Bridging — Refurbishment
Purchase-plus-works bridging for light and heavy refurbishment — including unmortgageable stock, EPC upgrades, conversions and change of use — with staged drawdowns against inspection.
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Last updated Reviewed by our Clifton International finance team.
In short
Refurbishment bridging funds up to 75% of the purchase price plus up to 100% of the works cost, usually capped near 70% of gross development value, at around 0.60%–0.95% per month. Works funds are released in stages against inspection and the loan is repaid by a refinance on the improved value or a sale.
At a glance
Figures reviewed:
Indicative figures for guidance only, correct as at July 2026. Rates, costs and timelines vary by lender, borrower profile, asset and jurisdiction, and are not an offer of finance. How we derive these figures.
Last reviewed . Read the full Key facts methodology, or speak to our team for a quote based on your circumstances.
At a glance
Light refurbishment covers cosmetic and non-structural works without planning; heavy refurbishment covers structural change, extensions and conversions and is priced and monitored differently.
| Feature | Light refurbishment | Heavy refurbishment |
|---|---|---|
| Works | Kitchens, bathrooms, rewire, decoration | Structural change, extensions, conversions |
| Planning / building regs | Not usually required | Usually required |
| Pricing | 0.55% – 0.85% per month | 0.75% – 1.10% per month |
| Day-one LTV | Up to 75% of purchase price | Up to 70% of purchase price |
| Works funding | Up to 100% of costs in arrears tranches | Staged drawdowns against surveyor sign-off |
| Monitoring | Light — often desktop | Monitoring surveyor on each drawdown |
| Term | 6 – 18 months | 12 – 24 months |
| Exit | BTL refinance or resale | Refinance on the improved value or resale |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
Where works exceed roughly 25% of the purchase price or touch structure, expect the case to be underwritten as heavy refurbishment.
Why clients choose us
Up to 75% of price and up to 100% of build cost in one facility, within a GDV cap.
From kitchens and bathrooms to structural works, loft conversions and change of use.
Finance the very properties term lenders decline, then refinance once the works are done.
Fund energy-efficiency works to bring rental stock to a lettable standard.
Funds released against monitoring surveyor or valuer inspections as stages complete.
The BTL or residential refinance is evidenced against lender criteria before you draw.
Borrower eligibility
Typical lending criteria
Indicative only. Actual terms depend on borrower profile, asset and lender criteria.
Recent transactions
Published transactions from our own case study library — select any to read the full brief.
Leeds · Bridging
£1.3m · 65% LTV · 12-month regulated bridge
£1.3m regulated bridge to help a Leeds family secure a significantly larger home before selling their existing property — funded in under 3 weeks.
Malaga · Bridging
£230k · c.25% LTV · 36 days to completion
A regulated bridging loan raised against an unencumbered Edinburgh home to secure a £230k apartment in Malaga, Spain — completed in 36 days.
Oxfordshire · Bridging
£1.2m · 60% LTV · chain-break bridge
£1.2m chain-break bridge that saved a rural Oxfordshire purchase after the buyers' onward sale collapsed at the eleventh hour.
Frequently asked
It is a short-term loan that funds the purchase of a property plus all or part of the works, released in stages against inspections. It is repaid by a refinance onto a term mortgage or a sale once the property is finished.
Light refurbishment means cosmetic works with no change of use and no planning or building-regulations involvement. Heavy refurbishment covers structural change, extensions, loft or basement conversions and change of use, and is priced and monitored more like development finance.
Typically up to 100% of the works cost alongside up to 75% of the purchase price, provided the total stays within around 70% of the gross development value.
Against a monitoring surveyor's inspection or, on lighter schemes, a simple valuer re-inspection. Funds are released in arrears as each stage completes, so cashflow for the first stage must come from you.
Yes — that is the core use case. Properties with no kitchen or bathroom, damp, fire damage or a failing EPC are financeable because the loan repairs the very defect blocking a term mortgage.
Not for light refurbishment, where a competent contractor is usually enough. For heavy refurbishment lenders want relevant track record, or an experienced main contractor and monitoring surveyor in place.
Yes. Energy-efficiency works to lift a rental property to a lettable EPC standard are a common and well-understood use of refurbishment bridging.
A refinance onto a BTL or residential mortgage on the improved value, or a sale of the completed property. Lenders want the exit lender's criteria evidenced before drawdown, not afterwards.
UK bridging finance by scenario
Each page covers the structure, criteria, costs and typical timescales for one bridging use case — with real completed transactions.
Calculate interest, arrangement and exit fees, valuation and legals — with a fully worked £510,000 example.
View pageRegulated and unregulated lender panels compared — and why bridging is placed through a specialist, not shopped direct.
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View pageComplete on your onward purchase when a buyer withdraws or the chain collapses.
View pageRefinance a completed scheme onto cheaper short-term debt while units sell.
View pageWhich regime applies to your case, and what changes in criteria, cost and process.
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View pageRelated UK services
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Learn moreReady to explore your options?
Send us the purchase price, works schedule and expected end value. A specialist will respond within one working day with indicative terms.