Human decisions, not tick boxes: A £900k Chain Break Bridge Done Propperly

Project Background:

Our clients were purchasing a residential property requiring refurbishment, using a bridging loan to break the chain and move quickly. The property (already stripped back and requiring only cosmetic work) was valued at £1,160,000, with £80,000 of renovations to be funded by the clients themselves.

Challenge:

The purchase was time-sensitive due to having pressure from their seller to complete quickly, and the clients needed to raise a significant amount of short-term finance at a high loan-to-value.

Key challenges included:

• Required loan of £900,000, cross charging against secondary properties on a regulated basis.
• Ensuring the lender was comfortable with the exit strategy, which relied on two separate asset disposals:
• The forthcoming sale of their current property
• A US stock and shares portfolio
• A stripped-back property requiring work, but with no structural or planning complexities.

We needed a lender that who would look at the full picture – not just tick boxes.

Solution:

This case required more than standard underwriting; it required human-level problem-solving.

We worked closely not only with the lender’s underwriting team but directly with their Business Development Manager, who played a pivotal role in making the deal possible. By having real conversations, exploring the client’s situation in detail, and understanding the strength of their asset base and exit plan, the lender was able to take a pragmatic, specialist view.

Key elements of the solution included:

• Full acceptance of a dual exit strategy (property sale + share liquidation)
• Comfort around the clients’ experience and ability to self-fund all £80,000 of works
• No planning or structural risks
• Confidence in liquidity and asset-backed repayment routes

This is where specialist lenders shine: when they’re willing to look beyond a black-and-white checklist and make decisions based on real circumstances.

Outcome:

The clients secured the funding needed to break the chain and complete the purchase at speed.

With the bridging finance in place:

• £900,000 raised at a competitive rate for a regulated deal
• Works fully self-funded, enabling immediate progress
• Clear, achievable exit via property sale and liquid shares
• No delays caused by planning or structural issues

The bridging facility gave the clients the breathing space to renovate the new property, sell their old property, liquidate shares as required, and complete their project on their timeline – not the chain’s.

This case is a great example of why working with lenders who are willing to have a human conversation matter. In specialist finance, deals are rarely clean-cut. When everyone collaborates – broker, lender, compliance – great outcomes happen.