You could receive your loan in as little as 3 days!
Representative example: A mortgage of £30,000 payable over 12 months, on a fixed rate of 0.95% per month would require 11 instalments of £0.00 followed by 1 instalment of £37,070.22. The total amount payable would be £37,070.22 and includes, an arrangement fee (£1,099), a broker fee (£1,995) and interest (£3,976.22). The overall cost for comparison is 23.5% APRC representative.
This loan is secured against your property. If you are unable to repay the loan and any associated fees and interest when due, your property may be repossessed and sold to recover the outstanding debt.
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.
This product is available as either a first or second charge mortgage, subject to eligibility and our lending criteria. We offer bridging loans in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 is waiting for their mortgage to be approved before they can buy their next property, delaying the entire chain. As a result, you can't move into your new home, and your buyers can't move into yours.
Scenario 3
You're buying a new home and selling your current one, but your buyer's property has legal or title issues delaying their purchase. This prevents them from completing, which in turn delays your sale.
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.
Temporary funding gaps
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.
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.
You could access funds within days by calling our team directly or enquiring online.
We are one of the UK's longest established specialist lenders, so you can relax knowing you're dealing with an experienced team.
We are committed to responsible lending, clear communications and good customer outcomes throughout the borrowing journey.
Your Loan,
Tailored for You.
Consolidating debt? Paying for a large expense like home improvement or a wedding? We have you covered.
Unlike many other lenders, there is no strict automation to our lending decisions. Your application is assessed by our team, not by a computer.
Stephen Stone
2 years ago
Incredible company. Empathetic and supportive staff that know how to offer customers a package that suits them. I was fed up with automated systems from the standard banks. This company talk to you and help you find something to suit your circumstances. I cant thank them enough for how they helped me
Greg Erasmus
3 years ago
When I contacted Central Trust I had a very strict deadline to make a payment. Jenny was extremely helpful and informative and got the process started straight away. The whole way through I was kept informed at every stage of my application and any hiccups was swiftly dealt with. I can't thank Jenny, Tara and Stephanie enough for their help and professional service. Highly recommend.
Edward Mawby
3 years ago
I originally left a review that said I was not satisfied with the service provided, however after being in touch with Tara I felt she tried her best to get the answer we wanted. Unfortunately it didn't work out, but she left us feeling optimistic that we can go back in a couple of months time to try again. Thank you for doing your best to help!
Anglela Ferrante
3 years ago
What an absolute delight of a company. Following setback created by the mini budget, I was left in a predicament, central trust came to the rescue and provided an excellent swiftly process. I would highly recommend using them. I dealt with Jenny who couldn’t of been more proactive and helpful.
Gwenda Squire
6 years ago
Really friendly, professional service. Completed within a matter of days. Would highly recommend
David Cutler
6 years ago
Mostly good, gave me the wrong return address for a form that needed a signature witness which meant the form was lost and I had to go through the hassle of finding a witness again. Asked me to send a settlement figure which they had already received from me and had acknowledged receipt. But on the whole much more efficient, faster and more communicative than the bank who I applied to borrow the money from.
Stuart Donald
6 years ago
Professional and pressure free from start to finish.
Tracy Mawson
6 years ago
Fantastic service from start to finish very efficient.
Organising your finances can sometimes feel stressful, but we want to make it as easy as possible for you.
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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.
To qualify for a bridging loan with us at Central Trust, the key requirement is a clear exit strategy (such as a sale or refinance) supported by suitable property security, typically up to 75% LTV on a first charge and 70% on a second charge. We take a flexible, case-by-case approach, using tools such as AVMs, instant indicative quotes, e-signatures, and in some cases 24-hour completions with free legals on regulated bridging.
Credit history and income are considered alongside automated affordability and electronic income verification where needed, with scope to accept non-standard income and adverse credit depending on the overall strength of the case. Approval is driven primarily by the security and exit plan rather than traditional credit or income criteria.
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.
Yes. Bridging loans are designed as short-term borrowing, typically lasting up to 12 months, so they usually have higher monthly interest rates than a traditional mortgage. This reflects what they're built for: speed and flexibility rather than long-term borrowing. They're best suited to short-term needs where you have a clear plan to repay the loan within the term.
