Indicative terms in 24 hours · Whole-of-market across 100+ lenders · Vortex Finance is a broker, not a lender
A row of UK period terrace houses in soft daylight
Bridging finance

Bridging loans arranged fast, from the whole market

Short-term finance secured against property, from £50,000 to £25m through 100+ lenders. Indicative terms in 24 hours, completion in 7 to 14 days, fast-track from 72 hours on clean cases.

£50k–£25mUp to 75% LTVRegulated & unregulated100+ lenders

A chain just collapsed. An auction clock is running. A lender pulled out on completion day. When a deal must close before a slower mortgage can move, you need money against property in days, not months. A bridging loan, often called a bridge loan, is short-term finance secured against property: interest-only and repaid in months through a clear exit, usually a sale or refinance. People take one out to seize a deal a high-street bank cannot fund in time.

We are a broker, not a lender. We sit on your side of the table and shop a panel of 100+ lenders to find the route that fits your deal, not a headline rate you cannot qualify for. We run a soft credit check with your consent first, so exploring your options never leaves a footprint. There is no fee for indicative terms, and our fee model is confirmed upfront before any application, disclosed before you commit.

Key facts

  • Indicative monthly interest from 0.50% to 1.10%; clean low-LTV cases from around 0.44%/mo
  • Terms up to 12 months regulated, 24 months unregulated
  • Indicative terms in 24 hours; completion 7–14 working days; fast-track from 72 hours
ScenarioIndicative rateLTV
Auction purchase0.55–0.85%/mo75%
Chain break0.60–0.95%/mo70%
Refurb-to-refinance0.65–0.95%/mo70%

Cost calculator

Loan amount£500,000
Monthly interest£3,750
Total interest over term£33,750
All rates indicative; the lender confirms on application based on the borrower, property, LTV and exit. Placeholder figures.*
The mechanics

How bridging loans work

A bridge loan is a short-term loan secured against a property you own or are buying. It is interest-only, and you repay the loan in full at the end of the term through a planned exit such as a sale or refinance. A bridge runs for weeks to months, so bridging finance is priced monthly.

Because it is a secured loan, the bridging lender weighs the property and your exit far more than your income or credit score, so a bridging loan could clear where a high-street application would stall. Loan to value drives the price: the lower your stake, the cheaper the money. Interest can be rolled up and added to the loan, so nothing leaves your pocket until you exit. The right loan provider matters, and we use bridge loan specialists most never list.

Know your options

Different types of bridging loans

There is no single product. The right type of bridging loan depends on the security, your exit, and whether the property is a home or investment.

  • Regulated vs unregulated. Regulated bridging is secured on a property that is, or will become, your own home or a family member’s, falls under FCA rules and is capped at 12 months. Unregulated bridging loans cover investment, commercial and business property and run up to 24 months.
  • Open vs closed. A closed bridging loan has a fixed, evidenced exit date, such as an exchanged sale, and prices keenest. An open bridging loan has a planned but undated exit and carries a small premium.
  • First vs second charge. A first charge bridge loan sits on an unencumbered property; a second charge bridging loan, a form of second charge loan, raises capital behind a mortgage you want to keep.
  • By purpose. A commercial bridging loan funds shops, offices and mixed-use; a specialist bridging loan covers unusual security or adverse credit that mainstream lenders decline. UK bridging spans homes, land and trading premises.
Total cost, not the headline

What a bridging loan costs

The true bridging loan cost is more than the monthly interest rate. A realistic figure combines the rate, the lender’s arrangement fee, the valuation, legal costs, and any exit fee over the term.

  • Interest rate: indicatively 0.50% to 1.10% a month; clean, low loan-to-value cases start near 0.44%.
  • Arrangement fee: usually 1% to 2% of the loan, often added to the advance.
  • Valuation and legals: paid to third parties, varying by property type and value.
  • Exit fee: 0% to 1% with some lenders; many waive it.

A lower loan-to-value almost always means a cheaper rate. A 1% a month bridge loan held for three months costs roughly 3% of the loan in interest, the number to weigh against losing the deal or the deposit. Every figure is indicative, confirmed by the lender on application.

Why a broker

Using a bridging loan broker

Going direct, you see one bridging loan lender’s view and one price. Bring in a broker and you get the open market: we weigh quotes from 100+ lenders, including specialist lenders that never advertise, and place your case with the one most likely to fund it first time. A decline after a hard search lands on your file. The best bridging loan is rarely the headline rate; it is the one that completes.

We also weigh the alternatives to bridging loans honestly. If a term mortgage, a development facility or a second charge is cheaper and fast enough, we say so. Where a bridge is right, we package the case and push every party to your deadline.

The honest trade-off

Pros and cons of bridging

The benefits of a bridging loan are speed and reach: funds in days, lending against property a high-street lender would reject, interest you can roll up, and no early repayment charge after a short term. For an auction lot or a broken chain, a bridge loan turns a missed deadline into a deal.

The trade-off is honest cost. A bridge loan is dearer per month than a term mortgage, so it only stacks up for a short hold with a clear exit. The real risk is the exit slipping; if your sale or refinance runs late, interest keeps accruing, so we stress-test it and build in headroom.

The process

How to apply for a bridging loan

To start a bridge loan, you need no paperwork. Tell us the property, the loan size and loan term you need, and your exit. The criteria are simple: enough equity or deposit (typically 25% to 35% on a purchase), a property they will lend against, and a credible exit. We run a soft credit check with your consent before any lender sees the case, so checking whether you can get a bridging loan never marks the file.

From there we shortlist lenders and package the case; you choose a route before anything is submitted. The lender instructs a valuation, underwrites, and issues an offer; legals run alongside; funds release on completion, most often 7 to 14 working days out.

Straight answers

Common worries, answered straight

Is a bridge loan expensive? +
Per month, yes, more than a term mortgage. Over a short hold it is usually cheaper than the alternative: a 1% a month loan held for three months costs about 3% of the loan, set against losing the deposit or the chain. We compare it to a term product or a second charge and recommend it only when the sums work.
What if my exit slips? +
This is the one to plan for. We stress-test your sale or refinance before submission and build in a buffer, choosing lenders whose terms give room to extend rather than penalise a short delay.
I have been turned down before. +
A decline is useful, not a barrier: it tells us which lenders to avoid and which to target. Tell us what happened and we match you to one who prices for it.
Common scenarios

When to use a bridging loan

Auction purchases

Complete inside the 28-day deadline.

Chain breaks

Buy your onward purchase before your sale completes.

Refurbish then refinance

The buy-refurbish-refinance-rent route.

Unmortgageable property

Buy what a high-street lender rejects, then refinance.

Probate & divorce releases

Release cash against property before an event completes.

Time-critical commercial

Raise capital against equity fast.

FAQ

Bridging loan questions, answered

What is a bridging loan and when would I use one? +
A bridging loan is short-term finance secured against property, used to move fast or fix a gap before a longer-term solution. People use it to buy at auction, complete before a sale goes through, release cash for a tax bill or probate, or buy a property no lender will touch. It is interest-only, repaid in months through a clear exit.
How fast can a bridge loan complete? +
We send indicative terms within 24 hours of a complete enquiry. Standard cases complete in 7 to 14 working days. Clean fast-track cases, such as an auction purchase with simple title and a quick valuer, can complete in 72 hours to 7 days. Missing documents and valuation delays slow it down.
Can I get bridging finance with bad credit? +
Often, yes. Bridging lenders weigh the property and your exit far more heavily than your credit score. County court judgments, defaults, and even discharged bankruptcies are workable with the right specialist lender. The mistake is hiding it; tell us up front and we match you to one who prices for it.
What is the difference between regulated and unregulated bridging? +
A regulated bridge is secured against a property that is, or will become, your own home or a family member’s. It falls under FCA mortgage rules and is capped at 12 months. The unregulated kind covers investment, commercial and business property and runs up to 24 months. On any regulated case, a qualified adviser handles the advice.
Do you lend the money yourselves, or are you a broker? +
We are a whole-of-market broker; we do not lend our own money. We arrange a bridge loan through a panel of 100+ lenders, so we sit on your side of the table rather than pushing one product. Lenders approve and fund the loan; we package your case so an underwriter takes it seriously and place it with the right funder.
Will getting a quote hurt my credit score? +
No. Indicative quotes do not touch your credit file. Before we recommend lenders, we run a soft search with your consent, which leaves no footprint, so we never waste a hard search on a poor-fit lender. A hard check only happens when you choose a route.
How much would a bridge loan cost per month? +
As a rough guide, monthly interest of 0.50% to 1.10% on a £200,000 loan is about £1,000 to £2,200, often rolled up and settled at the end. On top sit a 1% to 2% arrangement fee, a valuation and legal costs. The total cost over a short term matters more than the headline.
What are the disadvantages of a bridge loan? +
A bridge loan is dearer than a term mortgage per month, so it only makes sense for a short hold with a clear exit. The real risk is the exit slipping: if your sale or refinance is late, interest keeps running and some lenders charge a default rate. We stress-test it and build in a buffer.
Is a bridge loan a good idea? +
It is a good idea when the gain from moving fast beats the cost of short-term money and you have a realistic exit, such as an auction lot or a saved chain. It is the wrong tool if you need long-term borrowing or your exit is uncertain, and we say so.

Get indicative bridging terms in 24 hours

Tell us the property, the loan size and your exit, and a broker comes back within 24 hours with indicative terms from lenders that fit.

Vortex Finance is a whole-of-market broker, not a lender, for business-purpose property finance. The finance we arrange is for business or investment purposes and is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All rates and figures shown are indicative and subject to lender approval, valuation and your circumstances. Figures marked * are placeholders.