Business Finance Guides
Plain-English guides to UK business loans, asset finance, invoice financing, and business credit cards. Compare lenders, check what you'll qualify for, and walk into a funding decision already knowing the answers.
Asset Finance
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Asset Finance for Limited Companies vs Sole Traders: What Changes?
Limited companies typically access better asset finance rates and terms than sole traders due to stronger credit profiles and tax advantages, but sole traders can still secure competitive deals. The main changes include personal guarantees for sole traders, different documentation requirements, and varying tax benefits.
Balloon Payments and Residual Values in UK Asset Finance: What They Really Cost
Balloon payments and residual values in UK asset finance can reduce monthly payments by 30-50%, but they create a substantial final payment that often exceeds the asset's actual market value. The real cost includes higher total interest, negative equity risk, and refinancing fees if you can't pay the balloon amount when due.
Bridging Loans
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Bridge-to-Development Finance: Funding a Site Before Planning or Construction Starts
Property developers face a critical funding gap: securing sites before planning permission is granted. Bridge-to-development finance fills this gap by providing short-term funding to purchase land or buildings while developers navigate the planning process, typically for 12-24 months at rates from 0.75% to 2% monthly.
Bridging Loan vs Commercial Mortgage: Which Fits a Short-Term Property Need?
For short-term property needs, bridging loans typically offer the better solution. They're designed for urgent situations requiring completion within days or weeks, funding periods of 1-24 months, and properties that may not yet qualify for traditional mortgages.
Bridging Loans for Broken Property Chains: Buying Before You Sell
Bridging loans for broken property chains allow you to purchase a new property before selling your current one, providing short-term finance typically lasting 3-12 months. These loans cost around 0.55%-0.95% per month and let you borrow 60-75% of your new property's value, with approval possible within days rather than weeks.
Bridging Loans for Land Purchase: Buying Sites Before Planning Permission
Bridging loans for land purchase allow developers and investors to buy sites before planning permission is secured, typically offering up to 65% of existing use value at monthly rates of 0.75-1.10%. These 12-18 month facilities enable fast acquisition of strategic land opportunities that traditional lenders won't finance.
Buy-to-Let Bridging Loans: Refurbish, Refinance and Let
Buy-to-let bridging loans provide short-term financing to purchase, refurbish, and refinance rental properties before securing a traditional buy-to-let mortgage. These loans typically offer 1-24 month terms with rates from 0.75% per month, allowing investors to move quickly on opportunities while preparing properties for long-term rental income.
Development Finance
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Development Finance for SPVs: Why Property Schemes Use Special Purpose Vehicles
Over 80% of UK development finance applications in 2026 now use Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structures rather than personal or main company borrowing.
Build-to-Rent Development Finance UK: How Lenders Assess Rental-Led Schemes
Build-to-rent development finance in the UK typically requires 70% loan-to-gross development value (LTGDV) and up to 90% loan-to-cost (LTC) ratios, with lenders focusing heavily on rental yield projections, stabilization periods, and the developer's operational track record rather than traditional sale-based exit strategies [1][2].
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