A development loan is a commercial, short-term facility split into two main parts:
1. Site funding — to purchase or refinance the site if needed.
2. Construction funding — released in stages, aligned with the progress of your development, refurbishment, or conversion.
Both parts are secured against the development site itself. In many cases, additional security (residential or commercial assets) may be used if required.
If you already own the site or it’s sufficiently valued, the site portion may reduce your upfront requirement. Once construction/refurbishment begins, funds are drawn down at agreed benchmarked stages.
Important: Planning permission for the construction phase is generally required. If you don’t yet have planning permission, we can often arrange bridging finance to acquire the land (though these loans will usually have a lower loan-to-value).
1st Charge Lending
A conventional development facility, secured by a first legal charge on the site.
2nd Charge Lending
A supplementary, higher-risk debt ranking behind senior debt. Generally more expensive, but useful for funding top-up portions of your development costs.
1st and 2nd Charge Lending Combined
Combines 1st and 2nd charge terms within the same lender, allowing for a higher advance but with higher rates or exit fees.
100% Funding
When you can offer additional security or collateral, some lenders may agree to fund the entire project cost — land acquisition plus build.
Joint Venture (JV) Lending
On high-demand residential schemes, we can help structure deals with lenders who want to partner directly with experienced developers. This could involve profit shares, equity splits, or blended exit fees depending on the agreement.
- Navigate complex funding structures to find the one that matches your risk, timeline, and exit strategy.
- Access specialist lenders who understand the unique demands of development projects.
- Support throughout the planning, build, and refinance/sale stages.
If you’re a developer looking to bring a project to life — whether refurbishment, conversion, new build, or large-scale construction — get in touch with Mortgage Experience. We’ll show you what’s possible and help make your vision a reality.