Banksaidno is a specialist finance broker. We’re a strong team of specialist finance professionals with over 20 years experience in finance, underwriting, structuring complex deals and getting them in front of the lenders who say YES. We understand how to position a case, remove uncertainty, and present the information lenders need to make fast, confident decisions. If you’ve got a deal that deserves the right outcome, we know exactly how to get it there
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Short-term funding secured against UK property — auctions, chain breaks, refurbishment, capital raises. Regulated and unregulated. Indicative routes in hours.
Offices, retail, industrial, hospitality, semi-commercial and mixed-use — for owner-occupiers and investors turned away by mainstream banks.
Release equity without disturbing your existing mortgage — capital raising, tax bills, settlements and consolidating expensive debt.
Single units, HMOs, holiday lets, multi-unit blocks and full portfolio refinances. Limited company and personal name.
Ground-up build, conversion and heavy refurbishment — plus sales-period finance to repay a development facility once a scheme completes.
Adverse credit, complex income, self-employed, expat, contractor. If the high street said no, we should be your next call.
Bank timelines don't match auctions or chains.
Self-employed, multi-source, recent change.
Mixed-use, ex-commercial, non-standard build.
Defaults, CCJs, missed payments, IVAs.
A new SPV or recent restructure.
Down-value, comparables or condition queries.
Fast, not careless. One specialist, the right lenders, written terms, clear steps, and support through to drawdown.
From the moment your case arrives, a specialist reviews the full picture and confirms whether it’s genuinely placeable. Only the lenders who fit your deal are approached — we don’t work with a scattergun approach — protecting your credit file and speeding up decisions. You receive written indicative terms with all costs and conditions set out clearly, and your specialist then coordinates valuation, legals and drawdown right through to completion. One process, one point of contact, total clarity.
If your question isn’t here, ask our team. There are no daft questions in specialist finance.
In most cases, yes. A bank decline is rarely the end of the road. Mainstream lenders run every application through a fixed scorecard, while specialist lenders look at the property, the exit and the strength of the case as a whole. What matters is why you were declined, not the decline itself — a tight deadline, an unusual property, complex income, a credit blip or a valuation that did not stack are all situations specialist lenders see every week. We ask what the bank actually said, look at the deal on its own facts, and tell you which lenders are realistically interested. If it genuinely cannot be placed, we tell you that too, rather than waste your time.
Adverse credit is common in specialist lending and does not, on its own, kill a deal. Defaults, CCJs, missed payments, IVAs, historic bankruptcies and discharged debt management plans are all things experienced lenders assess on their merits, focusing on the property security, the loan-to-value and a credible exit rather than a credit score in isolation. Recent, unexplained adverse credit is harder than older issues you can explain in a sentence, but it is rarely fatal. We will be honest about what is workable so you do not pay for valuations or legal work on a case with no chance.
A regulated loan is secured against a property you or a close family member live in, or intend to live in. These are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with stricter rules on advice, affordability and how risk is explained. Unregulated finance covers investment, commercial, semi-commercial, mixed-use and buy-to-let property where nobody in the borrower household will live, and sits outside FCA regulation. Banksaidno arranges both — many brokers only handle one. We will tell you which category your case falls into before any quotes are issued, so the protection that applies is clear from the start.
Yes. Most investment and commercial deals are written to limited companies, including special purpose vehicles set up specifically to hold a property. Lenders will want to see the company structure, identify the directors and beneficial owners, and usually take personal guarantees from the principals. A brand-new SPV with no trading history is rarely an obstacle, because the lender is underwriting the property and the people behind it rather than the company accounts.
Yes, although the lender pool is narrower and pricing is typically a little higher than for UK residents. We work with lenders that accept expats, foreign nationals with a UK income and offshore corporate structures buying UK property. Expect more thorough source-of-funds and identity checks under anti-money-laundering rules, and you may need certified translations or accountant references for non-UK income. UK property security is essential, and at least one clearly identifiable beneficial owner speeds things up considerably.
Almost any UK property with a clear, marketable title — standard residential, buy-to-let, HMOs, multi-unit blocks, semi-commercial, commercial, mixed-use, land with planning, and properties needing refurbishment. Non-standard construction, short leases, properties without a kitchen or bathroom, ex-local-authority blocks and properties affected by Japanese knotweed all have specialist lenders that price for the risk. The harder the property, the more the exit matters — and we will tell you on the first call which lenders are realistic.
No. An initial enquiry with us does not run a credit search — we use a soft conversation about the deal to scope feasibility before any lender is approached. When you choose to proceed with a specific lender, that lender will normally run a hard search as part of underwriting, which leaves a footprint on your file. Multiple hard searches in a short window can affect a future application, so we only put your case to lenders that genuinely fit, rather than scattering enquiries across the market.
No. We help first-time buyers under pressure, homeowners with complex circumstances, executors managing inherited property, business owners with a one-off need, and seasoned investors with portfolios. The lender pool changes with experience, but the right structure depends on you, the property and the exit — not on a CV full of property deals.
It depends on the product. A small number of bridging cases complete in a few working days where everything is straightforward, the valuation is desktop and the legal work is unusually clean. A more realistic typical bridging timeline is two to four weeks from enquiry to drawdown, driven mainly by valuation slots and conveyancing pace. Specialist mortgages and commercial cases usually take longer. Auction and chain-break cases are normally prioritised across the market, and we will agree a working completion date with you on day one and tell you straight whether a hard deadline is realistic.
A specialist looks at the case the same working day, calls or emails you to confirm the facts, and gives you an honest read on whether the deal is placeable. If it is, we approach the right lenders and bring back indicative terms so you can compare cost, fees and conditions. With your agreement we move to a formal application, instruct a valuation and legal work, and project-manage the case to completion. If the deal cannot be placed, we tell you why, and where we can we suggest what would need to change for it to work later.
For an initial review we need very little: the property address, an indicative value, the loan amount, what happened with the bank, the timeline and the planned exit. For a formal application a lender will normally ask for ID and proof of address, recent bank statements, payslips or self-employed accounts, details of any other property owned, and the source of any deposit. Commercial cases also need company information, director details and, where relevant, business accounts. If the property is unusual we may also need photographs, schedules of works or planning documents.
The lender appoints a RICS-qualified surveyor from their approved panel to inspect the property and produce a market valuation, sometimes alongside a forced-sale figure. For straightforward residential cases an automated or desktop valuation is sometimes accepted, which can save days. The valuation fee is normally met by you and is usually non-refundable, so we make sure the lender and product are right before you spend on it. If the surveyor down-values, we will work with you on whether to renegotiate, raise more deposit, or move to a different lender.
The most common delays are valuation availability in remote areas, missing or incomplete legal title information, undisclosed adverse credit, uncooperative vendors or lenders to be redeemed, and last-minute changes to the structure such as adding a borrower. Probate, divorce orders, lease extensions and freeholder consents can also slow legal work. We try to flag these on day one rather than week three, so we can run as much as possible in parallel and brief solicitors on what to expect.
Sometimes. A very fast completion is only realistic where the property is straightforward, a desktop valuation is acceptable to the lender, the title is clean, you can return signed documents quickly and a fast-track conveyancer is engaged on both sides. Even then, expect to pay a premium for the speed. If we do not believe a deadline is achievable, we will tell you on the first call and suggest the next best option rather than let you bank on something that cannot happen.
You will need a solicitor on your side of the transaction, and the lender will appoint their own legal representative as well, with the cost normally falling to you. We can recommend conveyancers experienced with specialist lending timelines who understand short-term lending and undertakings, which avoids the slow-down of a high-street firm seeing a bridge for the first time. If you already have a solicitor you prefer, that is fine in principle, but we will confirm they are on the lender’s panel before relying on them for time-sensitive work.
Bridging facilities typically run from 1 to 18 months, with 24 months available on some commercial and refurbishment cases; specialist mortgages run for the usual longer terms. The lender agrees a maximum term at the outset based on your exit. You do not have to hold a bridge for the full term — most lenders allow early repayment without penalty after a short minimum period. If your exit is delayed you can sometimes extend, but extensions are at the lender’s discretion and may cost a fee, so it is worth being realistic about timing on day one.
On a headline-rate basis, often yes — particularly bridging, which is short-term, secured, lightly underwritten and fast. The right comparison is not the headline rate against a 25-year mortgage, but the total cost of the finance against the value of completing the deal — whether that is securing an under-priced auction lot, saving a chain or protecting a deposit at risk. A few months of higher interest is often modest set against losing the deal entirely. We will always quote the all-in cost in pounds and pence, not just a monthly percentage.
At the time of writing, monthly bridging rates broadly sit between roughly 0.55% and 1.25% per month, depending on the lender, loan-to-value, regulated status, property type and borrower profile. Lender arrangement fees of 1.5% to 2% are common, plus a valuation fee, lender legal fees and a broker fee where applicable. Specialist mortgage pricing works on an annual basis and varies widely with the case. Rates and fees move with the market, and we will always confirm the live numbers in writing before you commit.
On bridging there are three main options, and we will help you pick the one that fits your cashflow. Retained interest means the lender takes the interest for the full term out of the loan at drawdown, so you have no monthly payments. Serviced interest means you pay monthly, like a normal mortgage, which keeps the loan balance lower. Rolled-up interest is added to the balance month by month and settled at redemption, with no monthly payment but a higher final repayment. The right choice depends on the exit, the term and how predictable your income is.
Most bridging lenders go up to around 70% to 75% of open market value on a straightforward residential bridge, and 60% to 70% on commercial or more complex cases. Where the property needs refurbishment, lenders may lend a percentage of current value plus a percentage of works costs, so the effective loan against the end value can be higher. Loan sizes commonly range from £50,000 to £25m, with private capital routes available for larger loans. We will tell you on the first call what is realistic for your property.
Most specialist lenders start at around £50,000 and go up to several million on a single asset, with some happy to write smaller loans from around £25,000 for property professionals. Above the mainstream ceiling, we work with private capital and family-office routes that can structure much larger loans on the right asset. Very small loans look expensive on a percentage basis because the fixed costs of valuation and legal work do not scale down — we will tell you straight if a small loan is uneconomic and suggest alternatives.
Most bridging products do not have a traditional early repayment charge. Instead, lenders typically set a minimum interest period, often one or three months, after which you can repay early with no penalty and only pay interest for the days the loan was outstanding. Some products are written as a fixed-term commitment with interest payable to the original end date. We will always flag this clearly in the indicative terms so you do not pay for time you do not use.
Yes. A second charge sits behind your existing mortgage, which is useful when your current rate is attractive and you do not want to disturb it for a short-term need such as a tax bill, refurbishment or a deposit. The first-charge lender will need to consent to a second charge being registered, which is usually straightforward but adds a step. Pricing is typically a little higher than a first charge of the same size, because the lender ranks behind another secured lender on the property.
If your exit slips, tell the lender early. Most lenders prefer to extend a sensible case rather than have it run past term, and will usually agree an extension at a fee, sometimes with a slight rate increase, provided the case still makes sense. Where the exit changes entirely — a refinance becomes a sale — that can usually be accommodated too, but it needs to be communicated and documented properly. The risk of saying nothing and running past the agreed end date is significant, including default interest, which is why we stay in touch through the term.
Yes — auction finance is one of the most common uses of bridging. The standard auction completion is 28 days from the fall of the gavel for traditional auctions, and 56 days for the modern method. We can review your shortlist before the sale, give you a realistic indication of whether each lot can be financed and at what level, and have terms in principle ready so you can bid with confidence. Once you win, we move quickly on valuation and legals to hit the contract date and protect your deposit.
Yes. A chain-break bridge is one of the most common personal scenarios, used where you have agreed a sale of your existing home but the buyer is delayed or has pulled out, while the onward purchase is committed. The bridge sits as short-term lending against the new home, the old home or both, repaid the moment the original sale completes. Where this involves a home you live in, it is a regulated case — and we handle regulated bridging properly, with the advice and risk disclosure that comes with it.
Yes — this is a textbook bridging scenario. A property without a working kitchen or bathroom, with serious damp, structural movement, a short lease or non-standard construction will often fail mainstream mortgage criteria, but a specialist lender can lend against current value with the works built into the plan. The exit is normally a refinance to a standard mortgage once the works are complete and the property is mortgageable, or a sale. We will look at the schedule of works and the projected end value to make sure the figures stack.
Yes. Inherited property cases come up regularly, both before and after the grant of probate. Before probate, some lenders can lend against the estate where there is clear title, an executor in place and a defined exit such as sale or refinance. After probate the case is more straightforward. We can also help where one beneficiary wants to keep the property and buy the others out, with the finance funding the buyout and being refinanced once title has transferred.
Yes, usually in one of two shapes. Where one party needs to buy the other out of the family home but a standard mortgage cannot complete in time, a bridge can fund the buyout against the property, repaid by a remortgage in the remaining party’s sole name once the financial order is finalised. Alternatively, where a settlement is pending but a deadline on a new home cannot wait, a bridge can fund the new purchase. These cases need clean legal advice and a realistic timeline, so we work closely with your solicitor.
Yes — refinance is one of the most common exits. A sensible bridge is structured with the longer-term mortgage in mind from day one. The bridge buys time to complete works, settle a probate, build evidence of income, wait out a credit blip or extend a short lease — all of which can unlock mainstream products the property or borrower could not access at the start. We can line the takeout mortgage up alongside the bridge, so the two sit together as a single plan rather than two separate problems.
An exit strategy is how the loan will be repaid, and it is the single most important part of a specialist finance application. Common exits are sale of the property, refinance to a longer-term mortgage, business income or development completion. Lenders will not lend without a credible, evidenced exit, because a loan with no exit becomes a default. A realistic plan A and plan B make the case much stronger, and we will help you think both through before any application is submitted.
Yes. A purchase below market value from a connected party, sometimes called a concessionary purchase, is a recognised use case where mainstream lenders may struggle but specialist lenders are comfortable. Lenders will normally lend against the open market value rather than the discounted purchase price, which can reduce the deposit you need. The transaction must be handled cleanly, with separate legal advice for both parties and proper documentation of the discount.
Yes. We arrange commercial mortgages and commercial bridging for offices, retail units, light industrial, warehousing, hospitality, healthcare, leisure and mixed-use property, for both owner-occupiers and investors. Pricing and loan-to-value vary with the sector, the strength of the income and the property’s alternative use. Commercial finance is often unregulated, which keeps the process faster and the documentation lighter, but the lender still wants to understand who pays the rent, when leases expire and what happens at exit.
Yes — this is a strong sub-market for specialist lenders, who tend to assess these cases more sensibly than mainstream banks that struggle with anything outside pure residential. A typical example is a shop with a flat above, or a former pub converted to part-residential use. Pricing tends to sit between residential and pure commercial, and the lender will look at both elements and how they are weighted. Owner-occupied commercial elements are sometimes treated more favourably than investment-only.
Developer exit, sometimes called sales-period finance, is a bridge that repays an existing development facility once the scheme reaches practical completion, while the developer continues to sell or let the units. It is typically priced lower than the original development debt, because the construction risk is gone, which can save real money during the sales window. It also avoids running past the original development lender’s end date, which can trigger default interest. We arrange these against single units, multi-unit blocks, conversions and larger schemes.
Yes. Light refurbishment bridges are designed for cosmetic work — kitchens, bathrooms, decorating and simple layout changes — that does not require planning. Heavy refurbishment and conversion cases sit alongside, where structural work, planning consent or change of use is involved, and lenders will lend a percentage of current value plus a percentage of works costs. Ground-up development normally uses a dedicated development facility rather than a pure bridge, though a bridge can take over once a scheme nears completion.
Yes, and it is increasingly common. A portfolio bridge can refinance multiple properties in a single facility, releasing equity to fund acquisitions, settle a tax bill or restructure debt that has come off rate. It can also bridge the gap while a longer-term portfolio mortgage is arranged, especially where one or two properties do not meet the stress tests on a longer-term product. The lender looks at the portfolio as a whole, including void rates, rental cover and any properties that need works.
Yes. Tax-deadline bridges are short-term loans secured against property, used to settle a VAT bill, corporation tax, capital gains tax or PAYE liability where cashflow has slipped. Lenders prefer this use to be a one-off rather than a repeat pattern, and they will want to see how the loan is repaid, typically through a known receivable, a refinance or an asset sale. Used carefully these can avoid HMRC penalties and the damage of a winding-up petition — but they are not a substitute for a proper conversation with your accountant about the underlying cause.
Yes — vacant commercial property can be bridged, including units that have just been vacated, properties bought for owner-occupation and assets being repositioned for a change of use. The lender will pay close attention to the property’s alternative use, the local rental market and your plan to let or sell, since the income that supports a fully commercial mortgage is not there yet. Pricing tends to sit at the higher end of the commercial range and loan-to-value may be a notch lower, but the case is very much placeable.
Yes. Change-of-use cases, including permitted development conversions from office, retail or light industrial to residential, are a strong fit for specialist lending. The lender will want to see planning either in place or available under permitted development rights, a credible cost plan and a realistic end value. The finance funds the acquisition and, in many cases, a percentage of the conversion costs in tranches against works completed, with a refinance to a longer-term mortgage on each unit, or a unit sale, as the exit.
