# Bridge Loan for a House: Developer Exit on a Single-Unit Scheme

Insights article · United Kingdom · Published 2026-09-12

> Your build facility has matured on a finished, unsold house. A bridge loan for a house is sized against one sale, not a unit-release schedule. Here is how lenders treat a single-unit developer exit, and when they will not.

Your construction facility has reached the stop date. The house is complete, vacant and on the market. There is no block of flats behind it, and no unit-release clause to pay the lender down.

A bank will not treat this as a simple [residential bridging loan](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/bridging-loans/residential-bridging-loan) against a lived-in home. You need a bridge loan for a house that is still a developer's exit.

One dwelling, one buyer, and a marketing period that can run for months. That is a different underwriting problem.

> **Why this matters:** If the only exit is one purchaser for one completed house, the lender is underwriting void risk and a marketing window measured in months, not a phased sales programme.

## Highlights

- A single-unit exit has no staged sales to reduce debt: one house, one buyer, or none.
- The facility is sized against a completed vacant dwelling and a credible sale, not income.
- Indicative terms: 3–24 months, up to 75% LTV, £1M – £100M, with a term sheet usually within 24 hours.
- Thin comparables and a longer marketing period change tenor and pricing.
- Accredited investors and corporates only; terms subject to valuation and due diligence.
- [Talk to a specialist](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/contact-us)

## Why a single house is not a multi-unit exit

Most [developer exit bridging loans](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/bridging-loans/developer-exit-bridging-loans) are underwritten on a scheme with several units. Sales can chip away at the debt. A Hampstead new-build, a Surrey rebuild or a prime central London conversion back to one dwelling has none of that.

The build loan matures against a finished asset that is still unsold. Comparables are thin, especially on a one-off specification. Time on market is the real variable, not a release schedule.

We still lend against the asset and the exit. The exit is simply a single sale, which is a different risk.

## How lenders size a bridge loan for a house

Loan size follows value and the credibility of the sale, not the cost of the build. A completed house that cost more to deliver than the market will pay is not a 75% story. Indicative LTV is up to 75%, on a valuation we instruct, in the £1M – £100M range.

Tenor sits in the 3–24 month band. A house that needs a six-to-nine-month campaign should not be forced into a three-month facility. Rolled-up interest is common because there is no rental income to service monthly interest.

Security is typically a first charge on the completed title, registered at [HM Land Registry](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry). We still require a Report on Title, a valuation and a sale strategy we can underwrite.

Drawdown is typically two to three weeks once diligence is complete, and we usually issue a term sheet within 24 hours. All figures are indicative and subject to valuation and due diligence.

The same logic as [sizing an exit when the sales campaign is running behind](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/insights/developer-exit-finance-uk-loan-sizing-unsold-stock) applies here. The difference is there is no second unit to sell if the first falls away.

## When this is the right tool, and when it is not

A bridging loan is the right tool when the house is complete (or practically complete) and the title is clean. The exit needs to be a genuine sale at a price the market has already shown it can bear. It also works when the build lender will not extend and you need time to find the one buyer.

It is the wrong tool if the asking price is a hope value, if planning conditions remain open, or if you need a five-year hold. Short-term money costs more than a term loan. The main risk is simple: the house does not sell inside the tenor, interest rolls up, and you are refinancing under pressure.

We are a direct private lender, lending to accredited investors and corporates against the asset and the exit. We are not a bank. [The Hampstead facility we completed](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/case-study/strategic-bridge-funding-prime-hampstead-property) is a useful read if you are looking at one prime dwelling rather than a scheme.

![Surrey detached house exterior with front garden and driveway](https://media.rikvincapital.com/rikvin-media/unsplash-1789179098914-9436.jpg)
*Longer marketing periods on a Surrey rebuild are a tenor decision, not a reason to underwrite it as a let house.*

## What we actually underwrite on a one-off dwelling

The file is shorter than a multi-plot scheme and stricter on the sale. We want the EPC, the build-complete evidence, the agent's campaign and the comparable set, however thin. An SPV borrower is normal. KYC and source of funds still sit on the critical path, which is why [the process](https://www.rikvincapital.com/uk/process) should start before the build facility's stop date, not after it.

If the house sits in prime central London, liquidity is deeper but pricing is unforgiving. A Surrey or outer-London rebuild can take longer to transact. That is a tenor question, not a reason to pretend the asset is a let house.

A Decision in Principle is not a substitute for valuation. Until the surveyor has been in, LTV is a working number only.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I get a bridge loan for a house that is finished but unsold?

Yes, if you are an accredited investor or a corporate and the exit is a credible sale. We size against the completed dwelling, not rental income. A term sheet can usually be issued within 24 hours; drawdown is typically two to three weeks. Terms are indicative and subject to valuation and due diligence.

### How do you set LTV when comparables are thin?

We instruct a valuation and apply a haircut for a one-off specification and a vacant sale. Indicative LTV is up to 75%, not an entitlement. If build cost sits above market value, we lend against value. A thin comparable set usually means a more conservative figure, not a higher one.

### What if the house does not sell before the term ends?

That is the principal risk. Interest is often rolled up, so the clock is expensive. You would need to refinance, extend if we agree, or sell at a lower price. Do not take a three-month tenor for a house that needs nine months of marketing.

### Do you lend to an SPV that owns a single dwelling?

Yes. Corporates and SPVs are a standard borrower type, alongside accredited investors. KYC, source of funds and a first charge still apply. We do not lend to retail consumers. The asset and the sale have to stand up, regardless of the vehicle, and terms remain subject to valuation.

A single finished house can still be underwritten. It cannot be underwritten as if the next unit will sell next month.

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