are being used to help facilitate the purchase of a new property whilst at the same time enabling the former property to be retained. This would be with the anticipation that the property market will improve in the coming years meaning a better sale price can possibly be achieved.

LIBOR interest rates explained

LIBOR is an abbreviation of the London Interbank Offered Rate, which is an interest rate measurement. The interest rate measured by LIBOR is the average amount of interest charged by the banks when they lend out their surplus money to each other. LIBOR interest rates are provided in 10 different currencies and for 15 different periods ranging from overnight to 12 months.

The LIBOR rate of interest is determined on a daily basis in London by the British Bankers Association, often referred to as the BBA. In order to determine the LIBOR rate of interest the BBA consult a group of large banks on the London money market, from which they take an average of the interest rate that they are each prepared to lend out their surplus money for. The LIBOR interest rate is announced each day at around 11.45am (UTC).

This is all a very important part of banking because the ability of banks to be able to lend to and borrow from each other enables them to be more functional. For example the banks that need money are able to borrow from the banks who have a surplus, clearly a help to the banks who require funds and also helpful to the banks who have a surplus because they can now earn some interest on that surplus.

Many lenders use LIBOR as their base rate when providing mortgages and other facilities to their customers. It is common to see rates set as a fixed percentage above the Bank of England Base Rate or the 3 month LIBOR rate. LIBOR is therefore watched very closely by both professionals and individuals because LIBOR interest rate rises and falls have a significant effect on a huge range of financial facilities including savings and mortgages.

Recently the 3 month LIBOR rate has been significantly higher which is in part due to the volatile market that has had the effect of making the banks to be less willing to lend to each other, and also because the demand for money is high. The high demand for money will naturally cause the cost (interest rate) to rise. More recently the 3 month LIBOR rate has started to fall which is good news for borrowers.

What is an Overage?

An overage is an agreement between a buyer and seller that states that the buyer will pay more, on top of the original purchase price of a property or land, if and when certain things are carried out. For example, if the buyer increases the value of a piece of land by obtaining planning permission on it after purchasing.

If you’re the buyer, it means you can pay a smaller initial amount with the commitment of paying more if it gains value, and if you’re the seller it means you can still benefit from value increases even after you’ve sold it.

In the example of obtaining planning permission, a seller may feel that the property/land being sold could one day obtain planning permission. Therefore places an overage in the deal, stipulating that, for example, a certain percentage of any uplift in value of the land, due to obtaining planning permission, will be paid to the seller who this agreement is with.

Overages can pass from owner to owner, until any contract expiry date has passed.   

What is a secured loan?

The term secured loan is usually used to describe a personal loan facility that is secured by way of a legal charge over the loan customer's home. Secured loans are sometimes referred to as a second mortgage. Most secured loans are secured via a second charge after the existing first charge mortgage that is already in place. Due to the extra security provided to a secured loan provider, the loan facilities provided can be considerably larger than with a normal personal loan, with personal secured loan amounts of up to £100,000 being available through some of the main lenders. Also, the extra security means that the lenders are less at risk of bad debt, and this benefit is also enjoyed by customers by way of lower interest rates. Secured loans are usually used for home improvements and debt consolidation.

What is a consolidation loan?

A consolidation loan is a term used to describe a loan facility that is used to clear other smaller finance agreements. Consolidation loans are usually used to clear up other finance agreements such as credit and store cards, overdrafts, hire purchase payments and small loan agreements, replacing them with one more convenient loan facility that offers a better rate of interest and a lower monthly repayment. The main use of consolidation loans is to replace several monthly payments with just one, make managing finances a little easier whilst also reducing monthly outgoings. Quite often the term of the consolidation loan maybe longer than terms remaining on agreements being consolidated, this may result in more loan interest charges over time.

How quickly can I get a decision on an application for a secured loan?

Normally we provide an in principal decision on secured loan applications with 20 minutes of making an application. In addition to a decision we will also provide information and options with regards the amount you are borrowing, the repayment options available, interest rates and any other costs.

How long does it normally take to get a secured loan?

From the initial application to completion a secured loans normally take around 2 to 3 weeks. By law there is an 8 day consideration period, also known as a cooling off period, which has to be observed. The consideration period means that following your decision in principal you receive copies of your loan documents, then 8 days later you receive your original documents which you sign if you still wish to proceed. We are fully aware that most applicants require their loan quickly, and we work hard to ensure that each application is processed and completed as fast and as efficiently as possible.

What is the 6 month rule?

The 6 month rule is a lending condition that a large proportion of lenders implement. The rule was created to help prevent back to backing, a practise that led to many lenders losing money. The condition of the 6 month rule is that a property has to be owned by the current owner for at least 6 months before it can be remortgaged. Some lenders have even extended this period to 12 months! There are however a limited number of lenders who do not operate this lending condition or will waive the restriction under certain circumstances.

This condition can sometimes cause problems when buying and selling property, because any finance being raised by a purchaser can be subject to the 6 month rule if the property being sold has not been owned by the vendor for 6 months or more.

What is meant by an arm's length transaction?

This terms applies to a transaction where both parties are acting independently of each other. This means that neither party is subject to influence by the other and is clearly acting in their own best interest. Example A good example of where an arm's length transaction can be seen is within the property market. Where no prior relationship exists between the buyer and the seller this is regarded as an arm's length transaction, as both parties will be acting in their own best interests. Whilst the seller aims to achieve the best price for the property, the buyer will endeavour to achieve the lowest price. Through this mechanism a fair, market value is likely to be achieved. However, where both parties have a vested interest, such as where a sale takes place between family members, the transaction is not regarded as being at arm's length. In this case the price agreed may not be a true reflection of the market value, which may have both tax and legal implications for both parties.

In such circumstances, the use of a disinterested third party, such as a broker, may be advisable to avoid any such legal or taxation related challenges at a later date.