Bridging Finance Solutions has revealed a fourfold increase in short term finance applications during the past 12 months. With a continuing rising trend for individuals to take the ambitious step of designing and building their own home influenced via media and TV, the aspirational self-builder is on the increase.
This client profile sits perfectly within the wider BFS business model which welcomes the smaller loan applicant, unlike many larger bridging companies or high street lenders. Typically, clients have a mortgage already in place with limited funds to carry out the build, which is where a bridge becomes imperative.
The self-builder is a perfect client for us. We have the resources and skills to help this client group who may need additional support from application onwards. Ground-up development and ‘small’ projects (sub £1m) have become a huge part of our operation and this is undoubtedly a space within the marketplace that we will continue to push and explore.
A mortgage company will typically consider a loan following practical completion stage only when a build warranty certificate has been issued. This makes a mortgage wholly unsuitable for ground-up development work, the point at which BFS provide funding to reach completion. Once this is achieved, the loan is repaid by the mortgage company and the completed property used as a guarantee.
We are living in a media-savvy environment where so much information exists on the internet that can make an idea seem more like a real possibility. This notion applies to the property market. Once that idea is there, and the self-builder wants to consider the wider plan, and perhaps most importantly, the finance, we can undoubtedly help make this idea become a reality.
Find out more about self build mortgages
Making Dreams Reality
Our Head of Sales, John Hardman has taken on his own property development project, building a five-bedroom home in his back garden. He’ll be vlogging his transition from lender to developer over the next five months and sharing plenty of hints and tips along the way. Tune in to Episode #1!
