Bridging Loans
You could receive your loan in as little as 3 days!
Borrow up to £250,000
1 year only
We consider all credit histories
Employed, self employed, pension and benefit income
There are no hidden broker fees
Representative Example: A secured loan of £32,000 payable over 7 years on a fixed rate of 10.24% for the first 5 years, followed by a variable rate, currently 10.72%, would require 60 monthly payments of £576.99 followed by 24 monthly payments of £579.78. The total amount repayable would be £48,534.12, this includes interest, an arrangement fee of £1,999 and a processing fee of £499. The overall cost for comparison is 13.5% APRC representative.
How it works
Organising your finances can sometimes feel stressful, but we want to make it as easy as possible for you.
In just 3 simple steps you could have the money in your bank account. All you need to do is:
1: Enquire
Complete our quick and easy online enquiry form. Alternatively, you can speak to an advisor instantly by calling us or starting a live chat.
2: Your details
One of our qualified advisors will call you to discuss your enquiry and work out a monthly payment that meets your needs and circumstances.
3: We'll do the rest
We'll help you complete the paperwork and any other supporting documentation required.
What do our customers say?
You can relax knowing you’re working with a highly rated team. But don’t just take our word for it, visit our website and read our reviews – they speak for themselves.
What is a bridging loan?
A bridging loan is used when quick access to finance is essential. A bridging loan can provide short-term finance to cover gaps between property transactions or urgent funding needs. One typical scenario is buying a new home before selling your current one.
This type of loan allows you to proceed with the purchase without waiting for the sale of your existing property, helping to reduce stress and avoid missed opportunities.
How is a bridging loan different to a mortgage?
A bridging loan is a short-term financing solution designed to cover temporary funding gaps, such as buying a new property before selling your existing one or seizing a time-sensitive opportunity. Unlike a traditional mortgage, which is long-term and repaid over typically 15–30 years with regular monthly instalments, a bridging loan is usually repaid in a single lump sum within 12 months.
Approval is typically faster, with lenders focusing on the value of the property rather than your income, and interest rates are higher due to the short-term nature and increased risk. Essentially, a mortgage helps you own a property for the long term, while a bridging loan provides quick, flexible funding to bridge a gap until your permanent financing is in place.
Why choose Central Trust?
35 years' experience
We are one of the UK's longest established specialist lenders trading since 1988 giving us over 35 years' experience providing secured loans, homeowner loans and second mortgages.
Simple application process
You can call our team directly on 0800 980 6273 (Mon-Thursday:8:00am-6:00pm and Friday:8:00am-5:00pm) or you can enquire online at any time using our quick and easy online form.
All credit considered
We understand that life happens and there's more to your story than your credit score or recent pay slip. So if you have a less than perfect credit score we could still help.
When might a bridging loan be used?
Due to its short-term and flexible nature, a bridging loan can help in situations where timing is critical or funds are temporarily tied up. Common uses include:
- Buying a property at auction
- Buying a property or land quickly
- Property refurbishments and developments
- Repossession prevention
- Investing in the next project before securing sales proceeds from previous projects.
Chain breaks
A bridging loan can be used when purchasing a property that is part of a property chain, meaning that several buyers and sellers are linked together because each person’s ability to complete their purchase depends on someone else completing theirs.
Your purchase could effectively be put on hold by the financial circumstances of third parties. This can create issues if for example:
Scenario 1: You’re all lined up to complete the purchase of your home, and something goes wrong unexpectedly. It could be that the person buying your home pulls out at the last minute and the chain collapses or breaks.
Scenario 2: The seller of the property you’re buying is still waiting for their mortgage to be approved/finalised before they can complete the purchase of the property they’re moving to. You can’t move into the new property, and the buyers of your current property can’t move in until there is movement on this one part of the chain.
Scenario 3: You’re buying a new home and selling your current one, but your buyer’s property has legal or title issues (for example, a boundary dispute, missing paperwork, or a planning restriction). These issues prevent their sale from completing, which in turn holds up your sale because your buyer can’t complete.
Scenario 4: Maybe you’ve found a property you want to buy, but you haven’t sold yours yet. A bridging loan can provide the emergency, short-term finance that you need to purchase the new home, and avoid breaking the chain.
Bridging loans for a property chain break can provide an efficient way to bypass this hurdle and offer you the capital needed to complete the purchase independently of the chain.
Other Bridging Loan Scenarios:
Temporary funding gaps
Example 1:
You’ve found a new property that costs more than the home you’re selling. While the sale of your current home will provide part of the funds, those proceeds won’t be available until completion. A bridging loan can temporarily cover the shortfall so you can move forward with the purchase while waiting for your sale to complete.
Example 2:
You want to buy a property at auction, which requires full payment within a short timeframe (e.g., 28 days). Your mortgage or other funds won’t be ready in time. A bridging loan releases immediate capital to secure the purchase, then refinance once permanent funding is arranged.
Exit Strategies:
A bridging loan is only as safe as its exit strategy. Lenders need confidence that the loan will be repaid on time, so the way you plan to exit the loan is crucial. For most property sales, the primary exit is the sale itself. If the property is overseas, a secondary exit plan is required to cover any delays or complications with the sale.
Risks associated with bridging loans
Bridging loans can seem like a lifeline when you need cash fast, but you should be aware of the risks before making any decisions. Bridging loans come with high interest rates and hidden fees that can pile up quickly, and their short repayment schedules leave little room for delays. Because the loan is secured against property, a drop in market value could leave you owing more than your home is worth.
Without a clear exit plan - whether selling, refinancing, or moving to a traditional mortgage - what starts as a temporary solution can spiral into serious financial trouble, damage your credit, or even cost your property. Bridging loans work best for those who know exactly how and when they will repay.
Case studies
Home improvement loan
For an applicant with poor credit history.
Secured loan
For a self-employed client with limited trading history.
Debt consolidation
For an applicant with multiple lines of credit.
Ready to enquire?
Talk to our qualified mortgage experts
Friendly UK based advisors
Enquiring won't affect your credit rating
Fast turnaround times 7-10 days is possible
No phone menus - immediate contact from our advisors
We are a direct lender, so we'll work with you from start to finish
FAQ's
Bridging loans can seem like a lifeline when you need cash fast, but you should be aware of the risks before making any decisions. Bridging loans come with high interest rates and hidden fees that can pile up quickly, and their short repayment schedules leave little room for delays. Because the loan is secured against property, a drop in market value could leave you owing more than your home is worth.
The main benefit of getting a debt consolidation loan is that there is only one repayment to make each month. Rather than having multiple debts to repay, a debt consolidation loan puts all of your existing debts into one payment, which makes budgeting easier to manage. Alongside this, having one repayment per month means that you are more likely to meet monthly payments on time therefore protecting your credit score.
On the other hand, if you miss frequent mortgage payments then you are at risk of being set back further and your credit score being affected.
Another drawback of a debt consolidation loan is that they can include additional fees and payments, so it is important to consider the potential additional expenditure that you may encounter when enquiring for a debt consolidation loan.
Without a clear exit plan - whether selling, refinancing, or moving to a traditional mortgage - what starts as a temporary solution can spiral into serious financial trouble, damage your credit, or even cost your property. Bridging loans work best for those who know exactly how and when they will repay.
Yes. A residential bridging loan is always secured against a property.
- A first charge bridging loan is secured as the main mortgage on the property.
- A second charge bridging loan sits behind an existing mortgage, allowing you to raise additional funds without replacing your current loan.
Yes. Bridging loans are designed to be short-term solutions, typically lasting up to 12 months. so they usually have higher monthly interest rates than traditional mortgages.
However, they are designed for speed and flexibility, not long-term borrowing.