A large bridging loan is a short-term, property-secured loan in the millions. Eleven lenders in Capzy’s directory publish maximums of £5 million or more, led by Ortus Secured Finance at up to £25 million and Octane Capital at £15 million and beyond. Large bridges are underwritten case by case, with closer scrutiny of the exit, the valuation and the borrower. All lending is subject to status and lender criteria.
At a glance
- Largest published maximum here
- £25 million (Ortus Secured Finance)
- Lenders publishing £10 million or more
- Five
- Lenders publishing £5 million
- Six
- Longest published term
- Up to 3 years (Ortus, per its FAQ)
- Deadline to register a company’s charge
- 21 days (GOV.UK)
What counts as a large bridging loan?
There is no official threshold. This page treats a large bridging loan as one of several million pounds, and covers lenders that publish maximums of £5 million or more. Several of them say each loan is structured on its own merits or underwritten case by case, so the published grid is a starting point rather than a limit.
A bridge of any size is short-term lending secured on property and repaid by a sale or refinance. Our guide to bridging loans explains the basics. This page is about the top end of the market.
How should you choose a lender for a large bridging loan?
- Check the published ceiling and the minimum. Several large-loan lenders start at £175,000 to £500,000 and are not built for small cases.
- Match the property type. Some publish higher limits for residential than commercial: Glenhawk publishes £10,000,000 residential and £3,000,000 commercial.
- Check the valuation basis. Lenders lend against different values, which changes the loan on the same property.
- Check where it lends. Several lend only in England and Wales.
- Check who it lends to. Offshore companies and trusts are accepted by some lenders and not others.
- Compare total cost on the term you expect. Interest, arrangement and exit fees on £5 million add up quickly.
Which lenders publish bridging loans of £10 million or more?
Five lenders in the Capzy lender directory publish a maximum of £10 million or more. They are ordered by their published maximum, largest first.
| Lender | Product | Amount | Term | Repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ortus Secured Finance | Residential bridging | £500,000 to £25 million (standard bridge £250k to £50M on the same page) | Up to 3 years (FAQ) | Interest can be serviced monthly or deducted from the gross loan |
| Ortus Secured Finance | Commercial bridging | Up to £25 million | Up to 3 years (FAQ) | Not published |
| Octane Capital | Bridging loans (residential and semi-commercial) | From £175,000 to £15,000,000 (and beyond) | Up to 24 months | Fixed or variable; daily interest |
| Assetz Capital | Bridging finance | Preferred loan size £500k to £10m (terms outside the guidelines considered) | Commitment term 2 to 24 months | Interest-only, interest-retained or serviced options; no early repayment charges or minimum charging periods; maximum LTV up to 75% of market value |
| Glenhawk | Residential bridging | £250,000 to £10,000,000 | 3 to 24 months | Short-term loan; LTV up to 80%; no exit fee |
| Glenhawk | Commercial bridging | £250,000 to £3,000,000 | 3 to 24 months | Interest retained or serviced; 1st charge only; LTV up to 70% |
| Glenhawk | Refurbishment bridging | £300,000 to £10,000,000 | 3 to 24 months | Interest rolled; 1st charge only; can fund up to 100% of refurbishment costs |
| Glenhawk | Regulated bridging | £250,000 to £2,000,000 | 1 to 12 months | FCA regulated loan secured on the borrower’s home; LTV up to 75%; no exit fee |
| Lendhub | Bridging | £100k to £10m | Up to 24 months | Serviced, retained, part-retained or rolled interest; max LTV 75% (feature list states up to 80% LTV and up to 90% LTP) |
- Ortus Secured Finance publishes residential and commercial bridging up to £25 million, with terms of up to 3 years in its FAQ, and lends to UK and non-UK borrowers, including offshore SPVs. It has offices in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast.
- Octane Capital publishes £175,000 to £15,000,000 “and beyond” over up to 24 months, says it lends against open market value rather than a 180-day value, and says it is funded by its parent, Aldermore Bank.
- Assetz Capital states a preferred size of £500k to £10m and says terms outside its guidelines are considered. It lends to limited companies and LLPs and takes a first charge, a debenture and personal guarantees.
- Glenhawk publishes residential and refurbishment bridging up to £10,000,000 and commercial up to £3,000,000, through brokers.
- Lendhub publishes non-regulated bridging of £100k to £10m in England and Wales, and asks for full personal guarantees from directors and shareholders holding more than 25%.
Which lenders publish bridging loans up to £5 million?
Six more publish a £5 million maximum. They are listed alphabetically.
| Lender | Product | Amount | Term | Repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black & White Bridging | Residential bridge | £50k minimum to £5m maximum (larger by referral) | 3 to 24 months | Serviced or retained interest; max LTV 80% of 180 day value or 90% of purchase price if below market value |
| Black & White Bridging | Commercial bridge | £50k minimum to £5m maximum (larger by referral) | 3 to 24 months | Serviced or retained interest; max LTV 70% of 180 day value, or 55% for land with planning |
| Black & White Bridging | Auction bridge | £50k minimum to £5m maximum (larger by referral) | 3 to 24 months | Serviced or retained interest; max LTV 75% of 180 day value or 90% of purchase price if below market value |
| Black & White Bridging | Refurbishment bridge | £100k minimum to £5m maximum (larger by referral); up to 100% of build costs funded | Up to 24 months | Rolled interest; max drawdown £250k; max LTGDV 70% |
| Funding Guru | Commercial bridging loan | £20,000 to £5 million (bridging page also says £25k to £5 million +) | Typically a maximum of 12 months | Usually replaced with long-term funding or settled when the property is sold |
| Reward Funding | Property finance (incl. bridging) | Up to £5 million | Up to 24 months, with option to renew; bridging loans 3 to 12 months | Not published |
| Sancus UK | Bridging loans | £500k to £5 million (borrower page says solutions up to £15 million) | Up to 24 months | Interest can be serviced (evidence of affordability needed); 1st charge security required |
| TAB | TAB Bridge | £100,000 to £5,000,000 | Maximum 24 months | Interest-only repayments; first charge only (second charge considered per criteria page); max LTV 75% residential and 70% commercial |
| TFG Capital | Property finance (secured bridging) | £50,000 to £5,000,000 | Up to 12 months | Interest-only monthly servicing requirement; secured on residential, commercial, agricultural or land property |
- Black & White Bridging lends £50k to £5m and says larger loans are available by referral.
- Funding Guru publishes commercial bridging of £20,000 to £5 million, typically for up to 12 months.
- Reward Funding lends up to £5 million against property on a first or second charge.
- Sancus UK shows £500k to £5 million in its bridging table, while its borrower page refers to property finance of up to £15 million.
- TAB publishes its TAB Bridge at £100,000 to £5,000,000 in England, Wales and mainland Scotland; its FAQ says loans typically run to a maximum of £10m depending on loan type.
- TFG Capital lends £50,000 to £5,000,000 for up to 12 months against the 90-day value of the security.
How does underwriting a large bridging loan differ?
The published criteria of these lenders point to four differences as loans get bigger.
- Valuation basis matters more. Black & White Bridging lends against a 180-day value, TFG Capital against a 90-day value and Octane Capital against open market value. A forced-sale value can be well below market value, and on a £10 million property the gap is large. Our explainer on loan to value shows how the ratio sets the loan.
- The exit is tested harder. Assetz Capital asks for a realistic exit and enough liquidity to cover the deposit and completion costs; Lendhub asks for a valid and reasonable exit strategy.
- Security goes beyond the property. Assetz Capital takes a debenture and personal guarantees from corporate borrowers; Lendhub asks for full guarantees from larger shareholders.
- Borrower structures are more complex. Ortus, Octane and Glenhawk say they cater for offshore companies or layered ownership, which brings more identity and ownership checks.
If the borrower is a company, the charge must be registered at Companies House. GOV.UK says that if it is not registered within 21 days, it may be difficult to recover the debt if the company becomes insolvent.
Most large bridges are to companies on investment or commercial property and are unregulated. A loan to an individual or trustees secured on land at least 40% used, or intended to be used, as or in connection with a dwelling is a regulated mortgage contract under article 61(3)(a) of the Regulated Activities Order, unless an exclusion in article 61A applies. Glenhawk, for example, caps its regulated bridging at £2,000,000.
What does a large bridging loan cost, and what are the risks?
Costs are usually interest, an arrangement fee, valuation and legal fees, and sometimes an exit fee. Octane Capital, Lendhub and Glenhawk say they charge no exit fee on the products shown. Few lenders publish rates for large loans, because pricing depends on the property, the loan-to-value and the exit. Ask each lender for the total amount repayable over the term you realistically need.
If the sale or refinance takes longer than planned, interest keeps running and extension or default fees may apply; Glenhawk says these may apply to its loans. On a multi-million pound bridge, a few extra months can cost a great deal.
Our guide to comparing bridging loans sets out how to put offers side by side, and commercial bridging loans covers non-residential property.
What are the alternatives to a large bridging loan?
- A commercial mortgage when there is time to arrange long-term funding.
- Development finance, released in stages, when the money is for building work. See development finance lenders.
- A second charge bridging loan when the property already carries a mortgage you want to keep.
Capzy is a credit broker, not a lender, and is paid by the lender. You can check your options with a soft search that does not affect your credit score; a lender’s full application may use a hard search.
Sources
- Registering a charge (mortgage) for a company, GOV.UK
- Regulated Activities Order 2001, article 61: regulated mortgage contracts, legislation.gov.uk
- Regulated Activities Order 2001, article 61A: exclusions, legislation.gov.uk
- Ortus Secured Finance: Home, Ortus Secured Finance
- Octane Capital: Bridging loans, Octane Capital
- Assetz Capital: Bridging Finance, Assetz Capital
- Glenhawk: Home, Glenhawk
- Lendhub: Home page and footer, Lendhub
- Black & White Bridging: Home page and footer, Black & White Bridging
- Funding Guru: Bridging loan, Funding Guru
- Reward Funding: Home, Reward Funding
- Sancus UK: Bridging, Sancus UK
- TAB: TAB Bridge, TAB
- TFG Capital: Home, TFG Capital
Capzy is a credit broker, not a lender. We get paid by the lender. This page is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Finance is subject to status, lender criteria and affordability; rates and terms depend on your circumstances.